Teachers' and Students' Perceptions Toward the Use of Blended Teaching and Learning

Abstract

This study aims to investigate teachers’ and students’ perceptions toward the use of Blended teaching and learning to check its reliability in the field of higher education as an innovative tool of teaching during the COVID 19 era. Hence this study has asked how do teachers and students perceive Blended teaching and learning as an alternative to traditional way of teaching during the COVID 19 pandemic or not. In order to answer the previous research question, the descriptive method has been used by administrating a questionnaire to a random sample of 81 first year students, in addition to an interview with five teachers of the same level in the department of English language at the University of 8 Mai 1945 – Guelma, Algeria. The gathered data revealed that both teachers and students have a negative view toward Blended teaching and learning due to several reasons; mainly the flow of internet issue and difficulty to access the digital platform, in addition to poor interaction and low motivation among students, specifically during online courses. They also stated that this type of instruction can be more efficient if the above mentioned issues are solved; thus, teachers suggested some recommendations to enhance the efficiency of this learning and teaching tool in the field of teaching English as a foreign language and adopt it as a reliable modality of instruction in exceptional circumstances.