Satisfaction of IT academics with transnational education

TNE has become an important part of Australian universities’ IT learning and teaching landscape. This paper presents the preliminary results of an investigation into IT academic job satisfaction and TNE; in particular, how both the nature and frequency of the interaction the academic has with TNE students and teaching staff, and the level of control an academic has over the offering of “their” course, impacts on satisfaction with TNE. The results of the study suggest that academics are more satisfied with TNE when they have more contact with the students, in particular when that contact involves some face-to-face component. The paper identifies several factors that require further investigation and discusses the implications of the research for universities in the ongoing management of their TNE activities. It recommends that some face-to-face contact between academics and TNE students should be considered as an important part of any IT TNE programme.<p></p>