Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the sudden shift from face-to-face to virtual learning classrooms impacted students’ performance in the classroom, including English as a Foreign Language instruction in Saudi Arabia. Since students’ learning depends upon their participation in physical classroom activities and discussions, the present study focuses on understanding the factors that influence the participation of King Abdul Aziz University preparatory year students in the full virtual learning environment. Following a quantitative research approach, an online questionnaire with 165 participants was utilized for data collection and statistically analyzed using SPSS software. The analyzed data indicated that eight factors strongly influenced students’ participation: virtual learning environment, learning environment at home, teacher, grades, class activities, internet, instructional support and feedback, and social lockdown. The findings provide valuable insights for EFL instructors who wish to adapt their instructional approaches to create an engaging virtual learning environment that encourages active participation through class discussions and activities. The study offers recommendations to improve participation in the virtual learning environment.

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