Purpose: This research paper aims to assess the proficiency of tertiary education providers in engaging with online learning environments, especially in the context of the post-COVID-19 transition. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of online learning platforms, it is essential to understand how educational institutions have adapted and evolved in their approach to virtual education. The central research question explores how Continuous Professional Development (CPD), Technological Infrastructure (TI), and Support Systems (SS) collectively influence educators’ proficiency in online teaching (POT). Study design/methodology/approach: A comparative study was performed, comparing data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic with post-pandemic data from higher education institutions in Uzbekistan. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 education facilitators representing both public and international educational institutions. This purposive sampling approach allows for a holistic exploration of the experiences, challenges, strategies, and preparedness of these facilitators during the transition to online learning. Manual qualitative data classification and content analysis were employed to understand themes in respondent experiences and identified actions. Findings: The study reveals the significant role of CPD, robust TI, and effective SS in enhancing the Proficiency of tertiary education providers in engaging with Online Teaching. These elements were found to be significant determinants of how well institutions and educators adapted to the shift to virtual education. The research offers valuable insights for educators, policymakers, and students, aiding in decision-making processes within academia and guiding the development and implementation of effective online teaching strategies. Originality/value: This study contributes to the existing literature by providing an in-depth understanding of the adjustments education facilitators make in response to the pandemic. It emphasizes the importance of ongoing preparation for online learning and highlights the role of digital workplace capabilities in ensuring successful interaction in virtual educational environments.

Abd Hamid, N. Z. (2020). Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of lecturers in Public Universities, Malaysia. FBM insights, 2, 53-54.

Abdullaeva, M., & Gafurova, S. (2020). Challenges, Experience, and Efficiency of Distance Education System Introduced in Uzbekistan’s State Conservatory During Pandemic. Eurasian Music Science Journal, 2020(2), 93-110.

Adedoyin, O. B., & Soykan, E. (2020). Covid-19 pandemic and online learning: the challenges and opportunities. Interactive Learning Environments, 31(2), 863–875. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2020.1813180

Adnan, M. (2020). Online learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic: Students perspectives. Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology, 1(2), 45–51. https://doi.org/10.33902/jpsp.2020261309

Arora, A. K., & Srinivasan, R. (2020). Impact of Pandemic COVID-19 on the Teaching – Learning Process: A Study of Higher Education Teachers. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 13(4), 43. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2020/v13i4/151825

Bahasoan, A. N., Wulan, A., Muhammad, M., Aswar, R. (2020). Effectiveness of Online Learning in Pandemic Covid-19. International Journal of Science, Technology & Management, 1(2), 100–106. https://doi.org/10.46729/ijstm.v1i2.30

Bao, W. (2020). COVID ‐19 and online teaching in higher education: A case study of Peking University. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 2(2), 113–115. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.191

Basilaia, G., & Kvavadze, D. (2020). Transition to Online Education in Schools during a SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic in Georgia. Pedagogical Research, 5(4). https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/7937

Bower, M. (2020). Remote learning and digital literacy: Critical perspectives from Australian higher education. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 36(4), 1-13.

Chandra, S., Varghese, D. T. (2019). Work environment in educational institutions: work stress leads to work-life imbalance to academicians. Asia Journal of Management Sciences & Education, 8(2), 64-73.

Chen, B., & Wang, Y. (2020). Digital workplace capabilities and support in higher education: A case study of implementing Microsoft Teams. Online Learning, 24(2), 62-84.

Chen, W.-S., Haniff, J., Siau, C.-S., et al. (2013). Pilot Study of the Malay Maslach Burnout Inventory and Malay Work-Related Quality of Life Scale in Malaysia. Studies in Asian Social Science, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.5430/sass.v1n1p20

Chickering, A. W., & Ehrmann, S. C. (1996). Implementing the seven principles: Technology as a lever. AAHE Bulletin, 49(2), 3-6.

Chong, S. C., Falahat, M., & Lee, Y. S. (2019). Emotional Intelligence and Job Performance of Academicians in Malaysia. International Journal of Higher Education, 9(1), 69. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v9n1p69

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, D. J. (2018). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approach. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.

