Genre Analysis in Blended Learning: Empowering English Majors’ Critical Listening Skills: Case of Faculty of Education, Minia University, Egypt

Critical reading is that kind of reading which takes the reader beyond and beneath the surface meaning of what is written to the assumptions, arguments, and strategies behind them. The current study took place at Faculty of Education, Minia university, Egypt trying to explore the effectiveness of a blended e-learning program in improving English majors' critical reading skills. A sample from third year English majors consisting of 60 students were randomly assigned to two groups: a treatment and a control one, each consisting of 30 students. The treatment group was trained in a Blended E-Learning program based on genre discourse analysis, whereas the control group was taught the same content in a “Discourse Analysis” course through the conventional method of teaching. Tools of the study included two questionnaires, a Blended E-Learning training program, two pre-post-tests in the acquisition and use of critical reading skills, and the English Proficiency Examination for Egypt (EPEE). Equality between the treatment and the control groups was ensured by using t-value to analyze differences between the two groups on the control variables. The present study followed quasi-experimental research in an exploratory sequential mixed methods design. The treatment group and the control group were exposed to pre-post means of getting data. The treatment group was only instructed and trained through a Blended E-Learning program. The treatment lasted for one academic semester, six hours a week. Analysis of quantitative data obtained by students using (t-test - Point Biserial Correlation Coefficient - Pearson Correlation - Eta-Squared) and the sematic analysis of qualitative data revealed that the treatment group significantly surpassed the control group on the post tests of the acquisition and use of critical reading skills. Discussion of these findings, recommendations and suggestions for further research are presented.

Using a Blended Learning Program in Teaching Writing to Enhance Faculty of Education English Majors’ Use of 4Cs SkillsNahla Abdallah Ismail Omar RashwanPh.D. researcher at the Department of Curriculum and Methods of Teaching (EFL major) - Faculty of Education – Minia UniversityAbstractThe purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a blended learning program in teaching writing to enhance Faculty of Education English Majors’ Use of 4Cs Skills (critical thinking, creative thinking, communication, and collaboration). The study employed the quasi – experimental design. The participants were 60 English majors Faculty of Education Minia University(30 for each group). Two instruments were prepared by the researcher and used to collect data for the study. These instruments are a 4Cs test, and an observation checklist for 4Cs skills. The 4Cs test and the observation checklists for 4Cs skills were pre administered to the study group. Then, the study group was trained through the blended learning program to enhance 4Cs skills .The measurement instruments of the study were post administered to the study group. Findings of the study revealed that the blended learning program proved to be effective in enhancing the 4Cs skills for the study group.Key words: Blended learning, 4Cs skills.

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of using a critical thinking strategies based program on developing reading skills of first year English majors at the Faculty of Education. A pre-post control group research design was used to achieve the research objectives. Sixty students were randomly divided into two groups: the treatment and the non treatment groups. The treatment group students were trained in a critical thinking strategies based program to enhance their reading and skills. The content used was based on some selected reading texts. The non treatment group students were taught the same reading texts through the conventional method of teaching. Tools of the study included needs assessment questionnaires to determine the sub skills of reading that were most needed by first year English majors and the difficulties they faced when studying the reading course, a training program in reading skills, a pre-post test in Reading comprehension, the English Proficiency Exam for Egypt (EPEE). Analysis of data obtained by students (using t- test) revealed that the treatment group significantly surpassed the non treatment one in the post performance of the Reading test. Discussion of these findings, recommendations and suggestions for further research are presented. حاولت الدراسة الحالية معرفه اثر تدرب طلاب الفرقة الأولى شعبه اللغة الانجليزية بکلية التربية جامعة المنيا على مهارات القراءة على أدائهم في هذه المهارات من خلال برنامج تدريبي قائم على بعض استراتيجيات التفکير الناقد.استخدمت الدراسة المنهج شبه التجريبي لتحقيق أهداف البحث. اشترک فى التدريب ستون طالبا وطالبة تم تقسيمهم إلى مجموعتين ضابطة وتجريبية بواقع ثلاثون طالبا وطالبة فى کل مجموعة. تم تدريب المجوعة التجريبية باستخدام البرنامج التدريبي القائم على استراتيجيات التفکير الناقد. بينما استخدمت الطريقة المعتادة فى تدريب أفراد المجموعة الضابطة. واشتملت أدوات الدراسة على استبيانات واختبار فى الفهم القرائي واختبار الکفاءة اللغوية والبرنامج التدريبي. وقد تبين من تحليل النتائج تفوق المجموعة التجريبية على المجموعة الضابطة في اختبار القراءة البعدى. وقد تم عرض النتائج ومناقشتها. کما اشتملت الدراسة على أهم التوصيات والمقترحات لبحوث مستقبلية.

