CHAPTER 1

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Education is not only a stepping-stone for us, rather a preparation for who we
are in the future, thus, it is a key for success. In the pass decades, we witness how
education evolves, from simple discoveries of fire to the modern world where
technology exist. One we cannot deny that education can adapt any changes in our
environment, as it suddenly changes the way we live, and everything that we have
seen by our naked eyes. In fact, education embraces innovation, one of this the
blended learning which combine different teaching and learning methods with the
use of different approaches. It is highly accessible, timely, and innovative and it is
design for the convenience of every learner. Blended learning encompasses with the
use of online and face-to-face teaching and learning, as result of adaptation of
challenges that world faces nowadays.

The ultimate goal of education is to create qualified teachers who will work
within in the field by providing sufficient blended learning training to teacher interns.
Blended learning has its underlying factors in student’s engagement during their
teaching and learning process, which pose challenges on its effectiveness. One of
these challenges, how learners successfully use different technology, knowledge,
and the levels of learner’s engagement, dealing with the characteristic toward their
learning process. According to, Vaughan N. (2014) the use of technologies has an
important role for student engagement nowadays. The digital technologies, which
use in blended learning can use as a form engagement for effective educational
practices. The sudden occurrence of Covid-19 suddenly gives a tremendous
challenge to educators, especially the private and public schools. The continued
rising of pandemic patients affects all education sectors in the world. Despite high
vaccination rates, some form of in-person graduations and the ability to return to
some face-to-face learning, one cannot deny the challenges posed by the raging
pandemic (Dorn et al., 2020).

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 In global context, the study of Reabareli A. (2013) shown that there is
significance difference between traditional classroom teaching and blended learning.
The result shown that blended learning obtained high average marks compare to
classroom teaching, thus it also shown that more appropriate to use blended
learning method than traditional classroom setting. In addition, 60-80% of student
believe that blended learning helps to reinforce and improve retention during active
learning process. Furthermore, Crawford et al. (2020) explained that learners and
educators tend to continue their schooling using blended learning through online
learning modalities printed learning modality called "Blended Learning." The scenario
allows the academes to formulate a new teaching style to cater to the unusual
learning set-up.
With particular reference to Philippines, the study of Peñeda et. al (2021) on
Teacher Interns’ Conquering the Barriers in a New Mode of Teaching states that
blended learning modality helps teacher interns to be more creative and resourceful
despite the inadequate training in the pedagogical approaches used in their online
teaching. They tend to seek others' help, particularly in using laptops and internet
connection so they can deliver well their lessons on time.

Moreover, a research study by Baloran and Hernan (2020) conducted in

University of Mindanao – Bansalan College suggested that to successfully handle
unanticipated school crises, intern teachers should receive training to enhance their
class management abilities and resilience strategies. They went on to say that
administrators must inspire instructors to actively participate in classroom activities
and lessen their worries using cognitive psychological treatments. Schools must also
give teachers' health and safety-first priority and ensure it.

The research conducted by Gyamfi S.A and Gyaase P. O. (2015) showed that
student have positive perception towards blended learning environment. However,
some cases hindered the effectiveness of blended learning environment, such as
lack of internet access for some student outside the school campus. They also
recommended further improvement of ICT to enhance the capacity teaching and
learning process to adopt blended learning. Thus, previous study focused on the

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perception of student in relation to engagement of student towards blended learning
environment. The present study seeks to determine the level effectiveness of
blended learning in relation to student engagement during internship of college
teacher education students of Holy Cross College of Sasa Inc. This also covers the
different factors of blended learning, to determine the level of engagement, during
their internship. This study can assist the primary education faculty and institution in
producing teacher interns with more robust and realistic personalities. This research
helps educators provide essential online teaching training to have a strong
foundation on the strategies and approaches they will use in this type of learning
modality. Furthermore, this study prepares the teacher interns to cope with
challenges and improve their performance in using blended learning in the new
normal.

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STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study aimed to the effectiveness of blended learning in relation to

students’ engagement during internship of college education students.

More specifically, this sought to answer the following questions:

1. What is the level of blended learning in terms of:

1.1 Student Satisfaction, Course Satisfaction and Grades
1.2 Student Perceptions of Convenience and Grades
1.3 Student Engagement and Grades
2. What is the level of students’ engagement during internship in terms of:
2.1 Affective Liking for Learning
2.2 Behavior, Effort, and Persistent
2.3 Cognitive
3. Is there a significant relationship between blended learning and student
engagement during their internship?

HYPOTHESIS

This study tested the hypothesis with ( ) level of significance. There's no

significant relationship between effectiveness of blended learning and students’
engagement during internship of education college students.

