The Role of Information Technology IT Management in the Quality of Distance Education: An Applied Study on North Lebanese Technical Institutes

Abstract

The global shift to distance education driven by the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the critical importance of effective information technology management in educational institutions. This research examines the intricate relationships between IT management, teacher satisfaction, and the quality of distance education in Lebanese technical institutes. The study aims to investigate the mediating role of teacher satisfaction. A quantitative method was employed, gathering data from 132 educators across technical institutes in Northern Lebanon. The research combines principal component analysis (PCA) to validate the structure of the dimensions and structural equation modelling (SEM) to test the relationships between the latent variables. This approach confirmed the convergent and discriminant validity of the constructs measuring information technology management, teacher satisfaction, and the quality of distance education. The SEM results indicate that technology management directly influences the quality of distance education (β = 0.503) and teacher satisfaction (β = 0.421). The latter, in turn, has a significant direct effect on perceived quality (β = 0.544) and serves as a mediating variable in the relationship between technology and quality. A moderate but significant interaction effect (β = 0.054) further enhances this dynamic. The model's overall fit is satisfactory, confirming that the quality of distance education depends on well-managed technological infrastructure and a high level of teacher satisfaction with its use.