quan điểm của giáo viên tiếng anh và học sinh về dạy học kết hợp trong tời kỳ hậu covid 19

The study was designed to identify how high-school EFL teachers and students in a local province in Vietnam perceive the impacts of blended learning in EFL teaching and learning, and inv

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC SƯ PHẠM THÁI NGUYÊN KHOA NGOẠI NGỮ

NGUYỄN THU HẰNG

QUAN ĐIỂM CỦA GIÁO VIÊN TIẾNG ANH VÀ HỌC SINH VỀ DẠY HỌC KẾT HỢP TRONG THỜI KỲ HẬU

COVID 19

LUẬN VĂN THẠC SĨ

Thái Nguyên, tháng 6 năm 2023

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

NGUYỄN THU HẰNG

EFL TEACHERS’ AND STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES ON BLENDED LEARNING IN POST-COVID 19 PERIOD

Major: ENGLISH TEACHING THEORIES AND METHODOLOGIES Code: 8140111

MA THESIS

Supervisor: Le Thi Thu Huong, PhD

Thai Nguyen, June 2023

Công trình được hoàn thành tại

KHOA NGOẠI NGỮ - TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC SƯ PHẠM THÁI NGUYÊN

Người hướng dẫn khoa học: TS Lê Thị Thu Hương

Luận văn thạc sĩ được bảo vệ tại Khoa Ngoại ngữ, Trường Đại học Sư phạm Thái Nguyên Ngày 19 tháng 8 năm 2023

Thành phần Hội đồng đánh giá luận văn thạc sĩ gồm:

(Ghi rõ họ, tên, học hàm, học vị của Hội đồng chấm bảo vệ luận văn thạc sĩ)

TS Nguyễn Quỳnh Trang

Xác nhận của Chủ tịch Hội đồng đánh giá LV và Trưởng Khoa quản lý chuyên ngành sau khi luận văn đã được sửa chữa (nếu có)

CHỦ TỊCH HỘI ĐỒNG TRƯỞNG KHOA

………

TS………

………

TS………

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, this thesis contains no material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a thesis by which I have qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma

No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the thesis

This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree or diploma in any other tertiary institution

Thai Nguyen, June 2023

Nguyen Thu Hang

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First of all, I would like to acknowledge the debt of gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Le Thi Thu Huong, for her helpful suggestions, invaluable critical feedback and encouragement in the writing of this study Without her enthusiastic guidance and help, this work would not have been completed

My sincere thanks go to all the Faculties of Foreign Languages staff, Thai Nguyen University of Education for assisting me and the lecturers who conducted the Master's course for providing me with valuable knowledge

I would also like to express my deep gratitude to my dear students, whose participation in and dedication to the research remains invaluable Without their precious support, the thesis would not have been shaped

Finally, the support extended to me by my family members has been immeasurable I would also like to thank them for their wholehearted encouragement

Thai Binh, June 3th, 2023

Nguyen Thu Hang

ABSTRACT

Blended learning (BL) has become increasingly popular in recent years, especially during and after the Covid 19 pandemic BL is widely considered indispensable in the future thanks to its potential to shape modern teaching and learning process The study was designed to identify how high-school EFL teachers and students in a local province in Vietnam perceive the impacts of blended learning in EFL teaching and learning, and investigate the challenges for the implementation of BL in their local context Participants of the study were 32 high school EFL teachers and 103 students in the local area Questionnaires and interviews were the primary instruments to collect data for the study The findings of the study reveal that both EFL teachers and students shared positive views about the roles of BL in promoting English language teaching and learning process.Factors that prevent the fluent application of BL in the local context were diverse For teachers, the lack of facilities, time, official training, supportive institutional policy and ICT knowledge and skills remain burdens to a certain extent For students, distraction when going online, lack of time and official instructions remain problematic From the findings, the researchers made some implications regarding the measures to take in order for better application of BL on English teaching and learning in the local area

1.5 Significance of the study _ 3 CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW _ 5 2.1 Theoretical Background _ 5 2.1.1 Definition of blended learning (BL) _ 5 2.1.2 Making Blended Learning Work _ 7 2.1.3 Seven Blended Learning Structures in Education _ 8 2.2 Previous studies regarding teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the benefits and challenges of blended learning in EFL context _ 11 2.2.1 Benefits of blended learning in EFL context _ 11 2.2.2 Benefits of blended learning in Vietnamese EFL context _ 17 2.2.3 Challenges in the application of blended learning in EFL context _ 18 2.2.4 Challenges of BL implementation in Vietnam 20 CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 22 3.6 Organization of the study _ 25 CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 26

4.1 Teachers’ and students’ perspectives on the effects of BL on English language teaching and learning 26

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

List of figures

Figure 2.1 Models of blended learning 5 Figure 4.1: Factors preventing the BL application in the local

teaching context

32

Figure 4.2 Students' views regarding the BL preventing factors 33 Figure 4.3 Teachers and students’ agreement on future BL

Table 2.1 Models of blended learning 6 Table 2.2 Overview of the findings related to the use of BL in

ESL/EFL context

10

Table 4.1: Teachers’ perspectives regarding the effects of BL on English teaching and learning

24

Table 4.2: Students’ perspectives regarding the effects of BL on their English learning

28

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents the rationale for the study, the aims, the research questions, the significance, and the scope of the study.

