Abstract
Scholars worldwide have struggled with the methods to ensure that the teaching processes are efficient and produce the best-desired results. Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many scholars and stakeholders were reluctant to apply blended learning technologies to students, particularly in technical subjects like mathematics.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly influenced how education is delivered to learners, with online classes now becoming the new norm. One such approach has been blended learning, a strategy combining traditional face-to-face learning called synchronous learning activities with the technologically integrated online learning referred to asynchronous learning.
Many studies have assessed the efficacy of blended learning in math. One such study, which will be critically analyzed in this article, is titled “The effectiveness of blended learning on students’ academic achievement, self-study skills, and learning attitudes: A quasi-experiment study in teaching the conventions for coordinates in the plane.” After conducting a dependent t-test, the study proved a mean deviation of 0.82332, revealing that blended learning is more efficient since it results in better student outcomes in the math subject of coordinates.
Learning coordinates is a fundamental concept of high school mathematics. However, the traditional teaching methods used in the past have proved to be less effective since they lack the necessary visualizations to have the students understand more. To address these problems, blended learning has emerged as one of the most promising solutions for effectively teaching students to coordinate with other related math topics (Vallée et al., 2020).
Many studies have also been released that reveal various aspects of this type of learning. Tong et al. (2022) show that previous research has comprehensively defined and established how blended learning is defined, the levels of implementation in various institutions, its advantages in teaching, particularly mathematics, and how COVID-19 challenges have led to increased use. This paper critically analyzes Tong et al.’s article and finds that most of the methods used to come up with the results in the case study article are accurate and acceptable.
Critique of the Article
Strengths of the Study
Relevance
Upon critically evaluating the article, several strengths are notable, with the article underscoring the importance of the article on the research topic of blended learning in mathematics. The first strength of the article relates to its timeliness, where the article was released during a great time, and the learning mode needs to be analyzed further. This study addresses a widespread need for the most effective teaching method that could help with the big challenge of COVID-19.
With many educational stakeholders concerned about the impacts of online learning platforms, the study provides a vital solution. It also shows the challenges that the Pandemic brought to the learning process. It underscores the benefits blended learning has had in relation to the learners’ academic achievement, self-study skills, and learning attitudes (Tong et al., 2022). Through doing so, the study provides a disclosure of how unforeseen changes caused a change in the educational system in Vietnam.
Literature Review
The second strength of the study is that the researchers in the article conduct a comprehensive literature review that first provides the readers with clear definitions and characteristics of blended learning activities in math. The authors show how previous research has emphasized the role of the e-learning factor as proposed in previous research (Tong et al., 2022). The authors also show the ratio between online learning activities and traditional teaching practices in an educational institution practicing blended learning. The authors quote the ratios Lazar et al. (2020) presented as between 33% and 50% (Tong et al., 2022). The article clearly explains to the readers the tools that previous literature has demonstrated to be crucial for digital learning, such as the need for high technological tools and traditional digital tools such as interactive materials, digital software services, and reference contents.
Design
Another notable strength of Tong et al.’s study is its research design. The study’s authors rely on a quasi-experimental research design that examines the exposed group to blended learning activities with a control group that includes people only subjected to traditional learning options. In conducting these types of studies, researchers can generally compare and contrast the processes, costs, and outcomes of each of the two processes by accessing two groups (Manshur & Husni, 2020). By conducting this research using the strategy mentioned above, the study can evaluate the effectiveness of blended learning in a way that can account for potential confounding variables. It also provides empirical evidence needed by educators and other key stakeholders in the educational systems that could guide them in making data-driven decisions. Moreover, the research design relies on rigorous research practices that make the study more accurate.
Data Collection
The article’s authors under analysis take a rigorous data collection method that is both recommendable and accurate. The study takes a multifaceted approach to data collection, integrating numerous to create a comprehensive and adequate data set for statistical analysis. Some methods used in collecting the data include pre and post-test observations and student opinion surveys that show the researcher’s commitment to ensuring that the collected quantitative data is backed up with qualitative data.
