the relationship between efl teachers’ self-efficacy and their learners’ willingness to communicate in online classes

Boosting students' willingness to communicate (wtc) and motivation in online classes during covid-19 pandemic was one of the biggest challenges faced by efl teachers. therefore, given the importance of students' wtc and engagement in the process of learning and teaching and the crucial role of teachers in this process, this study aimed at investigating the possible relationship between learners' wtc and their teachers' sense of efficacy in online classes. the participants of this study were 20 iranian high school teachers and 40 students of the same teachers (ranging in age from 12 to 18, both male and female). to fulfill the purpose of the study, teachers were asked to complete a questionnaire to measure their teaching efficacy. learners were also required to complete a questionnaire to measure their willingness to communicate. the results revealed that there was a significant relationship between teachers' self-efficacy and iranian efl learners'' willingness to participate in online classes. in other words, the results showed that high levels of teaching efficacy make students more motivated and willing to participate in online classes. this study had several implications for teacher education and educators.