Exploring Students' Engagement in Blended Learning: Insights from ELT Classroom at an Islamic University
Abstract
This study explores students’ engagement in a blended learning environment within an English Language Teaching (ELT) course at the English Language Education Study Program, Sultan Aji Muhammad Idris State Islamic University of Samarinda, Indonesia. Utilizing a descriptive survey design, the research combined quantitative data from Learning Management System (LMS) analytics with qualitative data from open-ended questionnaire responses to provide a comprehensive understanding of students' engagement patterns and perceptions. The findings revealed that while students generally demonstrated high levels of engagement, particularly in collaborative and discussion-based tasks, several challenges were also identified, including technical barriers, difficulties with digital literacy, and a desire for more synchronous interaction. Students expressed positive perceptions of the flexibility and accessibility offered by blended learning, although they also recommended improvements in LMS navigation and task instructions. Cultural factors, such as communal learning values, appeared to influence students' engagement behaviours. The study highlights the importance of designing interactive, supportive, and culturally responsive blended learning environments to optimize student engagement and learning outcomes in higher education.
References
Albiladi, W. S., & Alshareef, K. K. (2019). Blended Learning in English Teaching and Learning: A Review of the Current Literature. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 10(2), 232. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1002.03
Basri, M., & Paramma, M. A. (2019). EFL Students’ Perspective on the Usefulness of ICT based Learning in Indonesian Higher Education. ELT Worldwide: Journal of English Language Teaching, 6(2), 105. https://doi.org/10.26858/eltww.v6i2.10515
Bernard, R. M., Abrami, P. C., Borokhovski, E., Wade, C. A., Tamim, R. M., Surkes, M. A., & Bethel, E. C. (2009). A Meta-Analysis of Three Types of Interaction Treatments in Distance Education. Review of Educational Research, 79(3), 1243–1289. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654309333844
Bond, M., Bedenlier, S., Marín, V. I., & Händel, M. (2021). Emergency remote teaching in higher education: mapping the first global online semester. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 18(1), 50. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-021-00282-x
Bradley, V. M. (2020). Learning Management System (LMS) Use with Online Instruction. International Journal of Technology in Education, 4(1), 68–92. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijte.36
Chang, W.-J. (2023). Blended Learning in the Context of EFL: Curriculum Design and Implementation. Indonesian Journal of English Language Studies (IJELS), 9(1), 73–85. https://doi.org/10.24071/ijels.v9i1.5193
Creswell, J. W. (2021). Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, Ebook, Global Edition. In Pearson Education, Limited.
Dixson, M. D. (2015). Measuring Student Engagement in the Online Course: The Online Student Engagement Scale (OSE). Online Learning, 19(4). https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v19i4.561
Firdaus, A., & Astutik, Y. (2021). Implementation of Blended Learning in Teaching English at Senior High School in Sidoarjo. New Language Dimensions, 2(2), 70–78. https://doi.org/10.26740/nld.v2n2.p70-78
Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School Engagement: Potential of the Concept, State of the Evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74(1), 59–109. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543074001059
Garrison, D. R., & Vaughan, N. D. (2011). Blended Learning in Higher Education: Framework, Principles, and Guidelines. Wiley. https://books.google.co.id/books?id=UhYnZbYhDl0C
Gayatri, P., Sit, H., Chen, S., & Li, H. (2023). Sustainable EFL Blended Education in Indonesia: Practical Recommendations. Sustainability, 15(3), 2254. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032254
Graham, C. R. (2013). Emerging Practice and Research in Blended Learning. In Handbook of Distance Education (3rd ed., pp. 333–350). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203803738.ch21
Halverson, L. R., & Graham, C. R. (2019). Learner Engagement in Blended Learning Environments: A Conceptual Framework. Online Learning, 23(2). https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v23i2.1481
Henrie, C. R., Halverson, L. R., & Graham, C. R. (2015). Measuring student engagement in technology-mediated learning: A review. Computers & Education, 90, 36–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2015.09.005
Martin, F., & Bolliger, D. U. (2018). Engagement Matters: Student Perceptions on the Importance of Engagement Strategies in the Online Learning Environment. Online Learning, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v22i1.1092
Mhlongo, S., Mbatha, K., Ramatsetse, B., & Dlamini, R. (2023). Challenges, opportunities, and prospects of adopting and using smart digital technologies in learning environments: An iterative review. Heliyon, 9(6), e16348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16348
Photopoulos, P., Tsonos, C., Stavrakas, I., & Triantis, D. (2022). Remote and In-Person Learning: Utility Versus Social Experience. SN Computer Science, 4(2), 116. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42979-022-01539-6
Saqr, M., & López-Pernas, S. (2021). The longitudinal trajectories of online engagement over a full program. Computers & Education, 175, 104325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2021.104325
Sato, S. N., Condes Moreno, E., Rubio-Zarapuz, A., Dalamitros, A. A., Yañez-Sepulveda, R., Tornero-Aguilera, J. F., & Clemente-Suárez, V. J. (2023). Navigating the New Normal: Adapting Online and Distance Learning in the Post-Pandemic Era. Education Sciences, 14(1), 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14010019
Shafa, S., Paramma, M. A., Noor, W. N., & Kordja, B. (2023). Exploring Digital Learning Support to Foster EFL Student Interests in Indonesian Higher Education. Indonesian TESOL Journal, 5(2), 235–254. https://doi.org/10.24256/itj.v5i2.4198
Sitamala, A., & Danial, D. (2022). Boosting International Humanitarian Law Active Class Participation; Lesson Learned from Blended Learning Policy (Kemendikbud Circular No.4 2020). Nurani Hukum, 5(1), 84. https://doi.org/10.51825/nhk.v5i1.15924
Staker, H., & Horn, M. B. (2012). Classifying K-12 Blended Learning. In Innosight Institute. Innosight Institute.
Sun, A., & Chen, X. (2016). Online Education and Its Effective Practice: A Research Review. Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 15, 157–190. https://doi.org/10.28945/3502
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication, with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work’s authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors can enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal’s published version of the work (e.g., posting it to an institutional repository or publishing it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are authorized and encouraged to publish their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website), which can lead to productive discussions and increased recognition of published work.
