Saudi EFL University Instructors' Perceptions of Online Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study aimed to investigate the EFL university instructors' perceptions of online education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants were 32;87.5% of them were females while 12.5% were males. They belonged to many higher educational institutions in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using an online questionnaire. This questionnaire included four parts which were (1) the participants' demographic information, (2) the advantages of online education during the COVID-19 pandemic, (3) the disadvantages of online education during the COVID-19 pandemic, and finally (4) the effectiveness of online education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results revealed that most of the participants had a more dominant positive attitude regarding online learning activities although some of them claimed that there were some negative aspects that should be taken into consideration. Online education is fundamentally characterized by its flexibility, being chargeless, and enabling EFL instructors to think creatively and improve their performance. However, the lack of regulating sinful activities such as cheating, lack of face-to-face social interaction, and poor accessibility to the internet connection were essentially the three significant disadvantages of online education that most of the participants agreed on. Based on the findings obtained, this study provided some recommendations as well as suggestions for further research.

Factors Affecting Interaction in Online EFL Courses: A Multiple Case Study of Instructors' Perspectives

Çevrimiçi bir kursta eǧitmenler ve öǧrenciler arasındaki kişilerarası etkileşimi çeşitli faktörler etkileyebilir. Bu çalışma, Türkiye'de çeşitli üniversitelerde görev yapan altı çevrimiçi yabancı dil olarak Íngilizce dersleri veren öǧretim elemanının çevrimiçi derslerinde etkileşimi artırdıǧına inandıkları faktörlere ilişkin görüş ve tutumlarını araştırmayı ve ilgili literatüre katkıda bulunmayı amaçlamaktadır. Íşbirlikli araştırma kapsamında, amaçlı örnekleme tekniǧinin kullanılması ve katılımcılarla yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmelerin yapılması, koronavirüs pandemisi (COVID-19) nedeniyle bir acil uzaktan öǧretim ortamında çevrimiçi eǧitim vermek üzere görevlendirilen bu öǧretim elemanlarının tutum ve görüşlerinin betimlenmesi için en iyi fırsatı saǧlamıştır. Nihai sonuç, çevrimiçi derslerinde kişilerarası etkileşimi etkilemeyi amaçlayan deneyimli ve deneyimsiz çevrimiçi öǧretim elemanları tarafından kullanılabilecek etkileşimi etkileyen çeşitli faktörler ve stratejiler içermektedir. Tüm katılımcılar çevrimiçi kurslar sırasında daha kaliteli etkileşim saǧlanması gerektiǧini ifade ederken, istenen etkileşim düzeyine ulaşma çabalarında karşılaştıkları engeller görüşmelerin ana gündemini oluşturmuştur. Görüşme verilerinden ortaya çıkan kodlar halinde kategorize edilen ana temaları oluşturan ders yapısı faktörlerinin, çevre ve medya etkilerinin, geri bildirim ve deǧerlendirme tekniklerinin ve söylem kolaylaştırıcılarının rolünü tartışmışlardır.Alternate :A variety of factors might impact interpersonal interaction between instructors and students in an online course. This study seeks to explore the opinions and attitudes of six EFL instructors working at various universities in Turkey regarding the factors they believe increase interaction in their online courses and to contribute to the pertinent literature. Within the scope of collaborative research, the use of purposeful sampling technique and semi-structured interviews with the participants provided the best opportunity to describe the attitudes and opinions of these instructors who were assigned to teach online in an emergency remote teaching environment due to the coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19. The end result includes a variety of factors and strategies influencing interaction that can be used by novice and experienced online instructors aiming to influence interpersonal interaction in their online courses. While all the participants expressed the need to provide higher quality interactions during the online courses, the obstacles they face in their efforts to reach the desired level of interaction were the main agenda of the interviews. They discussed the role of course structure factors, environment and media effects, feedback and assessment techniques, and discourse facilitators, which constituted the main themes that were categorized into codes emerging from the interview data.