Creswell, J. W., Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.

Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M., & Gardner, M. (2017). Effective Teacher Professional Development. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/122.311

de Jonge, J., & Peeters, M. C. W. (2019). The Vital Worker: Towards Sustainable Performance at Work. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(6), 910. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16060910

Dewi, S. P., Susanti, M., Sufiyati, & Cokki. (2021). Effect of Work Overload on Job Satisfaction Through Burnout. Jurnal Manajemen, 25(1), 56. https://doi.org/10.24912/jm.v25i1.703

Dolan, V. L. B. (2011). The isolation of online adjunct faculty and its impact on their performance. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 12(2), 62. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v12i2.793

Eder, R. (2020). The Remoteness of Remote Learning. Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in Education, 9(1), 168–171. https://doi.org/10.32674/jise.v9i1.2172

Eleftheria, C. A., Charikleia, P., Iason, C. G., et al. (2013). An innovative augmented reality educational platform using Gamification to enhance lifelong learning and cultural education. IISA 2013. https://doi.org/10.1109/iisa.2013.6623724

Gabdulhakov, R. (2020). Narrowing the digital divide in Uzbekistan’s education system: Covid-19 lessons. EUCAM.

Gillett-Swan, J. (2017). The Challenges of Online Learning: Supporting and Engaging the Isolated Learner. Journal of Learning Design, 10(1), 20. https://doi.org/10.5204/jld.v9i3.293

Gonzalez, T., de la Rubia, M. A., Hincz, K. P., et al. (2020). Influence of COVID-19 confinement on students’ performance in higher education. PLOS ONE, 15(10), e0239490. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239490

Hartnett, M. (2016). Motivation in Online Education. Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0700-2

Hermanto, Y. B., & Srimulyani, V. A. (2021). The Challenges of Online Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic. Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Pengajaran, 54(1), 46. https://doi.org/10.23887/jpp.v54i1.29703

Hodges, C., Moore, S., Lockee, B., et al. (2020). The difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning. Educause Review, 27, 1-12.

Hodges, C., Moore, S., Lockee, B., et al. (2020). The difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning. Educause Review, 27.

Kaczmarek, K., Chen, E., & Ohyama, H. (2020). Distance learning in the COVID‐19 era: Comparison of student and faculty perceptions. Journal of Dental Education, 85(S1), 1197–1199. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.12469

Keskin, S., & Yurdugül, H. (2020). Factors Affecting Students’ Preferences for Online and Blended Learning: Motivational Vs. Cognitive. European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning, 22(2), 72–86. https://doi.org/10.2478/eurodl-2019-0011

Khusanov, K., Khusanova, G., Khusanova, M. (2020). Distance Education in Uzbekistan during the pandemic of Covid-19. ResearchGate.

Lal, K., & Paul, S. (2018). New educational technologies in tertiary education in India: adoption and consequences. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 10(1), 2–14. https://doi.org/10.1108/jarhe-02-2017-0013

Law, M. Y. (2021). Student’s Attitude and Satisfaction towards Transformative Learning: A Research Study on Emergency Remote Learning in Tertiary Education. Creative Education, 12(03), 494–528. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2021.123035

Loton, D., Parker, P. D., Stein, C., et al. (2020). Remote learning during COVID-19: Student satisfaction and performance (now updated with data going to November 2020). Available online: https://osf.io/preprints/edarxiv/n2ybd (accessed on 3 May 2024).

Markova, T., Glazkova, I., & Zaborova, E. (2017). Quality Issues of Online Distance Learning. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 237, 685–691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2017.02.043

Migin, M. W., & Falahat, M. (2016). Effect of social media usage on university students in an emerging country. TOJET.

Migin, M. W., Falahat, M., & Khatibi, A. (2015). Conceptualizing the decision making process of International students in Higher Education. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 6(1).

