Enhancing Educational Practices during a Pandemic: Examining Teachers' Journey with Blended Learning in Rural High Schools
Abstract
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools and institutions all over the world utilised blended learning during the mandatory lockdowns that were imposed by their respective governments. This acted as a spur for educational reform. This study investigated teachers’ experiences with the implementation of blended learning in rural high schools during the COVID-19 era in one educational district in South Africa. The social constructivism theory served as the theoretical lens for this study. This study employed the qualitative case study design. Purposeful and convenience sampling were used to select participants for the study. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using a thematic analysis approach. This study found that teachers perceived blended learning as easy to use, simple, user-friendly, straightforward to navigate, and offering creative modes of instruction. This study further found that teachers developed a positive perception of blended learning and its potential use in teaching and learning in the post-COVID-19 era, as blended learning promoted students’ independence and engagement in the teaching-learning process. However, the participants also experienced challenges, such as a lack of pedagogical knowledge on the use of blended learning, in their respective subjects, connectivity issues, electricity cuts, and network and internet issues. This study suggests that schools implement blended learning in the post-COVID-19 era to evaluate its impact on the teaching and learning process.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.23.4.17
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