Relationships among factors affecting learners' satisfaction in blended learning of english proficiency course

• Main Author: Nurul Imtiaz, Abd Gani
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English; English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: PE English
• Online Access: https://etd.uum.edu.my/10300/1/s902640_01.pdf; https://etd.uum.edu.my/10300/2/s902640_02.pdf; https://etd.uum.edu.my/10300/
• Institution: Universiti Utara Malaysia

The introduction of blended learning has had a significant impact on English Teaching and Learning at Higher Education Institutions, including increasing learners’ satisfaction. Though blended learning is useful in learning English, not all learners are proficient in acquiring the language at the end of the English course. Thus, this mixedmethods sequential explanatory study examined the factors affecting learners' satisfaction in blended learning of English proficiency course. The Transactional Distance Theory (TDT) and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) were used as underpinning theories in this study. The research variables include course structure, interaction, learner autonomy, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and learner satisfaction. In the first phase, 275 learners from the English proficiency 1 course were involved in the quantitative research. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) approach was applied to examine the relationship among the variables and test all 13 hypotheses. The findings indicated that out of nine hypotheses for direct relationships, six hypotheses were statistically correlated and supported except for H1, H3, and H6. Meanwhile, three hypotheses (H11, H12, and H13) were supported out of four mediation relationships, while only one (H10) was not supported. More importantly, perceived usefulness mediates the relationship among interaction, learner autonomy and perceived ease of use with learner satisfaction. In the second phase, qualitative research involving seven informants was conducted to elaborate and triangulate the quantitative findings. The outcomes of the qualitative research were consistent and supported the quantitative results. This study provides deeper insight into the relationship between those factors. Hence, this study could expand the existing literature boundary and contribute to the body of knowledge related to the factors affecting learners' satisfaction in blended learning among English proficiency learners theoretically, practically, and methodologically.