| The purpose of this study was to conduct exploratory research on the motivational factors of rehabilitation education faculty in CORE accredited rehabilitation counselor education programs involving participation in distance education. Additionally, this study attempted to identify a national profile of distance educators among rehabilitation faculty members. Nine research questions were examined for this purpose: (a) What is the profile of distance education participants? (b) What is the profile of distance education non-participants? (c) Do faculty who are participants and nonparticipants in distance education differ significantly by availability of incentives in distance education and intrinsic motivational factors? (d) Do faculty who are participants and non-participants in distance education differ significantly in the extrinsic motivational factors of identified regulation and external regulation by availability of incentives? (e) Do faculty who are participants and nonparticipants in distance education differ significantly in amotivation factors by availability of incentives? (f) Do faculty who are participants and nonparticipants in distance education differ significantly in the motivational factors of competence, relatedness, and self-determination by availability of incentives? (g) Do faculty members who are participants and non-participants in distance education differ significantly in perceived locus of causality? and (h) Do faculty members who are participants and non-participants in distance education differ significantly in institutional climate?;The results of the descriptive factors showed that the majority of the respondents were tenured faculty who had a status of associate or full professor. The majority of the participants taught distance education courses that were not rehabilitation courses, but rather were specialty courses. The average respondent had taught for 15 years.;The results showed that participants and non-participants in distance education differed significantly in intrinsic motivation. Participants were highly intrinsically motivated. Participants and nonparticipants in distance education differed significantly in identified regulation, meaning that they valued or found distance education important. There were significant differences between availability of incentives and motivational factors of competence, self-determination, and amotivation. Therefore, having incentives resulted in increases in level of competence, self-determination, and amotivation factors. |
