Blended learning and the motivation to learn the English language: A mixed methods study based on first-year university students in Japan



Chapman, J
(2019) Blended learning and the motivation to learn the English language: A mixed methods study based on first-year university students in Japan. Doctor of Education thesis, University of Liverpool.

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Abstract

This dissertation investigates the effectiveness of implementing a blended learning (BL) initiative among a class of first-year university students in a mandatory English class in Japan. The research explored how the BL environment affected student interest, how this interest impacted the motivation of the participants, the social and cultural factors at play in this context and the activities participants found most interesting and why. The BL activities took place over a five-week period where participants engaged in solo and pair activities in both a traditional classroom setting and in an online environment. Using a BL approach to combine in-class and online activities was new to many of the participants and literature suggested that the combination of activities and formats as well as a rich social environment would lead to an increase in interest in, and a more positive stance toward, English study. The goals of the research were to assess the effectiveness of the BL environment in enhancing student interest, to improve motivation toward English study, to investigate social and cultural factors affecting English as a Foreign Language (EFL) study as well as to determine which activities participants found interesting and why. Data was gathered through paper entrance and exit surveys as well as an online follow-up survey. The paper surveys included the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Survey (FLCAS) in a before-and-after assessment to specifically target quantitative changes in anxiety and motivation as a result of the BL programme. The mixed methods approach used gathered further quantitative data in the form of login dates, times and locations as well as the participants’ satisfaction with the activities in order to explore their stance toward the BL environment. Results indicate that most participants enjoyed the range of activities and content as well as the social aspect of the in-class component. Participants did engage in the online activities, although this generally occurred immediately following the scheduled class with friends and peers still physically present. Some participants who disliked English at the beginning of the study did not change their stance. However, at the end of the study most participants indicated a more positive stance toward English, more interest and more positive motivation toward English language study. This dissertation explains the rationale of the study with an in depth examination of the cultural, education and social factors at play in Japan and between the Japanese participants and their non-Japanese instructor. It concludes with a discussion of the findings as well as acknowledgment of the dissertation’s limitations and recommendations for further research.

Item Type: Thesis (Doctor of Education)
Divisions: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 22 Nov 2019 11:19
Last Modified: 19 Jan 2023 00:24
DOI: 10.17638/03056961
Supervisors:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3056961