Migin, M. W., Falahat, M., Yajid, M. S. A., et al. (2015a). Impacts of Institutional Characteristics on International Students’ Choice of Private Higher Education Institutions in Malaysia. Higher Education Studies, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.5539/hes.v5n1p31

Minh, D. N. T., Huy, T. P., Hoang, D. N., et al. (2020). COVID-19: Experience from Vietnam Medical Students. International Journal of Medical Students, 8(1), 62–63. https://doi.org/10.5195/ijms.2020.505

Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan. (2020). Higher education in Uzbekistan: Current status and prospects of distance/digital education. Available online: www.edu.uz/uz (accessed on 3 May 2024).

Montelongo, R., & Eaton, P. W. (2019). Online learning for social justice and inclusion. The International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, 37(1–2), 33–45. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijilt-11-2018-0135

Mulenga, E. M., & Marbán, J. M. (2020). Is COVID-19 the Gateway for Digital Learning in Mathematics Education? Contemporary Educational Technology, 12(2), ep269. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/7949

Murphy, M. P. A. (2020). COVID-19 and emergency eLearning: Consequences of the securitization of higher education for post-pandemic pedagogy. Contemporary Security Policy, 41(3), 492–505. https://doi.org/10.1080/13523260.2020.1761749

Paterson, R. (2019). From Employment to Employability: Uzbekistan and the Higher Education Skills Agenda. Silk Road: A Journal of Eurasian Development, 1(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.16997/srjed.2

Paul, J., & Jefferson, F. (2019). A Comparative Analysis of Student Performance in an Online vs. Face-to-Face Environmental Science Course From 2009 to 2016. Frontiers in Computer Science, 1. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomp.2019.00007

Peters, M. A., Wang, H., Ogunniran, M. O., et al. (2020). China’s Internationalized Higher Education During Covid-19: Collective Student Autoethnography. Postdigital Science and Education, 2(3), 968–988. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-020-00128-1

Puthiyamadam, T., Clarke, D., & Likens, S. (2019). Redefiners Are Doing Digital Right. Strategy + Business: a pwc publication, 30-33.

Radha, R., Mahalakshmi, K., Kumar, S. V., & Saravanakumar, A. R. (2020). E-Learning during Lockdown of Covid-19 Pandemic: A Global Perspective. International Journal of Control and Automation, 13(4). 1088-1099.

Rahimi, F., & Talebi Bezmin Abadi, A. (2020). Practical Strategies Against the Novel Coronavirus and COVID-19—the Imminent Global Threat. Archives of Medical Research, 51(3), 280–281. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arcmed.2020.03.005

Sadeghi, M. (2019). A Shift from Classroom to Distance Learning: Advantages and Limitations. International Journal of Research in English Education, 4(1), 80–88. https://doi.org/10.29252/ijree.4.1.80

Salakhova, E., Shamsitdinova, M., & Shakhakimova, M. (2020). The impact of information technologies on distance education during pandemic in the Republic of Uzbekistan. PalArch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/ Egyptology, 17(6), 8962-8967.

Sandars, J. (2005). The e-learning site. Education for Primary Care, 16(1), 94–95. https://doi.org/10.1080/14739879.2005.11493488

Sankar, D. (2020). Education Continuity in COVID-19 Pandemic times: Impressions on Introducing Distance Learning in Basic Education in Uzbekistan. Available online: https://www.unicef.org/uzbekistan/media/3606/file/DL%20Rapid%20Assessment%20report%20Oct%206%202020%20eng.pdf (accessed on 3 May 2024).

Schroeder, R. (2020). Wellness and mental health in 2020 Online Learning. Insidehighered.com. Available online: https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/blogs/online-trending-now/wellness-and-mental-health-2020-online-learning (accessed on 3 May 2024).

Setiawan, A. R., & Ilmiyah, S. (2020). Student Activity Sheet for Distance Learning Based on Scientific Literacy on the Topic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (Indonesian). Available online: https://osf.io/preprints/edarxiv/h4632 (accessed on 3 May 2024).