1.1 Rationale

Before the Covid-19 Pandemic, though the integration of information communication technology (ICT) in education emerged as a trend in the last decade as driven by the effects of technology 4.0 era, the development of ICT in educational context was at a normal speed rate especially in developing country like Vietnam Though ICT integration was encouraged in education, three years ago it was easily recognized that few teachers and educational institutions paid serious attention to and/or had an official plan for exploiting technology on a large scale and in a systematic manner Later on, the emergence of the Covid-19 Pandemic accelerated the shift from traditional classroom-based learning to online and blended learning, which defined more dependence upon the involvement of ICT in classrooms in general (Maru et al., 2021) and in EFL setting in particular In Vietnam, the massive lockdown to prevent the spread of the pandemic in two years did cause an educational crisis Similar to many world countries, immediate response to the unexpected situation was made As a result, online and blended learning were two major forms of education in the pandemic Though at present time, Covid 19 in under control in the world, since what will happen in the future is still a mystery, there is a need for better preparation for similar disasters Since teachers and students have familiarized themselves with the integration of ICT in learning, educationalists argue that we can never get back to where we were before the pandemic In addition, a number of studies on technology integration including those by Gulbahar (2007); Kim & Hannafin (2011) have concluded that technology application is beneficial to EFL students However, technology is frequently used by teachers for designing instructional materials (Hermans, Tondeur, van Braak, & Valcke, 2008) or delivering lectures and has not been effectively employed for the purpose of promoting the teaching and learning quality (Gorder, 2008) Since teacher beliefs can affect the

successful application of teachnology in teaching (Ertmer, 1999,2005; Hermans et al., 2008; Niederhauser & Stoddart, 2001; Tondeur, van Keer, van Braak, & Valcke, 2008; Windschitl & Sahl, 2002), an investigation into teachers’ perspectives regarding teaching and learning beliefs are essential because it can provide the researchers evidence for predicting the shape of education in these teachers’ context

Since the combination of online and traditional form of teaching and learning, which constitutes blended learning (BL), is supposed to be the trend in new normal era More importantly, it is widely recognized that students from gen Z are born to be digital natives whose lives have been surrounded by technology, social media, mobile devices, computers, and the Internet, ICT integration is indispensable in current and future education In EFL setting, ICT also provides students with ample benefits Driven by this, the researcher of the current study would like to investigate teachers' and students’ perspectives on the effects of blended learning in EFL teaching and learning in Post-Covid-19 period, to seek for any shared thoughts or gaps between teachers’ views and students’ expectations regarding the teaching and learning in the current time, to understand the challenges in the application of blended learning in and after Covid 19 pandemic in the new normal period Besides, since most of the previous studies focus on BL in tertiary education, the researcher decided to investigate the high-school EFL teachers and students’ perspectives towards BL with a view to providing viewpoints of educators in a more diverse context The focus of the study is put on the local context of teaching in a province in Vietnam where both teachers and students experienced blended learning during the covid19 pandemic in previous years Their perspectives on BL after the covid19 can help visualize and predict the future of BL in the local EFL settings

1.2 Aims and Objectives

This study aims at exploring the EFL teachers’ and students’ perspectives towards BL application after the covid 19 pandemic was settled down

In order to achieve the aim, the study targeted at the following objectives:

First, it is conducted to to investigate teachers and students’ perspectives on the impacts of blended learning in EFL teaching and learning; and

Second, it is to examine teachers and students’ perspectives about challenges of blended learning for the high-school EFL teachers and students in a particular Vietnamese province

1.3 Subjects and Scope of study

The study focused on identifying how teachers and students perceive about the impacts of blended learning in EFL teaching and learning, and investigate the challenges for the implementation of BL in their local context from high-school EFL teachers and students’ perspectives The study was conducted in Thai Binh province, with respondents are 32 EFL teachers in the local area and 103 high school students

1.4 Research Questions

To fulfill the aims of the study, three research questions are proposed, which are:

(1) What are teachers’ and students’ perspectives towards the effects of BL on English language teaching and learning?

