Exploring The Barriers That Hinder the Effective Use of Technologies in EFL Classrooms During COVID-19

This study investigates the barriers that hinder the effective use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in English as a foreign language (EFL) classes during COVID-19. The study was done to explore the challenges experienced by the EFL teachers at a foreign languages and English preparatory school (FLEPS) at a university in North Cyprus while giving online lessons during the COVID-19 pandemic. The qualitative research approach was used in this study and the data were gathered through interviews. The participants’ sample was chosen by purposive sampling technique. Later all participants were contacted through Microsoft Teams and interviewed online for the study. Eight interviews were conducted and transcribed, which after coding process followed thematic analysis for development of themes so that the research questions of this study can be answered. The findings demonstrated the need for teachers’ Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) trainings as well as the provision of proper infrastructure for easy access of technological tools and effective implementation of ICT into classroom. Hence, based on the findings various useful suggestions are provided which can be helpful for policy makers, educationalists, researchers and teachers for effectively incorporating ICT into their teaching and producing productive ICT lessons in online educational setup in future practice. Keywords: ICT utilization, EFL teachers, ICT adoption in classroom, COVID-19