T he present study was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of using a Generative Learning Model (GLM) on fostering 2nd year English Majors’ critical reading and writing skills at Faculty of Education, Minia University. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group research design was employed. A language teaching program based on GLM was developed by the researcher and used with the treatment group, whereas, the conventional lecture method was used with the non-treatment group. Sixty female and male students were randomly chosen and divided into two groups: the treatment and the non-treatment. A critical reading questionnaire, a critical writing questionnaire, a language teaching GLM-based program, a pre-post critical reading test (CRT) and a pre-post critical writing test (CWT) were used as instruments of the study. T-test was used to analyze the statistical data of the study and Eta-Squared to measure the effect size of the GLM. Results revealed that the treatment group significantly outperformed the non-treatment one on the post-performance of both the critical reading and writing tests. Discussion of these findings, recommendations and suggestions for further research are presented.

T he present study was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of using a Flipped Learning (FL) strategy on fostering 4th year English Majors’ achievement in methodology course and their motivation towards the course at the Faculty of Education, Minia University. A quasi-experimental pre-post test control group research design was employed. A language teaching program based on FLS was developed by the researcher and used with the treatment group, whereas, the conventional lecture method was used with the non-treatment group. Sixty female and male 4th year English Majors students were randomly chosen and divided into two groups the treatment and the non-treatment groups of the research. Tools of the study included a pre-post achievement test on methodology course, a language teaching FL-based program, a checklist of students’ computer literacy and a pre-post motivation scale. Analysis of data (using t-test) revealed that the treatment group significantly outperformed the non treatment one on the post performance of the achievement test. The treatment group significantly improved on the post performance of motivation Scale as well. Discussion of these findings, recommendations and suggestions for further research are presented.

Previous discussion about perception and production of flapping in American English mostly centers on native speakers' exploration. The present study offers a new insight into flapping in American English learners. To investigate American-English-trained Taiwan ESL learners' perception and production of [ſ], two experiments were conducted, with completely different subjects. English major (Linguistically-trained) and non-English major college students were invited to the experiments: (1) In the production experiment, both subject groups would read 14 high-frequency words (7 with /t/ and 7 with /d/), whereby word-medial flapping was acceptable, two times in random order. (2) The perception test explored the sensitivity of [ſ] identification. English major students were asked to present phonetic transcriptions while those non-English majors judged that the recordings sounded more [t]-alike or [d]-alike. Results showed more occurrence of flapping laid on English major students but they could have perceptual confusion over [d, ſ] contrast. Hypercorrection, where [ſ] might be pronounced as [d] to seek audio resemblance, was also found in English maj ors. The study generally implicated [ſ] could be well pronounced by Mandarin speakers under more exposure to English and linguistic training. The overall findings can enlighten English pronunciation education in ESL contexts and potentially help ameliorate Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) on non-English-native users' interfaces.

Academic emotions have consistently been a prominent topic in educational psychology. Academic emotions are closely associated with students’ academic achievements and performance. The level of oral proficiency is an important indicator for evaluating the English proficiency of English major students. However, its acquisition process highly depends on interaction and immediate output, which can easily trigger complex academic emotions among students. Although current research has recognized the role of emotions in language learning, there is still a need for further exploration into the specific academic emotions that arise during the oral language learning process among English major students and how they affect their oral language performance. Therefore, in order to address this issue, this study takes academic emotions as the independent variable and the oral English scores of English major college students as the dependent variable. It uses the literature analysis method to investigate how academic emotions affect the oral English scores of English major college students. This study confirms that academic emotions are a key non-intellectual factor influencing oral English performance among English majors. Positive emotions (especially enjoyment) are facilitators of oral learning, while negative emotions (especially anxiety) are the most significant obstacle and inhibitor.