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THEORETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

This research study is anchored in Dewey's theory of experiences and Kolb's

experiential learning theory. Dewey defined the theory of experience as the
connection between individual learning experiences, behavior, and future decisions
(Dewey, 1986). The concept involves interaction with students and the environment
in order for the individual to be influential in his way.

This theory is relevant to the study since it gives an overview of the

experiences of teacher interns in blended learning environments. The combined
learning approach enables them to be innovative in how they approach problems
during their internship. Likewise, Kolb defines the theory of experiential learning as to
how an individual acquires knowledge from the experience of understanding and
incorporating it into their experience (Kolb, 2017). The theory shows how teacher
interns selected technology and materials suitable for online teaching experiences.
This theory also allows teacher interns to acquire their actual teaching knowledge.
This helps them gained the methodologies through their experiences on how to
execute and manage online lessons.

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 Presented in Figure 1 is the conceptual framework of the study. The
independent variable is the blended learning with the indicators in terms of student
satisfaction, course satisfaction and grades, student perceptions of convenience and
grades, and student engagement and grades. The dependent variable is the
students’ engagement during internship with the indicators in terms of affective liking
for learning, behavior, effort, and persistent and cognitive.

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Blended
Students’ Engagement
Learning
During Internship

- Student Satisfaction,
- Affective Liking for
Course Satisfaction and Learning
Grades - Behavior, Effort, and
- Student Perceptions of Persistent
Convenience and - Cognitive
Grades
- Student Engagement
and grades

Figure 1: Description of Conceptual Framework

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SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY

This study is about the Effectiveness of Blended Learning in Relation to

Students’ Engagement During Internship of College Education Students brings forth
knowledge and insights that are relevance to the following:

For school administrators, department heads and subject instructors, this study
will serve as a tool for them to be able to provide adequate support to every student
to facilitate more effective of blended learning. It provides extensive ideas that are
beneficial in terms of instructional decision-making and helping students in coping
with blended learning.

For parents, this study will serve as a guide for them to be able to understand
the supplication of every student toward blended education. And for them to make
some adjustments for their children’s convenience.

For future researchers, this will help them expound the discussion of their
specific problem as the theories in this study can be used as a reference for their
research. Any relevant ideas that show the relationship between this research and
their study would support their findings.

For the readers, especially students who’s currently experiencing blended

classes. This study will provide information regarding those factors that shaped their
perception regarding to the effectiveness of blended learning. The information
presented in this research will help them find suitable strategies to overcome
difficulties that they are dealing with.

For those who didn’t experience the said situation, any information found in this
study will give them a wider and clearer understanding of blended learning. This
study will give them at least an idea and awareness that might be helpful to their
family and friends who are experiencing the same situation.

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DELIMITATION AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study focuses on the Effectiveness of Blended Learning in

Relation to Students’ Engagement During Internship of College Education Students.

The study was limited only to those 19 graduate students in Holy Cross
College of Sasa, Inc. were participants in Bachelor of Secondary Education Batch
2021-2022. The main purpose of this study is to point out the effectiveness of
blended learning in relation to students’ engagement during internship of college
education students. Results from the study may serve as a tool for them to take
action with the supplications of every student’s engagement during their internship
towards the effectiveness of blended learning.

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DEFINITION OF TERMS

The following terms are defined operationally for a better understanding of the
terminologies:

Blended Learning

According to Graham (2006) “blended learning systems combine face-to-face

instruction with computer-mediated instruction”. "The deliberate synthesis of
classroom face-to-face learning opportunities with online learning experiences,"
according to Garrison and Kanuka (2006).

Similarly, blended learning described it as the adoption of technological

innovations to integrate the two types of education—face-to-face and distance
education—in order to facilitate face-to-face interactions between faculty members
serving as teachers or mentors and students. These innovations are not required to
have specific electronic tools or specific quality with the availability of learning
sources linked with content and learning activities (Ismail, 2009). In relation to
Hassan (2010), it is a method of instruction designed to support the student in
achieving the desired learning objectives by fusing traditional education with e-
learning practices that take place both inside and outside of the classroom.

Students’ Engagement During Internship

Engagement among students has been noted as a key factor in determining

dropout, especially when it occurs gradually throughout a student's life and factors
that went into the decision to withdraw (Jimerson et al., 2009). Several research
have connected better academic achievement and it has frequently shown to be a
factor in student engagement dependable determinant of conduct and academic
performance in schools (Appleton, Christenson, & Furlong, 2008; Schmidt &
Shernoff, 2008).

