Journal of Education and Human Development

Student Teachers' Attitudes towards Blended Learning
Dr. Roland Birbal, Dr. Mala Ramdass, Mr. Cyril Harripaul

Abstract
This study investigated the attitudes of student teachers towards several dimensions of blended learning to determine their readiness for blended learning. The study also sought to find out if teachers' attitudes towards blended learning were related to age, sex, year group, student specialization, part-time or full-time status and place of residence. The study adopted a survey research methodology to examine students' attitudes towards blended learning. Respondents consisted of 807 student teachers from two campuses of a university in Trinidad. Analyses for the research questions consisted of t-tests, analysis of variance, Pearson Correlation Coefficient using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS-V. 17). Exploratory factor analysis with varimax rotation was used to determine the underlying factor structure of the blended learning scale. Exploratory factor analysis supported six factors that explained 56.3% of the variance. Reliability estimates ranged from .731 to .857. Results indicated that teachers viewed learning flexibility and technology as the most important or valued aspect of blended learning. There were also significant differences in students' attitudes based on sex, part-time/full-time status, primary and secondary specialization, age and year group. There was a significant positive correlation between online learning and online interaction and technology. Significant negative correlations were found between online learning and classroom learning and online environment. Implications and recommendations for improvement were suggested for creating an improved survey instrument and providing a more supportive blended learning environment.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jehd.v7n2a2