An Examination of Factors Affecting Pre-service Science Teachers' Perceived Satisfaction Levels in Distance Education

With the advancement of technology, traditional classroom environments have been increasingly replaced by technology-driven learning settings. This transition has been further accelerated by global crises such as wars, health emergencies, and economic instability, pushing education beyond conventional boundaries. Among these settings, e-learning has significantly enhanced the accessibility and availability of education. This study aimed to examine the relationships between perceived satisfaction, learning outcomes, course structure, course content, instructor role, instructor feedback, and technology quality in e-learning. It also investigated the factors influencing university students' perceived satisfaction in both asynchronous and synchronous e-learning settings. The study involved 247 university students (47 males and 200 females) who participated in a one-year distance education program in science education. After attending synchronous and asynchronous courses for 14 weeks, data was collected. The findings revealed that students did not perceive distance education as more effective than face-to-face instruction. However, with an explained variance of 77%, the proposed model demonstrated that learning outcomes, course structure, course content, instructor role, instructor feedback, and technology quality significantly influenced perceived satisfaction. Among these, learning outcomes, course content, and technology quality had a direct impact. These findings highlight the need for educational institutions to enhance the quality of course content, technology infrastructure, and learning outcomes in e-learning environments to improve student satisfaction and engagement.