Student satisfaction and perceived learning in an online second language learning environment: A replication of Gray and DiLoreto (2016)

The current study is an approximate replication of Gray and DiLoreto's (2016) study, which proposed a model predicting that course structure, learner interaction and instructor presence would influence students' perceived learning and satisfaction in online learning, with student engagement acting as a mediator between two of the predictors and the outcome variables. Using mixed methods, the current study investigated whether Gray and DiLoreto's model would be able to explain the relationships among the same variables in a computer-assisted language learning environment. A mediation analysis was conducted using survey responses from a sample of 215 college-level students, and qualitative analysis was conducted on the survey responses from a subsample of 50 students. Similar to Gray and DiLoreto's study, positive correlational relationships emerged between the variables. However, the model proposed by Gray and DiLoreto did not fit our data well, leading us to suggest alternative path-analytic models with both student engagement and learner interaction as mediators. These models showed that the role of course organization and instructor presence were pivotal in explaining the variation in students' perceived learning and satisfaction both directly and indirectly via student engagement and learner interaction. Moreover, qualitative analysis of students' responses to open-ended questions suggested that from students' perspectives, course structure was the most salient factor affecting their experiences within online language learning contexts, followed by learner interaction, and then by instructor presence.

English Language Teachers' Assessment Procedure during Covid19 Pandemic: Challenges and Solutions

The aim of the current research is to investigate the language assessment literacy perceptions of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers working at state primary, middle, and high schools in Turkey. Another purpose of the study was to investigate how EFL teachers adapted their language assessment skills to the online teaching context during the Covid- 19 pandemic, and to what extent. Additionally, challenges and solutions of teachers in transforming their language assessment skills into online education were investigated. A mixed-methods study was employed as the research design. The study obtained and triangulated both qualitative and quantitative data to enhance its validity. In the quantitative phase, Vogt and Tsagari (2014)'s LAL questionnaire which includes three factors i.e. Language Testing and Assessment (LTA), classroom-focused LTA, and purposes of testing, content and concepts of LTA was administered to the participants. The quantitative data were descriptively analysed through the SPSS program in order to identify EFL teachers' training levels and needs in online language assessment. The qualitative data for the study were gathered through written structured interviews with (n) EFL teachers and analyzed using inductive methods. The study's findings revealed that the teachers have a high level of assessment literacy in terms of both face-to-face and online assessment and are familiar with basic assessment tools. However, there is a gap between their theoretical knowledge of assessment and their classroom practices. Additionally, the teachers expressed a need for more in-service training in assessing the skills of English language learners in online environments.

"COVID has Brought Us Closer”: A Proleptic Approach to Understanding ESL Teachers' Practices in Supporting ELLs In and After the Pandemic

This paper uses "prolepsis,” a process of reaching into the past to inform present and future practices, to understand 12 English-as-a-second language (ESL) teachers' practices of supporting English language learners (ELLs) through remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020-2021 in British Columbia and to envision some different current and future post-pandemic classroom literacies for diverse learners. Accounts of these ESL teachers' synthetical moments of teaching and supporting ELLs during the pandemic suggest that they had to navigate "new” areas of teaching, including attending to students' social-emotional learning (SEL), connecting with ELL parents, teaching and engaging students via technology-supported instruction, and co-teaching with mainstream teachers, on the basis of limited or no pre-pandemic experience. These insights suggest a need to widen the focus on ESL teachers' knowledge and expertise in applied linguistics and instructional strategies to include classroom literacies in integrating SEL into ESL instruction, adopting interactive, student-driven instructional designs and practices afforded by multimodal technologies, maintaining multiple channels of communication with parents and students, and team-teaching with classroom teachers to provide tailored language support for ELLs.

Perceived teacher-principal value consonance and teacher commitment: An exploratory study of K-12 and English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers' values, perceptions of their principals' values, COVID-19, and their impact on teachers' professional commitment

Student achievement and teacher morale have been closely linked to teacher retention and of concern for administrators seeking to promote teacher commitment. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to further concerns about teacher commitment for these administrators. To better understand the underlying reasons behind teacher commitment, the current research explored the correlation between value consonance of an individual, their perception of their principal or supervisor's values, and commitment to their occupation and organization. This study further sought to illuminate relationships between value consonance and teacher commitment, how relationships between teachers' value consonance and commitment differ by intention to stay in the occupation and at their current school or organization, to what extent value consonance differs as a function of intent to stay in the teaching profession and the current school or organization, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on values, their perceived supervisors' values, and commitment to the occupation and current school or organization.This exploratory, quantitative study compared responses from self-reported leavers and stayers, and found that among teachers intending to leave, teachers valuing Autonomy and Job Security more than their supervisor expressed more Continuance Commitment to the Occupation. Moreover, those valuing Colleague Relationships more than their supervisors had stronger Affective Commitment to the Organization. For teachers who intended to stay, however, few or no relationships were found between value consonance and commitment. These results were echoed in teachers' open-ended responses to questions about the impact of the pandemic on their values and commitment where comments showed that both leavers and stayers largely reported similar impacts during COVID. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Instructor's Written Feedback in Emergency Remote Teaching: EFL Learners' Perspectives