(2) What are the factors that prevent BL application in their local teaching context from the teachers’ and students’ views?

1.5 Significance of the study

The study identified teachers’ and students’ views regarding the effects of blended learning in EFL settings It is hopeful that the study findings could describe the current local EFL teaching context which facilitated or motivated BL, and the shared thoughts or gaps between teachers’ beliefs and students’ expectations regarding BL effects on English teaching and learning, from which suggestions were made to improve teaching and learning following BL approach and better satisfy teachers and learners’ needs

In the study, teachers’ and students’ perspectives regarding the challenges to the application of blended learning were also investigated Findings from this part can be a reference for the local Department of Education and Training (DOET) when

they consider supportive plans for teachers and students in the local area In addition, this information can also help the authorities have a base to evaluate the feasibility of the local education in blended learning applications

In summary, the chapter has pointed out the rationale for the current study, stated the scopes, aims and objectives, and significance of the study Since BL is widely considered indispensable in the future thanks to its potential to shape modern teaching and learning process, the study was designed to identify how high-school EFL teachers and students in a local province in Vietnam perceive the impacts of blended learning in EFL teaching and learning, and investigate the challenges for the implementation of BL in their local context It is expected that the findings of the study are useful for future considerations of the local DOET regarding EFL teaching and learning in the local area

CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter presents the theoretical background to the study and reviews the literature regarding previous studies related to the application of BL in EFL teaching and learning

2.1 Theoretical Background

2.1.1 Definition of blended learning (BL)

Cleverland-Innes & Wilton (2018) offers a simple definition of Blended learning (BL) It is referred to as the combination of the traditional classroom teaching methods together and online learning for students who follow the same course and study the same content Similarly, Bonk and Graham (2012) defined BL as the implementation of both face-to-face learning sessions and computer-based teaching and learning activities Accorindg to Garrison and Vaughan (2008), BL was developed from the strengths of face-to-face and distance learning, which combines traditional and online forms in the process of teaching and learning

Despite the different ways of wording, it can be recognized that the practice of delivering instruction and learning experiences through a combination of face-to-face interactions and technology-mediated learning is often referred to as "blended learning." In sessions that technology is used, students are allowed not to physiccally attend the traditional class in a specific location but can instead connect digitally through an online platform

The practice of delivering instruction and learning experiences through a combination of face-to-face interactions and technology-mediated learning is often referred to as "blended learning." In the technology-mediated aspects of these experiences, students are not obligated to be physically present in a specific location but can instead connect digitally through online communities

According to Cleverland-Innes & Wilton (2018), blended learning are fallen into three main models

Figure 2.1 Models of blended learning(Cleverland-Innes & Wilton, 2018) In the first model, blended presentation and interaction, classroom

engagement is the primary component in which students have to do online exercises Popular example of this model is the the flipped classroom where students are asked to view their digital learning materials on their own After that there will be classroom sessions where they can meet face to face to discuss further in groups

The second model, named the blended block model, is a model in which

activities are put in a sequence, or “blocks”, structured to incorporate both face-to-face learning and online study In this model, some contents for learning are taught in classrooms, some are for students to study online then they can come to class again to present on some other blocks of knowledge

The final model is fully online; however, it is still considered as blended since

it has both synchronous learning and asynchronous activities Summary of the characteristics of the three models of blended learning can be found in the following table

Table 2.1 Models of blended learning

2.1.2 Making Blended Learning Work

Cleverland-Innes & Wilton (2018) stated that technology integration actually is not always BL To be truly BL, the online sessions must give students the opportunities to study independently and conveniently, but still have the chances to interact digitally with teachers and other learners If online learning does not provide them with such opportunities, it is simply a case of technology integration and cannot be called BL

To make BL environment effective for learning, the challenges caused by the lack of technology knowledge and skills should be overcome Recent research on teacher perspectives, conducted by Athabasca University and the Commonwealth of Learning identified the five challenges and make several recommendations regarding this problem (Cleveland-Innes, Ostashewski, Mishra, Gauvreau, & Richardson,

2017) The first challenge listed is the difficulty of technology access Therefore, it is

important to know which resources are available to students Whether there is limited bandwidth, unreliable Internet connectivity, or lack of devices such as laptops or

smartphones are things to be considered Once the access is clear, learning activities with the technology in ways that allow all to participate can be better chosen

The second challenge is the design which requires the creation of appropriate

in-person and online activities, which means designing courses with the pedagogic principles of both and integrating technology in a way that supports meaningful learning is necessary

Safety and security is the third concern Therefore, it is suggested that rasing

awareness of cyber-malice and ensuring security interventions against unethical learning practices, academic dishonesty, identitying theft and bullying should be provided

