INCREASING INTRINSIC MOTIVATION IN BLENDED LEARNING THROUGH DIGITAL PLAYLISTS

Abstract

Blended learning has become one of the most frequently used instructional pedagogy today. Increasingly, it is rising in importance in many educational organizations. However, there are still several challenges faced by teachers, specifically in the online component of blended learning. One prevalent challenge that had been identified was students’ intrinsic motivation. Adopting from self-determination theory, the current study aims to address this by investigating the relation between intrinsic motivation with perceived autonomy, competency and relatedness for primary school students. At the same time, it examined the use of a digital online playlist in increasing the level of intrinsic motivation in blended lessons. A total of 95 primary school students (50 boys, 45 girls) across three classes in Singapore participated in the research. Results indicated that perceived autonomy was the main significant predictor of intrinsic motivation. Perceived competence and relatedness did not play a significant role in blended learning. Additionally, the use of a digital playlist had a mixed impact. Some students showed an increase in intrinsic motivation, autonomy, competence and relatedness whilst others did not. The main implication to education is that whilst digital playlists is a simple and effective tool that can assist teachers in creating personalised tasks, it is not a panacea and learner’s characteristics would need to be considered in planning lessons.