Dil eǧitiminde öǧretmenin geri bildirimi, öǧrencilere bireyselleştirilmiş ilgi saǧladıǧından oldukça deǧerli kabul edilir. Uzaktan eǧitimde öǧrenciler ve öǧretmen arasında kişisel etkileşim yokluǧu hesaba katıldıǧında, öǧretmen tarafından saǧlanan geri bildirimlerin yüz yüze eǧitime göre daha önemli bir rol oynaması beklenir. Çünkü bu geri bildirimler sadece öǧrencilerin performansının artmasına yardımcı olmakla kalmaz, öǧrenciler ve öǧretmen arasında güçlü bir ilişki kurmak için de araç görevi görür. Buna dayanarak, vaka çalışması olarak tasarlan bu makalede, üniversite düzeyinde yabancı dil olarak Íngilizce öǧrenen öǧrencilerin, acil uzaktan öǧretimde üniversitenin uzaktan eǧitim platformundaki yazı ödevlerine öǧretmenleri tarafından saǧlanan yazılı geri bildirimlere ilişkin bakış açıları ortaya konulmaya çalışılmıştır. Veriler, sekiz Íngilizce hazırlık sınıfı öǧrencisi ile yapılan görüşmeler ve öǧretmenin araştırma günlüǧüyle toplanmıştır. Elde edilen veriler tematik olarak analiz edilmiştir. Bulgular, öǧrencilerin yazılı geri bildirimler hakkında olumlu görüşlere sahip olduǧunu göstermiştir. Öǧrenciler, öǧretmen tarafından saǧlanan geri bildirimlerin kişiler arası bir yönü olduǧunu, onlara duyuşsal destek verdiǧini ve hedef dilde gelişmelerine yardımcı olduǧunu ifade etmişlerdir. Ayrıca üniversitenin çevrim içi uzaktan eǧitim platformunun geri bildirim vermek için kullanılması, öǧrencilere geri bildirim belgelerine istedikleri zaman ulaşma fırsatı sunması nedeniyle yararlı bulunmuştur. Çalışmanın sonuçları dil öǧretmenlerinin yazılı geri bildirim verme yöntemlerine ilişkin yeni bakış açıları saǧlayabilir.Alternate :In language education, instructor's feedback is considered to be of high value as it provides learners with individualized attention. Regarding the absence of personal interaction between learners and instructors in remote teaching, it is expected that instructor's feedback plays a more significant role compared to the case in face-to-face education because it does not only help to increase learners' performance in the target language and but it also serves as a tool in building a strong relationship between learners and instructor. Based on this, the present paper which was designed as a case study attempted to reveal university level English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' perspectives on written feedback given by their instructor on their writing assignments on the distance education platform of the university in emergency remote teaching. The data were collected through interviews conducted with eight English preparatory class students and the instructor's research diary. Thematic analysis was carried out on the collected data. The findings showed the interviewees had positive viewpoints about the instructor's written feedback. They stated that the instructor's feedback had an interpersonal side, gave them affective support and helped them improve in the target language. Moreover, the use of online distance education platform for giving feedback was found to be useful by the interviewees in that it provided the learners with the opportunity to have access to the feedback documents whenever they wanted. The results may imply new insights into the way foreign language instructors give written feedback.

Teachers' Perspectives of the Sudden Shift Towards Online Learning: Challenges and Future Lessons

Traditionally, teaching math using English as a foreign language creates many challenges because learners may not have yet acquired the skills they need to understand the lesson. The study aimed to identify the challenges faced by teachers of math in English when course instruction shifted to online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, the study presents three essential lessons from this experience from the teachers' perspectives. During the COVID-19 outbreak, all schools abruptly switched to Online Education. Most participants in the study had never done online teaching before the pandemic and were unfamiliar with using technology. The researchers used a mixed methods approach, incorporating the following two ways of gathering data: a questionnaire and face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The questionnaire consisted of two parts: (1) English language challenges and (2) access to technology. The questionnaire was administered to a sample of 50 female teachers, followed by structured interviews. The interview consisted of one question about the most important lessons learned, and the data were analysed using SPSS Statistics. The findings indicated that the English language and a lack of technology constituted obstacles for teachers. According to the participants, they identified three future lessons. The researchers provide recommendations to teachers, students, and governments.