Another element that should be considered to ensure the successful application

of BL is skill development, support and training Both students and teachers should

have sufficient knowledge and skills to use specific digital applications they use for teaching and learning

The final concern is motivation This is because without motivation, it is hard

to encourage teachers and students to take part in a more complicated learning system than the traditional way of learning with which they are more familiar

2.1.3 Seven Blended Learning Structures in Education

When deciding on the integration of in-person and online teaching and learning activities, numerous factors need to be taken into account In certain instances, the majority of student-teacher interactions and instructional delivery occur face-to-face in the classroom, while materials and some supplementary activities are provided online Sometimes, class activities are mostly made on digital platform For these cases, students should occasionally have face-to-face meetings to help them solve their problems as well as to build a learning community In some other blended models, students have the right to choose the activities they want to do in class or online

It would be best if the blended models of learning are personalized to fit individual students’ age, life circumstances and learning needs These models are

sometimes called à la carte Following these models, students are allowed to choose

the contents that they want to learn totally online and what they want to learn in the face-to-face classroom The most crucial condition for this model is to ensure that students can effectively adapt to any delivery method, whether it is a single-mode or blended approach, even if it's not their preferred or optimal situation Teachers play a vital role as coaches in helping students navigate any learning environment It is the responsibility of teachers and learning designers to provide blended activities that align with the subject matter, learners' needs, and curriculum requirements It's important to note that not all unique and engaging blended learning designs can be universally applied as one-size-fits-all models

O’Connell (2016, cited in Cleverland-Innes & Wilton, 2018) suggests seven sample configurations of blended learning activities, which can be considered for teaching situation Although these examples are intended for the teaching at university level, it can be shaped to fit any teaching and learning situation

• Blended face-to-face class: The blended face-to-face class model, also

known as the "face-to-face driver model," combines traditional classroom instruction with online activities In this model, an amount of the traditional classroom time is substituted with online activities, requiring students to be physically present However, online components like readings, quizzes, and assessments are completed outside of the classroom This approach optimizes instructional time by allowing students and faculty to engage in more meaningful activities during class, such as discussions and collaborative projects

• Blended online class: This model is sometimes mentioned as the “online

driver model” It is the inverse of the blended face-to-face class, mostly conducted online, but for some activities such as lectures or labs, students are required to meet directly to learn

• The flipped classroom: The flipped classroom model can be seen as a

sub-model of the blended face-to-face or blended online class It reverses the traditional class structure Following this model, instead of listening to lectures in traditional

classroom, students study the video lessons on a digital platform Activities such as group work, projects or other exercises which are often done at home in traditional teaching, are now what students will do in the face-to-face sessions

• The rotation model: In this model, students in a course rotate between

various modalities Online learning is one of the modalities There are some sub-models including station rotation, lab rotation and individual rotation Some of these sub-models are supposed to be suitbale for K–12 education For example, station rotation requires students to rotate between stations in the classroom at an instructor’s discretion Others work well on a college campus For instance, the lab rotation model requires students in a course to rotate among locations on campus (at least one of which is an online learning lab) In the individual rotation model, a student rotates through learning modalities on a customized schedule

• The self-blend model: Different from other blended learning models on this

list, which are at the course level, self-blending is a programme-level model and with which students at university are acquainted Learners who use this model are enrolled in a school but can study either online of face-to-face They are not directed by a faculty member and have the right to choose the courses they would like to take online and those to take in person

• The blended MOOC: This model is also a form of flipped classroom using

in-person class meetings to supplement a massive open online course Students following this model of learning access MOOC materials outside of class Then they come to a class meeting for discussions or in-class activities

• Flexible-mode courses: Theses courses offer all instruction in different

modes - in person and online - and students are allowed to choose how to take their course

2.2 Previous studies regarding teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the benefits and challenges of blended learning in EFL context

2.2.1 Benefits of blended learning in EFL context

Marsh (2012) mentioned that the use of blended learning are beneficial to language learners in multiple ways compared to traditional teaching approaches The development of language learners' autonomy, the provision of more individualized language support, the promotion of collaborative learning, the rise in student interaction and engagement, the provision of opportunities for language practice outside of the classroom settings, and the improvement of language skills are just a few of the remarkable advantages

Albiladi and Alshareef (2019) categorized the benefits of blended learning in the ESL/EFL context into three areas as shown in the following table

