Thesis (MA) - Cyprus International University. Institute of Graduate Studies and Research English Language Teaching

This research study was conducted to evaluate the attitude, effectiveness, and preferences of the ESL/EFL teachers regarding online and face-to-face modalities, with focus on post-pandemic teaching practices and implications for future ESL/EFL education in Saudi Arabia. By conducting the survey with 100 EFL teachers in Saudi Arabia, the researcher analyzed the teachers’ attitude and perceptions towards face-to-face and online ESL/EFL instructions in post pandemic context, compared whether perceptions of face-to-face or online ESL/EFL instruction are more positive, identified the factors that shape the ESL/EFL teachers’ preferences to deliver instructions though online versus offline mode, and proposed the recommendations about how ESL/EFL teachers can more effectively use the online medium to deliver instructions. SPSS was used to analyze the survey findings, and descriptive mean values along with correlation and multiple linear regression tests were run to achieve the proposed objectives. The survey findings revealed that Saudi EFL teachers strongly prefer synchronous modality in ESL/EFL teaching in Saudi Arabia, value real-time interactions, and prefer online tools including- learning platforms and video conferencing. Despite the growing popularity of online instructional modality, face-to-face still remains the most demanded modality. Overall, teachers express concerns and mixed attitudes toward online teaching, highlighting the importance of both modalities. Although, multiple linear regression test results show the insignificant impact of cognitive presence, teaching presence, and social presence on online modality preferences, but correlation test remains significant for all three variables, and shows that the cognitive presence has a stronger association with online learning preferences than teaching or social presence. The study has certain limitations that open way for future research.