Investigating the teacher’s perceptions of classroom management and teaching self-efficacy during Covid-19 pandemic in the online EFL courses

During the coronavirus pandemic, online education continued to expand across varied educational factors. Therefore, the teachers had to develop and change some of the strategies used in their classes previously. Online classroom management is a synchronous-based online learning environment in education that is worthwhile to modify. For this purpose, the current study sought to understand the perceptions of classroom management and teaching self-efficacy by Iranian EFL teachers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Concerning sampling, 100 male and female English teachers constituted the study sample. Data were collected via Online Teaching Self–Efficacy Inventory questionnaire through different online platforms. The findings reflected that EFL teachers could select appropriate classroom management during online and face-to-face classes. In addition, the teachers had a positive attitude toward managing the classroom during the Covid-19 pandemic. The implications of this study may open up new perspectives into successful pedagogy for, teachers and students in outbreak days.

Schulische Zweitsprachvermittlung und Zweitspracherwerb während der Covid-19-Pandemie

During the first months of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, German schools were predominantly closed and students were supposed to be taught at home. This also applied to German as a second language classes (GSL). Considering the fact that second language acquisition crucially depends on a high amount of input in direct interaction and that online learning methods were not common in Germany before the pandemic, we assume that school closures had a high impact on second language teaching and learning. In particular, we hypothesize that the shift from classroom to distance learning has significantly affected a) the teaching methods of second language teachers, b) the language skills covered in these classes and c) the growth of students’ competencies in their second language.To verify these assumptions, we conducted an online survey among GSL teachers. The survey consisted of retrospective questions about the amount of lessons taught and teaching methods as well as students’ language development before, during and after the school closures.Data from 166 GSL teachers who stated that they provided distance teaching for their students during school closures shows that during the school closure a) communicatively oriented methods were used significantly less than before and after, b) the teaching of oral skills was considered significantly less compared to the teaching of written skills, c) teachers predominantly evaluated the development of the students’ competencies in most language skills as unchanged or even reduced.

Investigation of Preservice EFL Teacher's Digital Literary Levels and Digital Literacy Skills

There has been extensive amount of research in terms of digital literacy and digital literacy education since the notion of embracing digital literacies in teaching contexts to reach the objectives has been highly emphasised within the 21st century teaching contexts. However, a considerable amount of research has been conducted for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers. This study aims to investigate digital literacy levels of pre-semce EFL teachers and also investigates if there are any significant differences of the participants' critical digital literacies in relation to their gender, grade, age, the amount of time they spend online, their beliefs concerning how competent they are while they are using digital technologies and their preferences about reading online or print materials. The study also aims to explore the possible relationships among their subs kills: technological skill, personal security skill, critical skill, device security skill, informational skill, and communication skill. This is a cross-sectional quantitative study. The results indicated that the general digital literacy levels of the participants were moderately high (x=3.75). Considering the changes with regard to their demographics, the study showed that their digital literacy levels revealed a significant difference in relation to their gender, grade, and the information they had using digital platforms. However, their digital literacy level did not show a significant difference with regard to the amount of time spent online and their preferences about reading online or print materials. Finally, considering the relationships among their sub-skills also revealed some positive or negative oriented significant relationships. Particularly with the occurrence of the pandemic disease COVID-19, many institutions all around the world have had to reorganise their programs and curricular activities in accordance with distance education to suit all practices to the learners' needs and this dictated an urgent need for the development of the digital skills of teachers to make a smooth transition. Investigating digital literacy levels and lite ray skills of EFL pre-service teachers will enlighten educators in preparing language programs.

EFL Instructors' and Students' Perceptions of Online Writing Instruction During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study identifies the benefits, difficulties, challenges, and prospects of using Moodle in writing classrooms among Saudi EFL tertiary students at Shaqra University. A sample of EFL instructors and students responded to a questionnaire of 29 five-point Likert Scale statements and 4 open-ended questions. The instructors and students viewed Moodle as an empowering tool in online writing. Moodle provided the students with feasible, accessible, and timely peer/group feedback. It created a flexible, comfortable, and student-centered learning atmosphere where the instructors and students were active in the online classroom. It also ensured interactive, smooth, and instant e-collaboration in online writing. Technical problems and Internet disconnection were the main obstacles hindering the students from sufficient interaction with their instructors and other students.

