Unveiling the successes of religious school leavers in learning English proficiency course via a blended approach

Abstract

The blended learning approach has achieved great success in the teaching of languages. It has been widely used to teach students at all levels, including university students from religious schools, who continue to grow in number nowadays. Unfortunately, these religious school leavers lacked of guidance in using their own handheld technology for English language learning. Therefore blended learning is the most suitable approach to teach these learners who rely on instructors for guidance. This study, with the qualitative research methods, aims to explore and determine the achievements of religious school leavers in the course of English Proficiency taught via a blended approach. The participants of this study were selected purposefully from six faculties and they are all first-semester students. The researcher conducted a series of semi-structured interviews and focus groups, as well as compiled online reflections and document analysis. The data gathered were analysed using thematic analysis with the assistance of Nvivo software. The findings revealed that (1) the participants perceived the blended learning approach over the traditional method (2) the blended learning approach has successfully contributed to the unexpected successes that include adjustment, positive feelings and remarkable progress in learning the English language.