This dissertation employs a mixed method approach to investigate the impact of online teaching on higher education faculty’s professional identity, and the role played by technology in this process. Previous work on faculty preparation to teach online does not recognize that before changing practices, it is necessary to examine the values and belief systems that underlie those practices. I examine the results of two qualitative studies that compare different groups of teachers. The first group was comprised of teachers who teach both online and face-to-face, but who expressed a clear preference for the face-to-face classroom, and who reportedly experienced difficulty enacting their professional identity in the online classroom. The second group was comprised of online teachers with a record of online teaching excellence, and who reportedly enjoyed both modalities equally. I then examine the results of a survey of 223 higher education faculty that considers the degree to which findings from the first two studies can be generalized. This research helps identify how online learning is changing both teachers and the teaching profession within higher education, why many faculty remain ambivalent about online teaching, and suggests ways to address these challenges.

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