Understanding faculty acceptance of online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic: a Saudi Arabian case study

Purpose: This study aims to leverage the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology framework developed by Venkatesh et al. (2003) to explore the factors influencing faculty willingness and acceptance of online teaching at a major Saudi Arabian university as we move to a post-COVID-19 new normal. Design/methodology/approach: We surveyed business school faculty from a major Saudi Arabian university that transitioned to online learning because of the COVID-19 lockdown. We used partial least square structural equation modeling to examine the factors that impact faculty satisfaction and behavioral intention to continue using online teaching in the future. Findings: The results of the study indicated that when faculty perceive that e-learning improves their teaching performance and effectiveness (performance expectancy) and find that online teaching tools are relatively easy to use (effort expectancy), then they are more open to considering online teaching and using digital tools even after the pandemic. Research limitations/implications: The study uses a Saudi Arabian sample, so the results of the study may not be generalizable to other countries. The study was cross-sectional in nature; a longitudinal design would help in uncovering more stable relationships and enabling us to draw stronger conclusions. Lastly, the sample size for the study was relatively small, resulting in a loss of power in statistical testing. Notwithstanding these limitations, our study contributes to a greater understanding and appreciation of faculty acceptance of online teaching as we progress to a post-COVID-19 new normal. As such, it should be useful to educators, institutions and policymakers as they seek to reimagine business education going forward. Originality/value: The present study is one of the first scholarly studies to focus on exploring e-learning acceptance in a business school from a faculty perspective, considering the natural experiment that forced institutions to move to online teaching irrespective of their prior acceptance or experience with this teaching modality.