Unveiling Indonesian Pre-Service Teachers' Perceived Competencies and Readiness for Online English Language Teaching: A Mixed Methods Study

There has been a great deal of research into teacher readiness for online language teaching conducted in many parts of the world. However, scarce inquiry on this topic has been published in the Indonesian context. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to investigate Indonesian EFL pre-service teachers' perceptions of their technological, pedagogical, and evaluation skills in online language teaching, and (2)to explore their perceptions of online English language teaching. The study employed a mixed methods research approach. The quantitative data were collected using a questionnaire from 92 pre-service teachers majoring in English Education at a state Islamic institute in Jambi province and the qualitative data were collected through WhatsApp messenger from six of the participants. The data obtained through the questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. The results showed that the participants had positive perceptions of their technological, pedagogical, and evaluation skills in online English language teaching. However, the qualitative data demonstrated that the participants had a strong inclination toward classroom face-to-face teaching rather than online teaching for a number of reasons, indicating that they were not ready for online English language teaching. Some practical suggestions for the EFL teacher training programs in Indonesian tertiary education institutions are given.

Facilitating technology-based character learning in emergency remote teaching

The study reports pedagogical adaptations that Chinese language instructors made to support students' character learning during emergency remote teaching in 2020. Data from an online questionnaire and follow-up interviews show that the handwriting requirement in the language curriculum was ified to way to technology-based instruction, making the conventionally isolated and solitary task of character learning more integrative and interactive. Beginning-level instructors' use of technology in character instruction was correlated with their self-confidence, perceived time sufficiency, technology access, and support received. Meanwhile, intermediate- and upper-level instructors' self-confidence and perceived values of online teaching were factors associated with their technology use. The crucial role of teacher communities in offering language-specific training and peer support is emphasized, and implications to the broader field of foreign language teaching are discussed.

"IT'S LIKE STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN": MENTORING NOVICE TESOL TEACHERS IN EMERGENCY ONLINE TEACHING

When the COVID-19 outbreak was announced to have become a pandemic, Argentina declared a national lockdown and schools closed at the start of the academic year. The shift from face-to-face to remote learning occurred with little or no formal preparation or support and with the awareness that not all learners or teachers had reliable Internet access or a computer at home. Drawing on current notions of mentoring, continuing professional development, and online teaching and learning, this article describes a case study consisting of seven novice TESOL teachers engaged in emergency online teaching at a public secondary school. The article discusses the teachers' concerns and strategies deployed to overcome such worries and the effects on online mentoring on their professional development drawing on data collected through a group chat and whole group discussions. Findings show that teachers (1) relied on previous knowledge about learner autonomy and sociocultural theory in language learning to make informed decisions, (2) planned and delivered teaching having in mind this was a transitory emergency, (3) employed new or familiar digital tools in ways which were context-sensitive, and (4) developed teacher reflection and agency as a result of online mentoring.

Factors Affecting the Behaviour in Integrating Google Meet Among Malaysian Primary ESL Teachers During Covid-19 Pandemic

The use of Google Meet is not well studied not only in primary schools, but also in the local environment. [...]this quantitative research was embarked to look into the factors that influence the integration of Google Meet among primary ESL teachers. [...]virtual ESL teaching and learning during the onset of Covid-19 pandemic has become a turning point for both primary ESL teachers and learners in the domestic context. Despite the laborious challenges faced by ESL educators, the infusion of technology does bring positive impacts in language teaching and learning, benefiting both ESL educators and learners (Sornasekaran, Mohammed & Amidi, 2020;Muhamad Khairul et al., 2019). [...]the conventional approach of ESL teaching via face-to-face is no longer perceived as the sole teaching approach in the eye of education domain. According to Rizal (2021), willingness to learn is to be the highest motivator among 7th grade learners where synchronous and asynchronous approaches are applied to enhance their competence and motivation via GM.

