Blended Learning in Teaching Secondary Schools’ English: A Preparation for Tertiary Science Education in Malaysia

Abstract

Science and Technology Education is one of the efforts to meet the National Vision 2020. Most of the Science based courses in tertiary education are conducted using English. As an initial preparation to tertiary science education, English foundation must be strongly rooted as continuity from secondary to tertiary education. At the same time, educationists are shifting their traditional teaching method towards online learning. Malaysia is a multi-racial country with Malay, Chinese and Indian as the three main races and many other minority natives. English, as a subject or as a medium of instruction stays a very important role in Malaysia education. Over the years, the performance in English of students has been very unsatisfactory. Educationists are looking at many measures to improve students’ performance in English and one of the measures that stands out is blended learning. Different subject teachers are having their own ways in applying blended learning. The paper investigated why English teachers apply blended learning in their lessons and what are the tools used in their blended learning lessons. Data were collected from English teachers from secondary schools in Bintulu, Sarawak. In depth interview was used to collect qualitative data. The study identified ten reasons why English teachers applied blended learning and identified eleven tools used by English teachers in their blended learning lessons.