EFL Teachers’ Professional Competencies in Online Environment: Their Creativity, and Readiness for Online Teaching

This study explored the association between Iranian EFL teachers’ professional competencies in digital teaching contexts, their level of creativity, and their preparedness for online instruction. A correlational research design was adopted to address the study’s objectives. A total of 306 English language teachers from Iranian high schools were selected through convenience sampling to participate in the investigation. The research utilized standardized and validated instruments to measure teachers' online professional competencies, creativity, and online teaching readiness. Findings from the Pearson correlation analysis indicated statistically significant relationships among the study’s core variables. Moreover, the dimensions of online professional competencies were found to be important predictors of teachers’ readiness to engage in virtual instruction. The findings underscore the importance of adopting a holistic and cohesive approach to professional training, curriculum planning, and instructional design tailored to the needs of Iranian EFL educators operating in online learning environments such as the need to enhance the technological proficiency of EFL teachers.