Readiness of EFL Instructors for Online Teaching: Attitudes and Technological Skills

Abstract

This study examined the readiness of Libyan university English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instructors for online teaching by exploring their attitudes and technological skills. A quantitative research design was employed, utilising a structured questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale, gathering data from 48 participants. Descriptive statistical analysis revealed that instructors held a positive attitude (M = 3.44) and high technological skills
(Mdn = 4.81) towards online teaching, a sign of high instructor readiness for online teaching. Moreover, a Spearman-Rho correlation test was run to determine the relationship between instructors’ attitude and technological skills. The test revealed a moderate, statistically significant positive relationship between the two variables (rs = .432, n = 48, p = .002). The findings enriched the existing literature and offer valuable insights for university decision-makers and EFL instructors aiming to adopt online teaching. The study was limited to employing a single data collection method. Thus, future research involving qualitative/mixed-methods research approaches was recommended to either confirm the study findings or provide new insights into instructor readiness for online teaching implementation.