An Insight into the Online Learning Environment in Higher Education: EFL Teacher Perceptions from Saudi Arabia

Alaa Mamoun Saleh, King Abdul Aziz University, Saudi Arabia

This study aims to investigate the perceptions of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers about three dimensions of the online learning environment based on Moos’s theory (1984), namely, relationship, personal development, and system maintenance, with respect to their points of view and satisfaction. To accomplish this, explanatory sequential mixed methods were employed, with a quantitative study of 161 EFL teachers in the Preparatory Year Program (PYP) at King Abdulaziz University (KAU) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, followed by 25 semi-structured virtual interviews. The quantitative data were analyzed statistically using SPSS, and the transcribed interviews were coded utilizing NVivo, after which a thematic analysis was used to reveal the emerging themes. The results demonstrated that course coordinators were proficient and available to support teachers technically, while the isolation in the online learning environment (OLE) during the pandemic showed the importance of teachers' communication officially and informally. Also, EFL teachers were satisfied with online learning as it gave them additional time and opportunities for professional development. Finally, the outcomes of this study showed that while replicating face-to-face learning to OLE caused issues, blended learning is the future. These findings could help organizations, policymakers, and coordinators modify content and support teachers technically, academically, and socially.