Blended Learning Integration: Student Motivation and Autonomy in a Blended Learning Environment

• Main Author: McHone, Cheryl
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University 2020
• Subjects: Motivation; Autonomy; Blended Learning; Educational Technology
• Online Access: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3750; https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5199&context=etd

The purpose of this study was to analyze teacher perceptions on the relationship of technology and student academic behaviors and performance in the blended learning environment across 9th through 12th grade within east Tennessee and to identify the components of blended learning and pedagogical practices that enhance students’ academic behaviors. Specifically, this study is an analysis of how student motivation and student autonomy relate to technology implementation and face-to-face instruction within blended learning environments. The participants of this study were teachers within 2 school districts in East Tennessee. All high school teachers within the participating school districts received an online survey that was distributed from their corresponding principals via email. The online survey used a Likert-type scale that consisted of 40 items focused on teachers’ perceptions of student motivation and student autonomy with the blended learning environment. The analysis of the data was based on the responses of 75 teachers from the 2 participating school districts. Statistical analyses of the data revealed that the amount of teacher technology use, student technology use, learning management system use, and type of professional development did not have a significant relationship with participants’ perspective of student motivation or student autonomy. The research also did not reveal a significant relationship between participants’ age and perception of student motivation. However, this research revealed a significant relationship between participant age and participants’ perception of student autonomy. The study revealed that, as participant age increased, participants’ mean student autonomy scores decreased.