This study analyses the learning experiences of three Syrian refugee youth who enrolled in and completed blended learning (BL) programmes in Jordan, in order to explicate how BL has/or has not empowered those refugees. To achieve this objective, the following research questions framed this study: Does blended learning empower Syrian refugee youth living in Jordan? 1. Is blended learning, in the case of Syrian refugee youth, an empowering capability? 2. Does blended learning help Syrian refugee youth to overcome their restrictive ‘rules of the game’? 3. Does blended learning improve Syrian refugee youth’s resource portfolio? This study followed a case study approach. Three Syrian youth, each of whom attended a different BL programme, were interviewed between December 2018 and March 2019. While all three cases expressed aspirations that are education-bound, this study shows some difference in the aspirations of males and females and of urban refugees versus those residing in the camps. BL has been for all three cases a feasible learning opportunity. Programme providers designed the courses in a manner that accommodated to refugees’ locations, time, and economic status. Social media disseminated information about educational opportunities and possessing smartphones made following up with lectures and assignments possible and easy. The investigated BL programmes proved also to be enjoyable due to their constructive, learner-centred and collaborative approach, and competent facilitators. However, this finding does not indicate that those programmes were “empowering”. Restrictive legislations that constrain refugees’ work, movement, and lives, as well as patriarchal traditions that hampered females’ choices of education, were “rules of the game” that hindered students’ ability to fully benefit from the provided programmes. Despite the development of oral and public speaking, employability, and English language skills and despite the enhancement of self-esteem, confidence, and respect towards others, those programmes did not lead to refugees’ full empowerment.

J ournal writing is important for Basic Education Student-Teachers at Faculty of Education. A good teacher develops his students' skills when he is able to make use of his teaching skills. There are several brain based learning strategies. The current study deals with K.W.L,debates and feedback as they have a role of tremendous importance to students The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of Using Some Brain- Based Learning Strategies on Developing Journal Writing of Basic Education Student Teachers at Faculty of Education - Beni-Suef University Questions of the study were : (1)What are the skills of journal writing that second year English majors should develop in Basic Education at Faculty of Education- Beni-Suef University?.(2) What is the effect of K.W.L, debates and feedback on developing each skill of journal writing of second year English majors in Basic Education at Faculty of Education- Beni-Suef University?.(3)What is the effect of K.W.L, debates and feedback on developing the overall skills of journal writing that are important to second year English majors in Basic Education at Faculty of Education- Beni-Suef University?.(4)Which strategy has a great effect more than the other used strategies? Participants of the study were 43 English majors in second year Basic Education at Faculty of Education- Beni-Suef University Procedures included administering the diagnostic test after achieving validity and reliability. According to the results of the diagnostic test which was the first question of the study:, the researcher started designing a program to help students develop their skills of journal writing. Before administering the pre-test ,the researcher determined validity as the test was submitted to juries, then reliability was achieved. Students' scores were low in the diagnostic and the pre-post tests. Afterwards, the researcher started teaching the program after being designed . Students were given the instructional materials. The researcher used K.W.L, debates and feedback strategies Results of the study were as the following: To answer question 2, which is: What is the effect of K.W.L, debates and feedback on developing each skill of journal writing of second year English majors in Basic Education at Faculty of Education- Beni-Suef University?, it is shown in table 4 where means were shown stating the differentiation between the pre test and post test in every skill. To answer question 3, which is: What is the effect of K.W.L, debates and feedback on developing the overall skills of journal writing that are important to second year English majors in Basic Education at Faculty of Education- Beni-Suef University?, it is shown in table 5 that T value is 24.549. Students at Faculty of Education made use of the program.. To answer question 4, which is: Which strategy has a great effect more than the other used strategies?, it is clear in table 4 as the mean of Ideas& Content is 5.16,;whereas, the mean in the pre- test is 2.07 It should be taken into account the importance of K.W.L, debates and feedback strategies in teaching and learning at Faculties of Education to develop the skills of journal writing

