Professional Roles and Competencies in Distance Higher Education: Perspectives from Professors and Tutors at Universidade Aberta, Portugal

Dércio Martins; Lina Morgado

doi:10.65043/eurodl.177

Professional Roles and Competencies in Distance Higher Education: Perspectives from Professors and Tutors at Universidade Aberta, Portugal

European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning

Volume 28 (2026): Issue 1

By: Dércio Martins and Lina Morgado

Open Access

|Feb 2026

Abstract

The expansion of online distance education has intensified debates about professional roles and competencies required for effective online teaching. This study examines how professors and tutors at Universidade Aberta (UAb, Portugal’s Open University) perceive and prioritise their professional roles and competencies. We employed sequential exploratory mixed-methods design: focus group analysis (n = 7) informed survey development assessing eight roles and 65 competencies via five-point Likert scales among 57 faculty (38 professors, 19 tutors). All roles were rated important (M > 4.0), with pedagogical (M = 4.68), social (M = 4.67), evaluator (M = 4.67), and adviser (M = 4.65) emerging as priorities. Professors rated pedagogical role significantly higher (M = 4.79 vs 4.47, p = 0.025), whilst tutors emphasised social (M = 4.89 vs 4.55, p = 0.034) and technologist roles (M = 4.63 vs 3.97, p = 0.004). Top competencies included assessing student work, demonstrating availability, adopting ethical posture, providing timely feedback, and being empathetic. Findings reveal convergence around core functions and meaningful differentiation between roles, suggesting complementary specialisation within dual-role systems. Implications address professional development programme design and institutional policies for recognising diverse competency requirements.

Highlights

Sequential mixed-methods study examined role/competency perceptions among 57 distance education faculty at Portugal’s Open University.
All eight professional roles rated important (M > 4.0), with pedagogical, social, evaluator, and adviser emerging as top priorities.
Systematic differences revealed complementary specialisation: professors prioritise pedagogical design (M = 4.79), tutors prioritise social facilitation (M = 4.89, p = 0.034).
Tutors rated technologist role significantly higher (M = 4.63 vs 3.97, p = 0.004), reflecting differential technology engagement.
Findings inform differentiated professional development pathways and policies recognising diverse competency requirements.

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Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.65043/eurodl.177 | Journal eISSN: 1027-5207

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Language: English

Page range: 4 - 4

Submitted on: Oct 20, 2025

Accepted on: Feb 9, 2026

Published on: Feb 20, 2026

Published by: EDEN Digital Learning Europe

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

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© 2026 Dércio Martins, Lina Morgado, published by EDEN Digital Learning Europe
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 28 (2026): Issue 1