Ready for Online? Exploring EFL Teachers’ ICT Acceptance and ICT Literacy During COVID-19 in Mainland China

Abstract

This study sought to understand whether and how a group of English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers in mainland China were ready for the emergency remote teaching triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and explains the underlying mechanisms that influenced their readiness. The urgency of the sudden shift to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated teachers' acceptance and literacy of technologies, but so far, little study has touched on this area. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model and the Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge conceptual frameworks, a mixed-methods online survey was designed to collect data among 186 high school EFL teachers in China about four months after the governmental response plan of online teaching. The results show participants were overall affirmative in acceptance and knowledge, implying their general readiness for the ICT use in COVID-19 emergency remote teaching. However, there were pressing problems with integrating technology with pedagogy and subject teaching. This study extends previous research by helping understand teachers' most recent adoption of ICT during an unprecedented crisis, informing future ICT training, and predicting their future technological behaviour.