Chinese college EFL students’ perceptions towards online English listening comprehension assessments in the post-COVID era

This study investigates Chinese college English as Foreign Language (EFL) students’ perceptions and challenges in online English listening comprehension assessment in the post-COVID era. A quantitative approach was employed to examine students’ perceptions and their challenges in online English listening comprehension assessment. A 5-point Likert scale questionnaire including sections of background information, perceptions and challenges was administered to 138 undergraduates and 125 postgraduates in China. Participants are EFL learners who have experience with online English listening comprehension assessments. The collected data were then analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent sample t-tests. The results showed that undergraduates and postgraduates positively perceived the benefits of online listening assessments in general with the main challenges encountered being time pressure, technical difficulties, and anxiety. Additionally, the findings indicated that no significant differences between undergraduate and postgraduate students in terms of their perceptions and challenges faced. This study recommends teachers leverage the flexibility and immediacy of online assessments to enhance learning outcomes to provide more effective pedagogical support and technological solutions. However, challenges like time pressure and technical support still need to be addressed.