Foreign Language Teacher Perceptions of the Virtual Classroom

This study investigated foreign language (FL) teachers’ experiences of the virtual classroom during COVID-19 lockdown. The sample consisted of 405 FL teachers who participated in the survey which aimed to measure FL teachers’ perceptions of TPACK, virtual classroom activities, online self-efficacy, student engagement and encountered obstacles. The findings indicate that teachers working in remote areas practice fewer virtual classroom activities and thus perceive low student online engagement. The article discusses the differences between FL teachers regarding the FL they teach, i.e., differences in student online engagement exist between the FL taught, and differences in virtual classroom activities depend on the FL taught. In addition, school stage predicts FL teachers’ online self-efficacy and the relationship between teachers’ perceptions of TPACK and school size exists.

Preservice EFL Teachers’ Experiences in Their First Teaching Practicum: A Collaborative Autoethnography

This paper reports a collaborative autoethnography on a first teaching practicum at Universidad Surcolombiana. The study aimed at how we, as novice researchers and preservice English as a foreign language teachers, make sense of our teaching experiences in our first teaching practicum using collaborative autoethnography as a research method. The data were collected by reflective journals and ethnographic observations. Results show the meaning that we give to our experiences, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, by recognizing and analyzing our sociocultural context. Additionally, we were immersed in a virtual learning environment where we had the opportunity to confront unforeseen changes imposed by the pandemic, familiarize ourselves with possible issues that teachers grapple with, and imagine new ways to be ourselves. Alternate : Este artículo reporta una autoetnografía colaborativa en una primera práctica docente en la Universidad Surcolombiana. El estudio es un análisis de como nosotras, como investigadoras y profesoras de inglés en formación, le damos sentido a nuestras experiencias docentes en nuestra primera práctica docente, y para ello utilizamos la autoetnografía colaborativa como método de investigación. Los datos fueron recolectados por medio de diarios reflexivos y observaciones. Los resultados muestran el significado que le damos a nuestras experiencias, antes y durante la pandemia de COVID-19, mientras reconocemos y analizamos nuestro contexto sociocultural. Además, estuvimos inmersas en un entorno de aprendizaje virtual, donde tuvimos la oportunidad de enfrentar cambios imprevistos impuestos por la pandemia, familiarizarnos con posibles problemas que los maestros enfrentan e imaginar nuevas formas de ser nosotros mismos.

Exploring the Online EFL Classroom Ecology of Middle Schools During the COVID-19 Lockdown

The outbreak of COVID-19 has induced an abrupt shift from face-to-face instruction to online delivery mode for academic continuity. This research aims to explore the ecology of the pandemic-induced online English as foreign language (EFL) classrooms in Chinese middle schools and perceptions held by the English teachers, students, and parents. By analyzing data collected from 10, 576 questionnaires and eleven interviews, this study revealed how these participants played their respective parts in online EFL classroom ecology. Also, it was found that teachers' evaluations of students' learning performance (le arning engagement and outcomes) and teacher-student interactions (in-class interaction, after-class interaction, and teachers' feedback about homework) and their overall satisfaction of the online EFL classrooms were lower than that of the other two groups. In addition, major concerns of the participants about online EFL teaching and learning were identified, such as students' vision damage and inadequate self-discipline, lack of face-to-face communication, and unstable Internet connection. Through presenting and discussing the research findings, this study is expected to provide implications and insights for foreign language educators, learners, and parents worldwide in adapting to online classrooms during public crises.

E-assessment: Wash-Back Effects and Challenges (Examining Students' and Teachers' Attitudes Towards E-tests)

Online testing that includes multiple-choice tests and assessment of problem-solving skills is considered to be the main form of e-assessment. In comparing e-tests to paper-based tests, it is found that etests are more accurate and faster than the traditional method. Many obstacles represent challenges for applying electronic tests. Both teachers and students are affected by these challenges. The current paper examines both students' and teachers' perceptions towards e-tests in addition to students' wash-back effects of e-tests. It also reviews and discusses obstacles and challenges that may not only affect students and teachers but also may result from the institution, infrastructure, and curriculum. The sample of the study includes a group of secondary school students (n=75) enrolled in the schools of Al-Dawadmi directorate, KSA, and a sample of EFL teachers (N=41) working in the same governorate. Instruments include students' perception questionnaires and teachers' perceptions questionnaires to examine their attitudes towards e-tests. Results of the questionnaires were analyzed statistically using the SPSS program. Findings indicated moderate washback effects and attitudes towards e-tests students' perspectives as well as a high level of students' perceptions towards e-tests. But teachers' perceptions proved to be below average.