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 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

The review of related literature discuses, blended learning’s effectivity, and its
indicators. It further covers the factors and quality of education towards blended
learning. With the given literature reviews, readers will have broader ideas and may
be applicable to preservice teachers as participants of this study.

BLENDED LEARNING

As accentuated by Huang et al. (2006), highlighted that blended learning can

be characterized firstly with its flexibility of providing learning resources; through it,
students can reach to various resources at different times and places that are not
limited to their teacher’s cited resources or even the schoolbooks. Secondly, it
supports learning diversity as it gives the teacher the ability to prepare various
learning materials that fit various students’ levels of learning. Thirdly, it enriches the
e-learning experience; as students can learn information technology skills of
searching information, downloading and uploading documents, bookmarking
important websites, and even the virtual interaction with the learning community.

According to Chan and Koh (2008), it as the combination of elements of

classroom training, with live and self-paced E- learning, and with advanced
supportive learning services in a manner that provides an experienced tailored to
each student’s needs.

Moreover, Ja'ashan (2015) defined blended learning as face-to-face class

meetings, with some class sessions replaced with online instruction. Hui Liu (2016)
added that it is the integration of multiple teaching means, teaching media, teaching
environments.

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A. Student Satisfaction, Course Satisfaction and Grades

In an attempt to ensure equivalence to the face-to-face unit, the online unit

used a multimedia approach to the delivery of materials, including lecture materials,
which is likely to explain the high levels of satisfaction expressed by online students.
Boling et al. (2012) discovered that online students preferred multimedia and high
levels of interaction over those that relied heavily on text-based resources.
Furthermore, students were pleased with the instructors' accessibility and prompt
feedback.

As revealed by Lyke and Frank (2012) discovered no differences in

performance on unit quizzes between online and face-to-face students in a theories
of counseling course. Other studies have found no differences in student grades
between the modes of unit delivery. However, other research has found that
students who take online courses outperform those who take equivalent classroom-
based courses. It has been suggested, however, that students who are motivated to
study online are more likely to be organized and self-motivated than their classroom-
based peers.

The literature on student satisfaction in online courses is less clear than that
on active learning. While some studies have found that learner-centered activities
are important for student satisfaction in online courses (Ellis & Cohen, 2006),
Cuthrell and Lyon's (2007) recent study contradicts this finding. It was discovered
that students preferred a combination of instructional strategies that included both
active and passive modes of instruction.

B. Student Perceptions of Convenience and Grades

Based on the study, high achievers thought that blended learning compared
to low-achieving students, learning offered greater convenience and reduced travel

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 time and costs. It is difficult to interpret this finding. Certain research findings indicate
that students frequently appreciate flexibility in time and location as well as a better
degree of self-control. These benefits, which are typically built-in to online or mixed
learning environments give students more flexibility, balancing work and family
commitments while keeping their jobs (Ashton & Elliott, 2007; Fleck, 2012; Poon,
2012; Smyth et al., 2012) could assist students in quickening their learning in the
direction of earning their degree (Reiss & Steffens, 2010). It's possible that blended
courses' efficiency and adaptability are appealing to pupils who excel because of the
format enabling people to utilize their time more effectively by participating in.
Academic work is done when students are not enrolled in classes on campus. On
low achievers, on the other hand, might think about the moment when they do not
interact in class and pretend that it is just leisure time was only called off.

Furthermore, research has shown that student perceptions are more accurate
predictors of student learning outcomes than other approaches, such as outside
observations or teachers' subjective assessments of their own teaching practices
(Maulana et al., 2015). The validity and reliability of student ratings are somewhat
compromised despite the fact that it is a more cost-effective way since student
assessments typically reflect their expectations for the teacher (Mateo, 2000; De
Jong and Westerhof, 2001; Maulana et al., 2015; Van der Lans et al., 2015).

C. Student Engagement and Grades

As stated by Kuh, Kinzie, Buckley, Bridges, and Hayek (2007), student

engagement is "participation in educationally effective practices, both inside and
outside the classroom, that lead to a range of measurable outcomes" and “the extent
to which students are engaging in activities that higher education research has
shown to be linked with high-quality learning outcomes" (Krause & Coates 2008).

Besides, other definitions of engagement include "the process by which

institutions and sector bodies make deliberate attempts to involve and empower
students in the process of shaping the learning experience" (HEFCE 2008) or

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"Institutional and Student Union (SU) processes and practices, such as those
relating to student representation and student feedback, that seek to inform and
enhance the collective student learning experience, a process that involves both
institutional and SU processes and practices" (Little, Locke Scesa & Williams 2009).