Shah, D. T., Williams, V. N., Thorndyke, L. E., et al. (2018). Restoring Faculty Vitality in Academic Medicine When Burnout Threatens. Academic Medicine, 93(7), 979–984. https://doi.org/10.1097/acm.0000000000002013

Shahzad, A., Hassan, R., Aremu, A. Y., et al. (2020). Effects of COVID-19 in E-learning on higher education institution students: the group comparison between male and female. Quality & Quantity, 55(3), 805–826. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-020-01028-z

Shue, C. M., & Falahat, M. (2017). An Integrated Model of Perceived Quality in the Brand Performance of Higher Education Institution. Advanced Science Letters, 23(4), 3148–3150. https://doi.org/10.1166/asl.2017.7680

Smith, R. (2021). Reimagining education in a post-pandemic world: Insights from online teaching and learning experiences. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 17(2), 170-188.

Smith, S. U., Hayes, S., & Shea, P. (2017). A Critical Review of the Use of Wenger’s Community of Practice (CoP) Theoretical Framework in Online and Blended Learning Research, 2000–2014. Online Learning, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v21i1.963

Stauffer, B. (2021). What’s the Difference Between Online Learning and Distance Learning? Aeseducation.com.

Szopiński, T., & Bachnik, K. (2022). Student evaluation of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 174, 121203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121203

Taha, M. H., Abdalla, M. E., Wadi, M., et al. (2020). Curriculum delivery in Medical Education during an emergency: A guide based on the responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. MedEdPublish, 9, 69. https://doi.org/10.15694/mep.2020.000069.1

Tejedor, S., Cervi, L., Pérez-Escoda, A., et al. (2020). Digital Literacy and Higher Education during COVID-19 Lockdown: Spain, Italy, and Ecuador. Publications, 8(4), 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/publications8040048

Tesar, M. (2020). Towards a Post-Covid-19 ‘New Normality?’: Physical and Social Distancing, the Move to Online and Higher Education. Policy Futures in Education, 18(5), 556–559. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210320935671

Tummers, L., Steijn, B., Nevicka, B., et al. (2016). The Effects of Leadership and Job Autonomy on Vitality: Survey and Experimental Evidence. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 38(3), 355–377. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734371x16671980

Turner, J. J., Amirnuddin, P. S., & Iqbal Singh, H. S. (2019). University Legal Learning Spaces Effectiveness in Developing Employability Skills of Future Law Graduates. Malaysian Journal of Learning and Instruction, 16. https://doi.org/10.32890/mjli2019.16.1.3

Ubaydullaeva, D. (2021). Student online protests in Uzbekistan: democratization of higher education as concomitant to the COVID-19 crisis? Central Asian Survey, 40(3), 382–399. https://doi.org/10.1080/02634937.2021.1922358

UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (2020). School enrollment, tertiary (% gross)-Uzbekistan. Available online: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.TER.ENRR?locations=UZ (accessed on 3 May 2024).

UNESCO. (2020). Education in a post-COVID-19 world: Nine ideas for public action. UNESCO.

UNICEF. (2022). Connecting Uzbek schools to the internet and students to information. Available online: https://www.generationunlimited.org/stories/connecting-uzbek-schools-internet-and-students-information (accessed on 3 May 2024).

Wan, C. L., Falahat, M., Chuan, C. S., et al. (2015). Emotional Intelligence and Learner’s Origin Among Undergraduate Students. Advanced Science Letters, 21(5), 1370–1372. https://doi.org/10.1166/asl.2015.6033

Wheeler, S. (2012). E-Learning and Digital Learning. In: Seel, N. M. (editor). Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning. Boston, MA: Springer.

Wu, Y.-C. J., Wu, T., & Li, Y. (2019). Impact of using classroom response systems on students’ entrepreneurship learning experience. Computers in Human Behavior, 92, 634–645. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.08.013

Zaharah, Z., Kirilova, G. I., & Windarti, A. (2020). Impact of Corona Virus Outbreak Towards Teaching and Learning Activities in Indonesia. SALAM: Jurnal Sosial Dan Budaya Syar-i, 7(3), 269–282. https://doi.org/10.15408/sjsbs.v7i3.15104

Zaheer, M., & Munir, S. (2020). Research supervision in distance learning: issues and challenges. Asian Association of Open Universities Journal, 15(1), 131–143. https://doi.org/10.1108/aaouj-01-2020-0003

Ziegler, S. G. (2007). The (mis)education of Generation M. Learning, Media and Technology, 32(1), 69–81. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439880601141302