Learning in Context: Faculty Adoption of Blended Learning Through Socio-Constructivist and Ecological Lenses

This study explored factors influencing faculty adoption of Blended Learning (BL) at a public university in Ghana, explicitly applying socio-constructivist and socio-ecological frameworks to examine how individual, institutional, and socio-cultural dynamics shape engagement with digital learning technologies. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 25 faculty members, document analysis, and participant observation, and analyzed using Abductive Grounded Theory and Constant Comparative Analysis. The findings revealed three key themes: professional histories and digital literacy, institutional support and technological infrastructure, and socio-cultural resistance to BL. Faculty with prior digital experience found the transition smoother, while others faced challenges due to limited BL literacy. Inconsistent infrastructure and insufficient institutional support were significant barriers, compounded by cultural resistance to digital learning and a preference for traditional teaching methods. Through the socio-constructivist lens, the study shows how prior experiences and guided learning shaped faculty adaptation, while the socio-ecological lens highlights the influence of exosystem (institutional support) and macrosystem (cultural values) factors in either constraining or enabling adoption. The study contributes to socio-constructivist and socio-ecological theories by emphasizing the interplay of individual, institutional, and cultural factors in BL adoption. Practically, it underscores the need for comprehensive faculty training, robust technological infrastructure, and strategies to address socio-cultural resistance. Continuous support beyond initial training is essential for sustained engagement. This research fills a gap by offering a contextually grounded analysis of BL adoption in a resource-constrained environment, with implications for higher education in Ghana and other developing countries.