Online Teaching: EFL Instructors’ Strategies and Challenges

Abstract

This qualitative study investigated the strategies adopted and challenges faced by Libyan university English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instructors when teaching online. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine purposively selected EFL instructors whose responses were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that instructors employed a combination of synchronous and asynchronous online instruction, facilitated student discussions, adopted continuous assessment, and provided feedback. The study also found that instructors encountered challenges related to insufficient infrastructure (unstable electricity and internet connections) and pedagogical difficulties (material design, assessment, and time management). Moreover, the findings contribute to the local literature on online teaching and guide university decision-makers and EFL instructors in adopting online teaching. The study stresses the need for institutional support for instructors through providing professional development programmes to overcome challenges and ensure effective online teaching. Instructor procedures of overcoming the challenges were not investigated, indicating an area for further research.