The collected data normally directly impacts the quality of the study outcomes (Sinurat et al., 2021). The rich data collected among the 90 students in the 10th grade ensured that the result and study outcomes would not be based on assumptions but on verifiable evidence (Tong et al., 2022). For instance, the researchers utilized an independent t-test using the SPSS software. They found that the mean value performance in the math topic for blended learning students was 7.7864, while for those who relied on traditional methods, it was 6.9630. The statistics used to find the differences in mean performances provide quantitative evidence that blended learning is more efficient than traditional learning.
The procedure used for data collection in the study follows a design that the data collectors understand as it starts with selecting the experimental and control classes. The data collectors then prepare lesson plans and outlines for the experimental process. The third stage in the article under analysis entails the experimental group being instructed using blended learning techniques. At the same time, the face-to-face group is taught the same topic using traditional lesson plans.
The study then relies on surveys to evaluate teaching activities. The students are asked how well they agree or disagree with various elements of blended learning using the 5-point Likert scale: Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, and strongly agree (Tong et al., 2022). The qualitative data collection in the article helps in backing the quantitative data of the results using qualitative data. The data collection processes in the article under analysis also facilitate the data triangulation, thus strengthening the study’s reliability and validity of its research results.
Data Analysis
Besides having good data collection strategies, the study under analysis uses verified and acceptable statistical methods to analyze the data collected, strengthening its reliability. Urdan (2016) states that a good research design must have an adequate sample size that minimizes various errors. The use of well-acceptable and verifiable methods such as the t-size and the effect size calculation in the article under analysis helps enhance the rigor of the research. It makes it more credible to expert readers who want assumptions in making conclusions to be backed by variable evidence.
The quantitative analysis techniques employed in the study under analysis are also critical in building a solid background for how blended learning impacts academic achievements. Including effect size calculations in the study helps quantify the pedagogical significance of the study. This effect size is usually calculated by first taking the difference between the means of two groups and then dividing it by the standard deviation (Cheung, 2019). Relying on statistical measures to gauge the effectiveness of the data used in the study helps strengthen the study’s overall validity.
Weaknesses of the Study
Despite the many strengths, the article under analysis has a few weaknesses. First, the study relies on a small sample size comprising 90 participants split into two: 44 for the experimental group and the remaining 46 for the control group (Tong et al., 2022). The researchers need to use a larger sample size to validate the study results.
The study adopts convenience sampling due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in Vietnam when it was conducted. This puts the research at risk of biases, and thus, the analysis results may differ from what the actual environment presents. This study focuses on quantitative analysis and only relies on qualitative data to provide validity. Nevertheless, the qualitative aspects of data collection, such as surveys and expert observation, may suffer from personal biases. Additionally, in the analysis section of the article, the qualitative data aspect lacks a detailed analysis, making it hard for the results to have a meaningful impact.
The study results are also only based on one university in one city in Vietnam. Therefore, the results obtained from this study differ from those obtained from the rest of the studies. Scholars and decision-makers from other parts of the globe besides Vietnam will need to look for similar local studies and analyze whether the results obtained in this study match those of their home region. The presentation and visualizations used in the study are also complex and only designed for the article’s professional users.
Additionally, the study is weak in focusing on a narrow subject of coordinates in the plane within a mathematics context. These results are very useful for domain researchers but could prove incorrect if relied upon by stakeholders who are experts in other subjects. The overspecialization of the study thus limits its overall relevance as a scholarly source.
Interpretation
This study on the effectiveness of blended learning on students’ academic achievement, self-study skills, and learning attitudes on the teaching of plane coordinators presents several essential insights. The study’s main finding is that blended learning positively impacts the student’s academic learning outcomes since it is more effective (Tong et al., 2022). The results of this study, supported by t-tests, reveal that students subjected to the blended learning experienced during the study’s time outperformed those who were not.
The study shows that the work considered to be well done by tutors increased significantly from 32% to 50% when blended learning was used in this math topic (Tong et al., 2022). When blended learning techniques were used, the number of students who reported poor grades was reduced by 7%. Additionally, surveys reveal that students are more comfortable, and their ability to work independently increases substantially when blended learning is utilized.
