The optimal implementation of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) in Iranian EFL higher education faces some challenges despite its incremental growth. It is, therefore, necessary to investigate the current challenges affecting university professors' and students' adoption of CALL in Iranian EFL contexts. For this purpose, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with three purposeful sampling groups of participants, both before and after the temporary shutdown of the educational sector due to COVID-19 spread. Therefore, 33 interviewees—university EFL professors, students, and Information Technology Support Engineers (IT-SE)— took part in an interview which took approximately 90 minutes for each, conducted in person or over WhatsApp and Skype platforms. All the interviews were audio recorded and transcribed for thematic analysis by the first researcher and an assistant researcher. The obtained results highlighted nine major categories of themes that indicated the obstacles and challenges of optimal CALL implementation. These challenges are related to 1) technological dimension, 2) teacher dimension 3) student dimension, 4) software and hardware dimension, 5) sanctions and filtering dimension, 6) curriculum dimension, 7) the nature of e-learning dimension, 8) socioeconomic and cultural dimension, and 9) university administrators' dimension.  It was the sanctions and filtering dimension, the nature of e-learning dimension, and the socioeconomic dimension that were exclusive to this study. Each of these major themes includes a set of minor themes. The results can contribute to educational planners, curriculum and material developers, and teachers to develop education programs for optimal CALL implementation in Iranian EFL higher education by removing the challenges.
 

Keywords: EFL higher education, CALL implementation challenges, professors' voices, students' voices, IT support engineers' voices

     

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