Exploring Teachers’ Deep-Level Challenges of Teaching Reading Comprehension in Online Classes: “<i>Infrastructure is not Entirely to Blame</i>”

Understanding the challenges that EFL/ESL teachers face while teaching reading comprehension in online classes is crucial. This is because of the developmental nature of using technology in L2 pedagogy. Therefore, we conducted a transcendental phenomenology study to explore EFL/ESL teachers’ challenges in teaching reading comprehension in online classes. We analyzed 12 teachers’ narratives and interviews using Giorgi's (2009) five-step framework. We found that teachers faced three main challenges while teaching reading comprehension in online classes. Firstly, students had low cognitive preparation concerning the content of reading comprehension and using technology, which bring about challenges for teachers. Secondly, teachers struggled to adopt online teaching strategies to teach reading comprehension in online classes. Finally, they faced technological issues in online classes. We concluded that EFL/ESL teachers encounter two types of challenges when teaching reading comprehension in online classes. The first type is surface-level challenges, which are related to obvious reasons such as insufficient infrastructure. The second type is deep-level challenges, which are implicit and lead to surface-level challenges. As for the implication of the study, the findings prioritize the importance of addressing teachers’ professional development in using technology in L2 pedagogy.