These suggestions reveal clear outcomes that decision-makers need to use both online learning tools and traditional teaching methods for the best student outcomes, especially in mathematics and coordinates in plane subjects. By further analyzing the results of this study, it is evident that the flexibility and adaptability blended learning brings are essential contributors to the student’s success. Tong et al. (2020) state that a study can be used by decision-makers when deciding on the learning technique to be used based on the topic of study. The stakeholders who support hybrid learning could use this study as evidence to pass bills in state houses that support blended learning.
Another critical observation from this article is that blended learning positively impacts the students’ abilities to teach themselves. Tong et al. (2020) do not investigate how this form of learning facilitates enhanced self-study skills. However, it is reasonable for a reader to infer that this mode requires the learners to have self-discipline, efficient time management, and good resource utilization skills to make the method a success. In blended learning, the teachers are not responsible for organizing the students. Instead, they give them guidelines, and the learners, in turn, are supposed to conduct all the activities by themselves (Urdan, 2016). This form of education promotes autonomy in students as they should know when to attend particular classes, how to manage their time, and how to master the game of effective goal setting.
Assessment of the Study
The research article contributes significantly to the impacts of blended learning in Mathematics during the Pandemic for students in Trang Province, Vietnam. The study’s strengths include its good analysis of previous literature, a great research design, good data collection methods, and reliance on statistical analysis, which improve the study’s reliability. Nonetheless, the study has some weaknesses, including a small sample size and a convenience sampling method, which has disadvantages and challenges in becoming too narrow. These limitations must be considered by decision-makers when assessing the study’s impact or even using the study for decision-making (Urdan, 2016).
The study provides meaningful insights into the field of education, highlighting that combining two modes of education may, at times, be more productive than relying on just one method. The study underscores the need for future studies that concentrate on designing software and websites that could facilitate blended learning to be considered to expand the scope of knowledge in this field.
Conclusion
Tong et al. reveal that blended learning significantly enhances efficacy in learning math, as the t-test results demonstrate improved academic performances. Their research concludes by relying on a dependable quasi-experimental design that leverages quantitative and qualitative data. The researchers rely on triangulating data sources where one group of learners is used as the empirical research variable while the other is the control variable. The study is reliable and accurate and relies on various statistical tools such as t-tests and efficiency tests. The authors show that the work done by students relying on blended learning is better than traditional methods.
Additionally, in blended learning, more students are likely to finish their homework and have more will to learn independently. The study contributes to the teaching community by revealing that adaptability, autonomy, and flexibility positively impact students’ academic outcomes. However, decision-makers should always be careful when using these studies’ results as they relied on small sample size and focused on a specific mathematics topic of coordinates.
References
Cheung, M. W. L. (2019). A guide to conducting a meta-analysis with non-independent effect sizes. Neuropsychology Review, 29(4), 387-396. Web.
Manshur, F. M., & Husni, H. (2020). Promoting religious moderation through literary-based learning: A quasi-experimental study. International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology, 29(6), 5849-5855. Web.
Sinurat, M., Heikal, M., Simanjuntak, A., Siahaan, R., & Ilham, R. N. (2021). Product quality on consumer purchase interest with customer satisfaction as a variable intervening in black online store high click market: Case study on customers of the Tebing Tinggi black market online store. Morfai Journal, 1(1), 13-21.
Tong, D. H., Uyen, B. P., & Ngan, L. K. (2022). The effectiveness of blended learning on students’ academic achievement, self-study skills, and learning attitudes: A quasi-experiment study in teaching the conventions for coordinates in the plane. Heliyon, 8(12), pp 1-14. Web.
Urdan, T. C. (2016). Statistics in plain English (4th Edition). Routledge.
Vallée, A., Blacher, J., Cariou, A., & Sorbets, E. (2020). Blended learning compared to traditional learning in medical education: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(8), 6504. Web.
Loading...
