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Abstract

Open educational resources (OER) can provide additional learning materials for distance education students. However, limited research has examined academics’ experiences of using OER in distance teacher education study guides. This study examined academics’ perceptions and experiences of integrating OER into the study guides of the Postgraduate Diploma in Education programme at a university offering open and distance education in Sri Lanka. The study used a survey design with 30 purposively selected academics involved in developing courses for the programme. Data were collected through a questionnaire containing 25 items rated on a five-point scale and three open-ended questions. The responses were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Academics expressed positive views about the benefits of OER (M = 4.11), with 90.0% agreeing that they improve access to learning materials. However, their experiences of integrating OER varied (M = 3.54, SD = 1.05). Only 43.3% agreed that relevant resources were easy to find. Academics also reported challenges in integrating OER (M = 3.96), particularly adapting resources for Sinhala- and Tamil-medium study guides (83.3%) and finding sufficient time (80.0%). Open-ended responses highlighted a lack of local-language resources, insufficient recognition of the workload involved, and the need for practical training and a repository aligned with the curriculum. The findings suggest that academics recognise the benefits of OER but need local-language materials, recognition of the time required, and practical institutional support to integrate them into study guides.

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