هدفت الدراسة بصفة رئيسية إلى الكشف عن فاعلية برنامج للتعلم المدمج لتنمية معارف ومهارات الطالبات المرتبطة بتنفيذ مشغولات التريكو اليدوي، وانبثق من هذا الهدف عدة أهداف فرعية وهي: تحديد مستوى معارف ومهارات الطالبات في مجال التريكو اليدوي، ودراسة فاعلية برنامج قائم على التعلم التقليدي وآخر قائم على التعلم المدمج في تنمية المعارف والمهارات المرتبطة بمجال التريكو اليدوي قبل وبعد البرنامج، ودراسة الفروق في مستوى الأداء المهارى للطالبات لإنتاج منتجات تريكو يدوي بكلا الأسلوبين (التقليدي، والمدمج) كلٍ على حدة. واتبع البحث المنهج الوصفي والتجريبي لمناسبته لتحقيق أهداف البحث، حيث طبقت الدراسة بمعامل قسم تصميم الأزياء بكلية التصاميم والفنون بجامعة الملك عبد العزيز بجدة بالمملكة العربية السعودية، وذلك على عينة قوامها (21) طالبة وتم تطبيق كلا الأسلوبين من التعلم على (12) أسبوع ووزعت الدراسة على مرحلتين، المرحلة الأولى مدتها (6) أسابيع وطبق فيها أسلوب التعلم التقليدي والمرحلة الثانية ومدتها (6) أسابيع وطبق فيها أسلوب التعلم المدمج وذلك على نفس العينة من الطالبات. وتمثلت أدوات البحث في استخدام استمارة استبيان اشتملت على (30) عبارة لقياس المستوى المعرفي و(30) عبارة لقياس المستوى المهارى في مجال التريكو اليدوي لقياس فاعلية الأسلوبين قبل وبعد تطبيقهما ، كما اشتملت أدوات البحث على بطاقة ملاحظة الأداء المهارى لتقييم أداء الطالبات في مجال تنفيذ مشغولات التريكو اليدوي وذلك قبل وبعد تطبيق كلا الأسلوبين من التعلم في كل من المرحلة الأولى؛ والتي طبقت أسلوب التعلم التقليدي والمرحلة الثانية والتي طبق فيها أسلوب التعلم المدمج. وأظهرت النتائج البحثية وجود فروق معنوية بين متوسطي مستويات الطالبات المعرفية والمهارية في التطبيقين القبلي والبعدي لصالح التطبيق البعدي، بالإضافة إلى وجود فروق دالة إحصائياً بين متوسطي مستويات الطالبات في التطبيق القبلي والبعدي لبطاقة ملاحظة الأداء المهاري في مجال التريكو اليدوي للتعلم التقليدي والتعلم المدمج لصالح التطبيق البعدي، كما أشارت النتائج إلي وجود فروق معنوية بين متوسطي تقييم الأداء المهاري للطالبات في تنفيذ مشغولات التريكو اليدوي لكلا الأسلوبين ( التعلم التقليدي، والتعلم المدمج) لصالح التعلم المدمج وذلك عند مستوي معنوية(α=0.01).

Background:We aimed to develop and evaluate outcomes of a blended learning (BL) program for educating nursing and midwifery students of Tehran university of medical sciences (Tehran, Iran).Materials and Methods:This was a participatory action research project. After designing BL website, providing technological infrastructures, and holding preparatory workshops, 22 blended courses were designed. BL method was implemented for one semester. Students’ grade point average, participation with courses, and opinion about educational methods, and instructors’ attitude and opinion about educational methods were assessed.Results:Most students (n = 181; 72.1%) and 17 instructors (28.3%) consented to participate in the study. Students’ grade point average and participation was significantly higher in BL rather than in face-to-face method (P < 0.0001). Most instructors (n = 11, 65%) had positive attitude toward BL method. Textual analysis of participants’ opinion showed that most students preferred BL method and felt more independent in this method. However, they complained about lack of easy access to Internet and weakness in computer skills. Instructors admired the flexibility and incentives that had been provided in the program. However, some of them complained about the time-consuming nature of BL course design.Conclusion:The program showed positive effect on students’ learning outcomes and participation. The strengths and weaknesses of the program should be considered for development of next phase of the project. Lessons learned in this phase might be helpful for decision makers who tend to develop similar programs in Iran. Motivational and communicational issues and users’ IT skills should be addressed in every BL program.

IntroductionOnline learning provides a ubiquitous and self-paced learning experience, while face-to-face learning encourages commitment in a prescheduled formal instruction. Blended learning (BL) combines these two mediums and provides flexible learning opportunities. While faculty development programs have utilized these two mediums separately, BL has not been fully implemented locally until recently. Identifying elements that enable or hinder faculty within a newly implemented BL program can enhance the learning experience and support professional development. The current study aims to identify how junior and senior faculty members of medical departments at a Turkish university perceive enablers and barriers in a new BL faculty development program.MethodsThis research is a multiple case study with qualitative inquiry using in-depth interviews and thematic analysis. Using a BL approach, the research team designed faculty development activities based on the Four-Component Instructional Design model. Participants accessed the activities on a Moodle learning management system. Faculty experiences in blended faculty development were examined. The study group consisted of 26 participants, with 14 junior faculty in case 1 and 12 senior faculty in case 2 from different medical departments at a Turkish university. Data were collected and analyzed using qualitative methods.ResultsThis study identified enablers and barriers within a BL faculty development program. While participants identified three barriers, they identified eight enabling elements in a BL program. A lack of time was the most critical barrier to participation in the program. Setting goals for personal development and obtaining skills in teaching were essential enablers within the BL program.ConclusionThe use of an online platform to support face-to-face faculty development programs is beneficial in several ways for faculty. Faculty developers can utilize BL to foster engagement and motivate faculty for increased participation, especially if they seek to mitigate known barriers to a successful BL program. Online communication and activities are suggested to develop communities of practice in the workplace. Strategies to eliminate workload and provide guidance on time management are required for both junior and senior faculty.

