ABSTRACT
Currently, changes caused by the covid-19 pandemic have affected all sectors of society, including the educational sector, such as higher education institutions. In this sense, this research aims to identify the perception of public university professors about remote activities in higher education. Therefore, descriptive and quantitative research was carried out using a survey-type data collection with 40 professors from public universities in Rio Grande do Norte State. The results indicate that professors are aware of the existing challenges, and also they have a good understanding of remote teaching. Through exploratory factor analysis, the items analyzed were grouped into four factors: Factor 1 (Format of remote classes), Factor 2 (Need and suitability for remote teaching), Factor 3 (Support and skills in digital media), and Factor 4 (Behavioral aspects), these being the main factors for triggering remote activities in higher education. It is also verified that the results presented in this study are in line with the findings of the current literature and meet the aspects related to the changes caused by the pandemic.