Abstract:

The research analysed various aspects related to teachers (Tutors), their performance in the classroom and the effect on performance in the tutorial teaching, in a virtual learning environment (VLE) in social sciences. For different sectors, feelings related to work performance and satisfaction with it have been analysed. These aspects require special attention in the teaching field, not only for the individual's own well-being, but also because they can impact the teacher-student relationship and, consequently to the teaching.

In distance education for college mature students, who are part-time students, the relationship between teachers and students, which is sometimes indirect and asymmetric, can cause feelings such as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, lack of realization at work, or the feeling of isolation. In environments with a complex structure and a high component of virtual learning through educational technology, the improvement of the learning environment cannot ignore these feelings, which are linked to teacher performance.

The objective of this work is to carry out a research design for a model that integrates some feelings linked to the tutorial teaching for the National Distance Education University (UNED). To do this, a questionnaire was designed, developed and circulated among accounting tutors.

The questionnaire aims to measure emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, the perception of the degree of work performance and the feeling of isolation in the teaching. The design was based on the MBI (Maslach Burnout Inventory) questionnaire but adapting it to the tutorial teaching in UNED. For the feeling of isolation, items from prior works were applied. The research carried out as part of the teaching innovation project "Methodological actions to improve the quality and follow-up of students in the e-UNED environment", obtained by the GID_2016_2_e-ConTIC, in the competitive call of the Distance Education University Institute (IUED) of the UNED, in the academic year 2019/2020.

In the first phase questionnaire was piloted on 2 subjects of Business and Tourism Degree studies. Response rates of 80% and 30% were obtained, respectively. The results allowed an exploratory analysis of the variables, measurements and relationships. In the second phase, the consistency of the questionnaire and the possible corrections have been carried out. Currently, the closed questionnaire is being carried out.

Tutors do not seem to perceive a depersonalization at work, also they show high levels of personal satisfaction. The feeling of isolation is perceived with low and medium levels in most aspects.

It is expected to collect similar results with the final survey. This questionnaire will be carried out on four university subjects of Accounting. It is expected to be able to map feelings linked to tutorial performance in classrooms of mature distance students.

Keywords:

Virtual Learning Environments, Tutor Isolation, Tutor Satisfaction, Accounting, EHEA.