As mentioned by Krause and Coates (2008), say that engagement may be

those calibers for exertion understudies themselves commit with educationally
purposeful exercises that help straightforwardly to wanted conclusions. Additionally,
Chen, Gonyea & Kuh (2008), say that engagement may be those levels on which
learners are captivated for their instructive exercises. Also, that participate is
positively connected to a host of wanted outcomes, including secondary grades,
personal satisfaction, also persist. Different investigations characterize engagement.
As far as interest, effort, motivation, time on task and recommended that there is a
causal relationship the middle of locked in time, that is, those times of time over
which learners would totally concentrate with respect to also take an interest in the
learning task, and academic accomplishment (Beer, Clark, & Jones, 2010).

STUDENTS’ ENGAGEMENT DURING INTERNSHIP

The internship student teachers, studies report that this was a very
challenging task for teacher education institutions since the internship was not
possible (Cho & Clark-Gareca, 2020). While there is a dearth of investigations
documenting the internship during the pandemic, there are several of significance in
the present investigation. Debrah et al. (2021) used semi-structured interviews with
student teachers from Ghana and found out that online teaching was deemed
ineffective due to the lack of infrastructure, cost of internet data, and poor internet
connectivity. They also argue the importance of student satisfaction as a factor in
course design as well as assessment and evaluation measures are important factors
in determining the effectiveness of online learning.

In addition, revealed that pre-service teacher trainees experienced

significantly less anxiety on following a virtual internship course. Trainees had

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reported that they were able to obtain a realistic understanding of teaching and felt
better prepared for its practice as a result of the virtual internship course. The
training provision of learning from videos of authentic classroom events, had resulted
in good preparation for the actual professional teaching context. The results of this
study implied that virtual internships can be a useful asset in teacher education
(Theelen et al.,2020).

A. Affective Liking for Learning

The term "affective involvement" describes how students feel about his peers,
teachers, school, and learning (for instance, the student feels favorably about his
teachers (Jimerson et al, 2006). In the recent research, this construct has also been
referred to as psychological engagement and emotional involvement (Appleton,
Christenson, Kim, & Reschly, 2007).

Moreover, in both individual learning and group learning and engagement

processes, affective processes are crucial (Linnenbrink-Garcia et al., 2011;
Järvenoja et al., 2015; Polo et al., 2016; Isohätälä et al., 2019). The engagement and
attitude of students toward learning and learning settings are seen to be influenced
by their emotions, such as enjoyment, boredom, pride, and anxiety (Pekrun and
Linnenbrink-Garcia, 2012).

Furthermore, students are more likely to feel like they belong and are
understood and cared for by their peers when they have opportunities to interact and
listen to each other, offer emotional support, share learning experiences, and
develop respect. Warm classroom interactions with peers create a friendly
environment and assist in satisfying students' demand for relatedness (Ciani,
Middleton, Summers, & Sheldon, 2010).

B. Behavior, Effort, and Persistent

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 Student accomplishment of an online course is the outcome of a complex
phenomenon called persistence. Practically all of the research on the topic agrees
that motivation, communication with the teacher, and peer and family support can be
used to get beyond challenges to persistence and help a student succeed in an
online course (Levy, 2007; Müller, 2008; Park & Choi, 2009). Recent research has
widened the definition of persistence as a characteristic that is essential for students'
performance in online courses. Based on this review, it is believed that the success-
related qualities actually make the students more persistent, which results in
success.

In online courses where success is defined as passing the course,

persistence has been linked to student achievement as a complicated variable
(Bunn, 2006). Persistence is the culmination of elements that improve a student's
capacity for completion, many of which are frequently unrelated to knowledge.
successfully completing a course online (Park & Choi, 2009). Failure to persevere
leads to failure to finish a course or to carry on with a programmed of study (Müller,
2008). Early detection of a student who could struggle in an online course might help
the teacher apply evidence-based interventions to increase persistence in the
student.

C. Cognitive

As mentioned by Sharan and Than (2008), cognitive engagement is related to

motivational goals and self-regulated learning. It refers to how students learn in the
classroom, with the goal of motivating themselves, and how they organize their
learning strategy to get a good grade in English. Furthermore, during the teaching
and learning process, teachers have motivated students to participate and be active
in the classroom.

On top of that, cognitive engagement in students is related to strategic

learning strategies and active self-regulation. This type can be seen in learning
investments, flexible problem-solving, independent work styles, and so on. In this

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case, both students and teachers must develop their own learning strategies in order
to create a positive learning environment (Christenson et al. 2012).

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