Abstract/Summary

The information technology revolution has changed people’s lives as many countries have invested resources in strengthening their technological infrastructure, facilitating the integration of technology into education and, in turn, the adoption of online learning and teaching by higher education institutions worldwide (Ivanova & Ivanov, 2021). These developments have motivated this research into factors affecting students’ and instructors’ acceptance of online learning and teaching. Previous studies have relied on technology acceptance theories and models that interpret individual intentions to either accept or reject technology in a specific context, but have neglected the importance of a broader theoretical explanation to analyse the acceptance of technology by students and instructors. A study looking to fill this gap could help investigators acquire actionable data for implementing online learning and teaching as a collective decision informed by institutional and governmental policies. The present study aimed to investigate the influence of individual, non-individual, socio-cultural, and overall satisfaction factors on the acceptance of online learning and teaching among students and instructors. The goal is to boost their acceptance of a successful implementation of online learning and teaching in higher education institutions. A quantitative research method was applied. Two surveys were conducted; one for students and one for instructors, and responses were collected from several institutions. Two hundred students responded to the student survey, and two hundred instructors completed the instructor survey. This study demonstrated that the successful implementation of online learning and teaching depends on integrating several elements, classified into individual and collective factors. The individual elements are the most decisive concerning the acceptance of online higher education. By contrast, favourable collective elements alone do not guarantee the successful implementation of this practice. The study found that, despite overall technological advancements, certain shortcomings deserve attention: self-efficacy in using online learning platforms, stable Internet connections, and affordable devices and Internet services. The results also reflected a disparity that explains the state of uncertainty among some students and instructors from conservative families regarding interactions with another gender in online learning and teaching environments. This study found that the design of online learning sessions needs a comprehensive restructuring, as it is closely linked to participation, interaction, and engagement. Furthermore, strategies for online learning and teaching sessions should be devised. This work also revealed a discrepancy in the institutional support provided to students and instructors for online learning and teaching sessions; this extends to other aspects and may affect learning outcomes in general. This study contributed theoretically by developing a comprehensive model to examine seven factors (individual, behavioural, technological, institutional, pedagogical, socio-cultural and overall satisfaction) that affect online learning and teaching acceptance. It also contributes academically by expanding the knowledge of online learning and teaching acceptance by providing a comprehensive understanding of the critical factors affecting this acceptance. This work also offered recommendations on both proximal and distal policy levels to guide policymakers to take actions to improve the readiness of students, instructors, and higher education institutions to successfully implement online learning and teaching. Future research into the acceptance of online learning and teaching could further explore the factors identified here or focus on other issues. The social interaction between both genders in the Saudi context needs to be examined to understand its implications. A comparative study is needed to explore the stability of the technological infrastructure in different regions and urban and rural areas in Saudi Arabia. More in-depth analyses, such as diary studies within a specific time frame (e.g. one semester or one academic year), could provide further insights into how the attitudes and perceptions of students and instructors towards online learning and teaching practices evolved, based on the changes in different elements of the included factors.