Table 2.2 Overview of the findings related to the use of BL in ESL/EFL context

As concluded by Albiladi and Alshareef (2019) after critically review a number of previous studies, BL benefits students in three main areas including enhancing the English learning process, developing language skills, and improving the English learning environment According to these two scholars, studies by Adas & Bakir (2013), Grgurovic (2011), Ghazizadeh & Fatemipour (2017), and Shih (2010) have demonstrated that blended learning can be used successfully to develop language learners' speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills

The use of blended learning had a statistically significant positive impact on the reading proficiency of the EFL learners, according to the two authors' discussion of a quasi-experimental study by Ghazizadeh and Fatemipour (2017) that looked at

the impact of blended learning on improving the reading skills of English language learners As a result, Ghazizadeh and Fatemipour (2017) claimed that implementing blended learning with language learners directly influences the improvement of language learners' reading abilities According to the study's findings, blended learning can be successfully used in English reading classrooms and speeds up the learning process

Adas and Bakir (2013) examined the use of a blended learning strategy in their study on the effects of BL on developing the writing competency of EFL learners with the goal of determining whether blended learning can be an effective strategy that helps in raising students' overall performance in writing In the study, sixty EFL students from a Palestinian university were split into two groups: one received face-to-face instruction in English writing while the other utilized a blended learning strategy Researchers discovered that the group using the BL model outperformed the other group in writing at the conclusion of the teaching period The researchers concluded from their findings that using BL helped EFL learners strengthen their writing skills in a variety of areas, including grammar, spelling, punctuation, and paragraph coherence

Grgurovic (2011) evaluated the usage of blended learning in a speaking and listening class with regard to the effects of BL instruction on speaking and listening abilities 19 ESL students and one English instructor from a USA intensive English program participated in the study The results showed that teachers' and students' attitudes toward the incorporation of blended learning in English instruction generally and its potential to enhance students' speaking and listening skills were positive In addition, the study claimed that the use of online instruction complemented conventional methods and enhanced students' language acquisition He came to the conclusion that blended learning can be used to teach English in programs for foreign and second languages

Shih (2010) looked into the usage of a blended learning strategy to teach an English course in which ESL students used instructional blogging The study

involved forty-four ESL students in college The study's primary methods of data collection included a survey of studens’ satisfaction, teacher and student feedback, student self-reflection, and interviews The study's findings suggested that using BL mode was advantageous It enhanced the learning process, boosted the students’ speaking abilities, and helped them feel more independent and collaborative Shih (2010) therefore came to the conclusion that the BL approach assisted students in developing their speaking abilities as well as other aspects of language and communication, such as grammar, pronunciation, facial expression, and eye contact As mentioned by Albiladi &Alshareef (2019), Zhang and Zhu (2018) also carried out a study in which blended learning mode was compared to conventional face-to-face learning mode The study specifically looked at how well blended learning performed in comparison to the conventional approaches to teaching English as a second language in China 5376 students who were enrolled in ESL classes at a prestigious institution in Beijing made up the study's sample size The researchers examined a sizable database that contained information about ESL students' performance, gender, grade, and discipline In comparison to students who were taught face-to-face, the results showed that students who studied utilizing a blended learning mode had higher academic accomplishments in ESL classes In other words, pupils in blended learning environments outperformed those in face-to-face environments in ESL classes According to the researcher, the findings suggested that the adoption of blended learning has a favorable effect on students' learning outcomes

BL can also be a useful method for enhancing students’ motivation and engagement The benefit of blended learning is that it makes efficient use of both teaching methods, which encourages student interaction and participation in the language learning process (Albiladi & Alshareef, 2019)

Banditvilai (2016) conducted a study that looked at the use of blended learning to improve English learners' language abilities and learning autonomy in an Asian university, as described in a publication by Albiladi &Alshareef (2019) The study

involved 60 undergraduate English majors and was conducted in an English for Specific Purpose class The purpose of the study was to comprehend how students felt about BL when studying English Data were gathered by the researcher using e-lessons, a questionnaire, and achievement exams According to the study's findings, combining an online strategy with traditional classroom training improves language learners' language proficiency Additionally, BL successfully encouraged independent learning and student enthusiasm For language learners, the blended learning strategy is preferred since it allows students to learn and practice their language whenever and wherever they wish, according to Banditvilai (2016)

A study by Liu (2013) that looked at the efficiency of BL in an academic English writing course at a university in Beijing, China, was also highlighted by Albiladi & Alshareef (2019) in their review article The study looked into a number of blended learning elements, including course design, material presentation, student involvement, and classroom assessment Results from the teacher's reflection and the students' evaluation of the course revealed that the study's participants highly valued the BL instruction because of the advantages it provided, such as encouraging independent learning, boosting classroom interaction, removing communication anxiety, and enhancing students' academic writing skills Because blended learning allows for two different kinds of learning exchanges, the researcher came to the conclusion that it is more inspiring and motivating for language learners