The research aims To detect the effect of an educational program using blended learning in learning some basic tennis skills for students. To detect the differences in the post-test between blended learning for the experimental group and the implemented learning for the control group in cognitive achievement and learning some basic tennis skills. The researcher used the experimental method due to the nature of the research problem and its objectives, while the research community included third-year students from the College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences / University of Salahaddin for the academic year (2023-2024) with total of (152) students. The research sample was selected randomly, represented by group (B) with total of (35) students, while the experimental group was represented by group (C) with the total of (35) student. The pre-test was conducted on the (forehand, backhand, and serve) skills, and then the educational program was implemented using blended learning on the experimental group. After completing of the program, a post-test was conducted on the studied skills, as well as the cognitive achievement test. After collecting the data, it was analyzed statistically using the statistical package (SPSS). Learning by using blended learning program supported by images contributed positively to improving the level of cognitive achievement and the form of technical performance of basic skills in toward the experimental group. 2- The implemented teaching program (model explanation) contributed positively to improving the level of cognitive achievement and the form of technical performance of basic skills in tennis toward the control group. 3- It was found that teaching using the blended learning program supported by images is better than the traditional educational program (implemented) in improving the level of cognitive achievement and the form of technical performance of basic skills in tennis. Through the results of the research and in light of the conclusions reached by the study, the following is recommended: 1- Training faculty members to apply blended learning programs centered around the students for its effectiveness in increasing academic achievement and improving learning motivation. 2- Experimenting the blended learning program centered around the student in other courses and for different levels and stages of study. 3- Holding training courses for students and urging them to use technology and educational software.

PurposeE-learning is a very popular concept in the education sector today, and one of the best ways to implement this is through blended learning. However, the implementation of blended learning program at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) is quite new in Bangladesh. The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of blended learning, how to construct a blended learning program, the benefits of blended learning and some prerequisites to implement blended learning program successfully at HEIs in Bangladesh.Design/methodology/approachNature of the study is explanatory, descriptive as well as evaluative. Primary data were collected through face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaire having both open- and close-ended questions including personal observations. Secondary data comprise relevant documents available from government agencies, archives, and library and research organizations.FindingsBy utilizing the blended learning tools, HEIs in Bangladesh can achieve radical improvements in education quality as well as in the accessibility and cost-effectiveness of learning programs. Moreover, any innovative educational reform will be successful only when it is fully accepted and adopted by all the key stakeholders: students, parents, teachers, academic administrators, researchers and policy makers.Practical implicationsSeveral practical solutions have been presented in this paper: how to create a blended learning program, how to overcome the obstacles for successful implementation of blended learning and how to create a flipped classroom with the aid of technology.Social implicationsA country’s soul and economic well-being depends to a large extent on the quality of their citizen’s education. Implementing innovative teaching programs within the education system will enhance the quality of education at HEIs in Bangladesh, creating more efficient labor force hence benefiting the overall society.Originality/valueOriginality in terms of exposing the hurdles that needs to be addressed for successful implementation of blended learning programs at HEIs in Bangladesh and providing an easy guideline to educators on how to create flipped classrooms.

English reading strategies and awareness of reading strategies are of great significance for English learners to master and possess high English reading abilities, but in reality, learners' ability to apply English reading strategies is still unsatisfactory. Moreover, this issue seems to be a common and urgent issue for all learners of English as a second language. This study taking a Chinese university (Hunan University of Science and Engineering, HUSE) as an example, using the Survey of Reading Strategies (SORS) to measure three broad categories of reading strategies, 527 respondents involved, through comparing data mean values of English majors with non-English majors and the composite mean value of these respondents, found that: (a) English major students have higher reading strategy awareness than non-English major students; (b) English major and non-English major students are at different levels in terms of reading strategy awareness and generally have a moderate level of reading strategies; (c) There is great room for improvement in university students’ reading strategy. Centering on how to make good use of the teaching resources of reading courses and how to use innovative ways and methods to enhance the awareness and ability of college students' reading strategies, this study puts forward four measures, namely, attaching importance to reading strategy education in reading course teaching, attaching importance to the leading role of reading course teachers in improving students' reading strategy level in curriculum teaching, attaching importance to students' main role, and strengthening students' reading strategy training.