EFL Adult Learners' Perceptions of Interaction and Their Attitudes Towards Learning English Online At Tesse. Io

Abstract

Technology development since the 1990s has led to an increment in its usage in education and changes the way of learning and teaching. Recent development has heightened the growth of online learning. Online learning becomes a common alternative for adult learners since the learners cannot attend face-to-face classes regularly (Means, Bakia, & Murphy, 2014). While the limited number of schools offer online courses, online programs are developing at a wide range in colleges and universities (Allen & Seaman, 2017). According to Rovai, Wighting, and Lui (2005), there is almost no significant difference between technology versus face-to-face classroom settings, which does not make a difference in learning outcomes. Online learning is increasingly recognized in education research to find out appropriate answers for different research questions: What do learners think about online learning? What makes learners successful in an online learning environment? For those questions, Motargy and Boghikian (2010) argue that it seemly depends on learners’ perceptions of interaction with instructors, other learners, and course content and their attitudes towards learning English online. Learners’ perceptions of interaction and attitudes have caught the attention of researchers, educational institutions, and instructors. Richards and Rogers (2001) mention that teachers should attempt to determine learners’ perceptions of interaction in a learning environment and students’ attitudes by discussing directly with them. In online learning, learners’ perceptions of interaction and learning attitudes are the primary concern.