In a further study by Manan, Alias, and Pandian (2012), the effectiveness of BL using Facebook groups in conjunction with in-person training in an ESL context was also investigated 30 undergraduate ESL students who were enrolled in an ESL course at one of Malaysia's public universities were included in the study Both regular classroom instruction and online instruction using Facebook groups were used to train the pupils The majority of students displayed favorable attitudes of BL education by the study's conclusion The study's participants said that combining classroom instruction with a Facebook group was authentic and fascinating Additionally, they felt inspired to interact and work together on an online platform

The usefulness of blended learning as a teaching approach in an ESL writing class was also examined by Yoon and Lee (2010) 47 university students who were taking two writing classes participated in the study for more than 16 weeks Questionnaires, pretests, posttests, and midterm exams served as the data's primary sources The findings showed that students' attitudes and perceptions concerning the application of a BL strategy in L2 writing classes were favorable The course's students claimed that BL improved their writing skills and that they considered BL to be helpful, inspiring, and engaging The study came to the conclusion that the usage of blended learning boosted students' motivation and supported many crucial elements of language acquisition, including collaboration, interaction, and autonomy

The ability of BL to raise students' motivation and involvement is another advantage Studies have shown that this method of instruction helps students learn languages and increases their participation and engagement because it combines traditional and online teaching methods to give students the opportunity to interact with the language both inside and outside of the classroom

Additionally, the employment of BL enhances the atmosphere for language learning

The paper by Albiladi & Alshareef (2019) also made reference to a study that examined students' attitudes toward blended learning in the context of EFL and was done by Akbarov, Gönen, and Aydoan (2018) There were 162 English language learners in the study's sample The questionnaire used by the researchers asked questions about the learners' attitudes and perceptions of blended learning as opposed to traditional classroom instruction in EFL classes.The study's findings showed that most EFL students prefer blended learning over the conventional method of teaching English because it increases their desire to learn, which enhances the learning process To put it another way, they thought that blended learning directly affected their learning However, the participants stated that they would rather be tested the old-fashioned way rather than online According to Akbarov et al (2018)'s research, the participants seemed to think that using blended learning had improved their English

competence The researchers came to the conclusion that blended learning is a useful learning strategy that may be applied in an EFL environment to enhance the teaching and learning process

Similarly, Ja'ashan (2015) examined how students at Bisha University in Saudi Arabia perceived and felt about the implementation of blended learning in an EFL English course 130 undergraduate English language learners participated in a survey to better understand the perspectives and attitudes of the students Data analysis revealed that students had favorable opinions on the usage of blended learning in the teaching of English The learners were pleased with blended learning because, in their opinion, it may be utilized to improve language proficiency, foster learner autonomy, boost student-teacher interaction, speed up the learning process, and provide engaging learning opportunities Because creating and implementing blended lessons takes time, the study also listed several drawbacks of employing this form of instruction In both face-to-face and online settings, teachers must implement teaching and learning activities According to Ja'ashan's (2015) conclusion, the participants indicated that blended learning is more convenient than conventional face-to-face teaching and that it enhanced their motivation to study and develop their abilities in accordance

Blended learning can be used to improve the learning process and the learning results for EFL learners, according to Albiladi & Alshareef's 2019 research As a result, individuals generally exhibit favorable attitudes and opinions of the utilization of blended learning as a method for teaching English These optimistic viewpoints come from a variety of sources, including, but not limited to, promoting the learning process, giving students the chance to be independent learners, and improving students' language abilities in interactive and engaging situations

The review of the above-mentioned studies about BL has shown that BL approach can be used to develop various English language skills, improve the learning environment and enhance students’ engagement (Albiladi &Alshareef, 2019)

2.2.2 Benefits of blended learning in Vietnamese EFL context

According to Ho et al (2021), no matter how blended learning is perceived, it is gaining popularity due to its important advantages for the three primary parties involved in EFL education, including teachers, students, and administrators Below is the summary of the benefits of BL in EFL context that Ho et al (2021) synthesized from different studies

For EFL students

In BL, students have access to a wealth of language learning resources, which are sometimes lacking in EFL settings (Gruba and Hinkleman 2012) Students benefit from blended learning when there is more collaboration between students and professors as well as between students and other students (Taylor and Newton 2013) Last but not least, students have the option to study at home or at their own pace (Moskal and Cavanagh 2013)

