Predictors of Satisfaction in Virtual English Classrooms: The Case of Iranian EFL Learners

Abstract

The concept of an old-style teaching approach has changed totally over the past decade. Face-to-face classes have not been a unique method of learning with the advent of information technology. Improving information technology has changed the education system. The goal of the study is to determine what factors impact student satisfaction in online English classes. To achieve this goal, the questionnaires were distributed to a random sample of students in three branches of Islamic Azad University in Guilan province, Iran, in 2022. The branches of the university were Roudsar and Amlash, Langroud, and Lahijan. This paper explains the impact of the interaction in online English classes and technology tools as independent variables on the level of student satisfaction as the dependent variable. A simple linear multivariate regression was used to determine the significant relationship between the independent and dependent variables of the research. The regression model was estimated by applying the OLS approach using SPPS software. All hypotheses were accepted, which means that both independent variables impact the dependent variable. In addition, technology tools are more important than interaction to influence student satisfaction. In the end, several solutions were presented to improve the level of student satisfaction in online English classes.