Internet Learning Volume 3, Number 1, Spring 2014 | Page 99

Beliefs Regarding Faculty Participation
in intention (R 2 = 0.27). In addition, the
multiple correlations of attitude, subjective
norm, and perceived behavioral control
accounted for an average of 39% of the
variance in intention (R 2 = 0.39). Their meta-analysis
supported the overall efficacy of
the model though they called for further
study of the subjective norm component
and attention to differences in self-report
versus observed behavior measurement.
In a meta-analysis of 33 studies,
Cooke and French (2008) examined the
model’s overall ability to predict intention
to participate in health screenings and
subsequent attendance behavior. Their
meta-analysis found the strongest relationships
between attitudes and intentions and
the weakest relationships between subjective
norms and intentions. For attendance
behavior, they found a medium-sized relationship
between intention and behavior
and a small relationship between perceived
behavioral control and behavior. These
findings support the overall efficacy of the
model, consistent with Armitage and Conner’s
findings.
In a more recent meta-analysis
predicting health-related behaviors,
McEachan, Conner, Taylor and Lawton
(2011) analyzed 206 papers, representing
237 tests of the theory. Like previous meta-analyses,
their study showed a strong
relationship between intention and behavior,
and perceived behavioral control predicted
a small proportion of the variance
in behavior. Attitude, subjective norm, and
perceived behavioral control emerged as
the strongest predictors of intention relative
to other variables added to the model,
and attitude was consistently the strongest
predictor. The purpose of this research, like
that of Cooke and French (2008), was to
propose interventions to modify behavior
that could be examined in further research.
Taken together, these meta-analyses highlight
the overall efficacy of the model in
behavior prediction. Unfortunately, applications
of the Theory of Planned Behavior
to teaching online, predicting faculty
behaviors, and revising higher education
practices are extremely limited. Of the
few studies in this area Celuch and Slama
(2002) applied the theory to a business
school course to evaluate the impact of
faculty-led interventions on student behavior.
These researchers used pre- and
post-course assessments to examine how
variables in the Theory of Planned Behavior
impacted learning critical-thinking
skills in a marketing course. Their findings
show that some variables, specifically attitudes
from the Theory of Planned Behavior,
were accurate predictors of changes in
behavior and confirmed the positive effect
of the course’s pedagogy on critical thinking.
Specifically, they reported that certain
systematic elements of the course such
as expectation setting, opportunities for
practice, and constant feedback were system
interventions that positively impacted
observed instances of critical thinking behaviors.
Utilizing a portion of the Theory
of Planned Behavior, Alshare, Kwum, and
Grandon (2006) examined faculty intention
to teach online at one American and
two Korean institutions. Their model included
two factors derived from previous
research on faculty adoption of online
courses, communication efficacy, and flexibility.
The third factor was subjective norm
taken directly from Ajzen’s (1991) work. In
this context, subjective norm was defined
as the combined social pressure of school
administrators and close faculty members
to teach online courses. The hypothesis
that subjective norms had a positive relationship
with the adoption of online teaching
was supported at both the American
and Korean institutions.
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