For EFL lecturers

First, implementing blended learning can help professors encourage student connection and teamwork while they are learning the English language (Hoang, 2015) Second, according to Joosten (2014), BL gives teachers the chance to better understand each student's learning in order to promote active and reflective learning This is due to the fact that during the period for independent study, teachers and students can interact and communicate using online resources (Vaughan et al., 2013) This gives teachers the opportunity to learn more about "what students know, how they know it, and how they feel about that aspect of their experience" (Murphy, 2008, p 31) and how their students are learning This makes it easier for teachers to create engaging language input tasks and give timely feedback to encourage students' active and reflective acquisition of the English language

Although BL has been used in English language instruction across the globe for the past few decades, Ho et al (2021) claim that it is a relatively recent phenomena in the Vietnamese setting There hasn't been much research on how English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching and learning in Vietnam is perceived by students

and professors at the same time Therefore, he conducted research to ascertain the perspectives of tertiary lecturers and students on the implementation of BL in an English course at a university in Vietnam Information was gathered through an online survey of 1500 non-English majors in the Fall 2019 semester and through interviews with 5 full-time EFL lecturers The research found that instructors and students had favorable opinions about BL When BL was implemented, lecturers' teaching methods were affected Instead of teaching grammar and vocabulary face-to-face, they now assign online lessons for self-study, allowing more time in class for speaking practice Students afterwards stated that BL had aided them in acquiring learning autonomy

Another study by Yen and Huyen (2019) verified that blended learning offers a lot of promising potential in English language teaching and learning for aiding learners in acquiring and enhancing their language competency At a university in Vietnam, the study-which examined students' general impressions of blended learning as well as its advantages and disadvantages-was done via a questionnaire survey In two subsequent semesters, all 165 research participants had the opportunity to learn English in a blended environment The results show that more than half of the participants had favorable impressions of the environment and understood both its advantages and disadvantages However, the study suggests that more teacher participation is necessary to increase the effectiveness of blended learning in the Vietnam environment

2.2.3 Challenges in the application of blended learning in EFL context

Even though research on blended learning emphasizes the advantages of this teaching approach, several difficulties have been identified The following six key concerns have been identified by Bonk's and Graham (2012) as being important to BL application: (1) "The role of live interaction"; (2) "the role of learners' choices and self-regulation"; (3) "models for support and training"; (4) "dealing with the digital divide"; (5) "cultural adaptation"; and (6) "finding balance between innovation and production" (pp 14–16) The first concern is the importance of live engagement,

which is connected to how much interaction there is in both the face-to-face and online learning modes Understanding how learners' choices and self-regulation affect the types of blended learning they engage in and how a teacher can direct and influence their learning using BL instruction is the second difficulty The third problem has to do with the support and training paradigm adopted Support is required for pedagogical and instructional training, as well as technology factors The digital divide is the fourth difficulty The fifth problem that appears when a blended learning course is created is cultural adaptation This has to do with the content utilized in both formats and how it relates to the cultural background of the pupils Finding a balance between production and innovation, according to Bonk and Graham (2012), is the final problem they mention According to Bonk and Graham (2012), there may be a conflict when constructing a blended learning classroom between attempting to employ new technical advancements and the capacity to create results that are cost-effective

Sharma and Barrett (2007) added that a number of factors affect how well a blended learning method is used in language courses The usage of technology by instructors and students, learner competence levels, teacher training, accessibility to technology for both teachers and students, and cost are some of these aspects Each of these factors are important for decisions regarding BL application in language classrooms

Also, Riel et al (2016) indicated six sets of challenges that teachers encounter during the implementation process of a blended learning curriculum including the challenges of teachers when working with students on curriculum activities, the challenges with students’ self-management, and ways to keep students focused on their task when implementing BL To do this, it is suggested that teachers keep relevant and active activities Third, establishing work expectations can be a challenge facing teachers in BL application, which refers to setting achievable goals and objectives related to students’ learning Curriculum orchestration concerns organizing the work and finding time to conduct the lesson as well as a time frame to

finish the work remains a challenge, too Outside-of-classroom challenges are also counted as a problem for teachers and students, such as scheduling a self-study time for students to participle out of the class activities Finally are the technology challenges that may arise during the implementation of blended learning

In spite of different wordings, Bonk’s and Graham (2012) and Riel et al (2016) touched several similar challenges for students and teachers when it comes to BL application which include concerns about technology access and safety issue, and the design, implementation and management of the teaching and learning activities

2.2.4 Challenges of BL implementation in Vietnam

Despite the above benefits that BL brings to both students and teachers, a number of challenges are seen Yen (2019) presented some ideas regarding the challenges of BL as followed

Challenges faced by students

First, students must be "active and responsible for their learning in order to complete and gain success in BL courses" (Alebaikan and Troudi, 2010) However, due to their earlier experiences in high schools that prioritized teacher-centered classrooms over student-centered classrooms (Alebaikan and Troudi, 2010), the majority of students find it difficult to study independently in the early years of school (Hoang, 2015)

