Exploring Faculty Perceptions of Open Educational Resources at MJACT: Awareness, Willingness, and Challenges

Abstract

UNESCO adopted the term OER, short for Open Educational Resources, in 2002 to refer to learning, teaching, and research materials that are freely accessible or licensed for use. A remarkable rise in the use of OER was noticed during the COVID-19 pandemic, which compelled higher education institutions worldwide to select OER as one of the solutions for enhancing continuity of learning and securing equal educational opportunities. Yet not all faculty embraced the use of OER. This inconsistency may be attributed to faculty members' perceptions of their value and usability, as well as the difficulties they face when using these resources. This study investigates how Awareness impacts OER engagement among faculty at Mohammed Jaber Al Ansari College for Teachers. A quantitative research design employing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyse data from thirty faculty members. Three constructs were examined for their direct and indirect effects, namely Awareness, Willingness, and Challenges. The main findings show that Awareness significantly enhances Willingness to adopt OER (p = 0.005) but also increases perceived Challenges (p = 0.012). In contrast, Willingness demonstrates a significant negative effect on Challenges (p = 0.034), suggesting that motivational readiness may attenuate the barriers that awareness brings to the surface. The indirect effect of Awareness on Challenges through Willingness was negative in direction but did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.099), indicating that the mediating role of Willingness warrants further examination in larger-scale designs. Based on these findings, the study recommends that institutions establish structured awareness programmes, learning laboratories, and workshops addressing both the technical and pedagogical dimensions of OER adoption. This research contributes to the literature on OER adoption in higher education and emphasises faculty and institutional agency in overcoming barriers and embracing OER as a driver of pedagogical innovation.