| Abstract: | This study examined teachers' perceptions of transactional distance in different teaching environments. The independent variable was the teaching environment, which was divided into three: entirely distance environment (Distance-E), blended distance environment (Distance-B), and the traditional environment (Traditional). The dependent variable was teachers' perceptions of the transactional distance, which pertains to their feelings as a result of the teaching process and indicates their evaluation of their ability to communicate with the students and explain the content and to determine their satisfaction from teaching in the different environments. One hundred sixty educators who teach in distance environments (Distance-E, n?=?66; Distance-B, n?=?94) and 160 who teach in a traditional environment completed a study questionnaire (Teachers' Transactional Distance Scale). The teachers' perceptions of the transactional distance were found to be sensitive to the seniority of the teachers, the number of students per class, and Distance-E. These findings show that the teacher's role should be redefined and that teachers should be trained for this new role in order to reduce the perceived transactional distance. Teaching a large number of students in a course transmitted entirely at a distance must also be reconsidered, despite clear economic advantages of large classes. |