Students’ lack of experience in using computers and web-based technology is also an attribute to the preventing factors of BL application, which prevents students from completely utilizing online courseware (Hoang, 2015) Technical problems including “unfamiliarity with additional software or Internet connection errors,” are also a problem to students (Moskal and Hartman, 2013)

In Vietnam, since students are accustomed to passive learning, the student-related issues in BL implementation seem to be more, regardless of regional differences, where lectures are the “controllers of the knowledge, preventing students from their own decision making in the study” (Hoang, 2015)

Challenges faced by lecturers

Lecturers must "move beyond their own acquired" knowledge in order to increase student involvement, and they must be open to trying out new "methodologies, tools, and approaches to EFL teaching" (Johnson and Marsh, 2014) Though it is well known from earlier research that "many teachers pay little attention to students' study beyond class time or find it difficult to integrate students' self-study process into face-to-face class' activities" (Stracke, 2007), this is not the case in the present study

It can also be challenging for teachers employing BL to be certain of the caliber of the courses because they frequently have an increased workload and are unfamiliar with using various technology-based tools (Betts, 2014) In brief, difficulties faced by Vietnamese lecturers may be attributable to the fact that most classes are teacher-centered and concentrate on enhancing students' language acquisition in terms of grammar and vocabulary Lack of training programs for lecturers on integrating technology-based apps into their lesson renders them untrustworthy and insecure when addressing blended learning (Hoang, 2015)

From the review of literature, it can be seen that challenges for teachers and students emerge from different sources, normally including the insufficient ICT literacy and facilities, lack of trainings, and the heavy workload

In summary, this chapter has presented necessary background for the current study The definition and models of blended learning, the activities and forms of interaction in BLclassrooms, the important conditions for BL implementation and a review of literature regarding the benefits and challenges of BL from teachers and students’ views are all mentioned

CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the research design, research questions, the information related to participants of the study, the data collection instruments and analysis, and organization of the study

3.1 Research design

The study follows a mixed research method design to explore teachers and students’ opinions regarding the effects of BL on English learning and learning and the challenges faced by teachers and students in BL application Questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data while semi-structured interviews were employed for qualitative data

3.2 Restated research questions

The study aims at investigating teachers and students’ perspectives towards the effects of BL in promoting English teaching and learning, and the factors that prevent the application of this approach in EFL settings Therefore, the research questions proposed were:

(1) What are teachers and students’ perspectives towards the effects of BL on English language teaching and learning?

(2) What are the factors that prevent BL application in their local teaching context from the teachers’ and students’ views?

3.3 Participants

Teachers

32 high school EFL teachers from a province in northern Vietnam were participants in this study They were all members of the local department of education and training, having experience with BL during the covid 19 They were not intentionally chosen but voluntarily took part by giving responses to the survey questionnaires Regarding the background, 62% taught in schools in the city and the rest 37% worked in rural areas at the time of the survey Regarding teachers’ experience, 100% participants of in the study had from 16 to 25 years of teaching, who can be considered experienced teachers

With regard to teachers’ knowledge and experience with BL, 100% of teachers participating in the study applied BL approach in their teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic in the previous years to a certain extent Though only 31% were trained on how to conduct BL in EFL settings, 75% acknowledged that they self-studied about BL in order to apply it better in their classroom 56% of the participants still remain applying BL for at least one of their classrooms 67% of teachers shared that they regularly use at least an online tool or platform to track students’ learning, and stay in touch with them after class hours

Students

The total number of students reponded to the survey was 103 who were students at different highschools in Thai Binh province All those students experienced BL during the covid 19 in the previous years Students were not chosen intentionally since they were also those voluntarily took part in the survey From the survey, 57% of the students studying in city schools and the rest 43% were students in the countryside Quick survey with students showed that 88% students were allowed to frequently use smartphones or laptops at home to access the Intenet for study 89% of the students surveyed agreed that they found BL more interesting than just traditional method of teaching and learning

3.4 Data collection instruments and procedure

Questionnaires and interviews are indispensable tools in collecting data for a mixed methods study due to their complementary strengths in gathering both quantitative and qualitative information Questionnaires, with their standardized format and structured questions, provide a quantitative framework that allows for efficient data collection from a large sample, yielding numerical data amenable to statistical analysis On the other hand, interviews offer an avenue for in-depth exploration of participants' perspectives, experiences, and emotions, enabling the capture of rich qualitative insights that may not be easily quantified Therefore, questionnaires and interviews were employed as the primary instruments for more effective, comprehensive and indepth data collection in this study