Proceedings of The 6th International Conference on New Trends in Teaching and Education
Year: 2023
DOI:
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Becoming a Successful Blended Learning School: A Narrative Inquiry of the School Leadership in Hong Kong
LAM Lai Chuen, LAU Ka Man, TSANG Yuen Man, NG Sammi, KIU Ka Wing
ABSTRACT:
Over the past decade, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of blended learning in Hong Kong secondary and primary schools has skyrocketed. Although the effectiveness of the pedagogy has had some mixed reviews, certain schools have managed to implement blended learning successfully. This study focused on the firsthand experience of school leaders including principals, vice principals, and subject panel heads, in schools that utilize blended learning. To gain insight into their experience, a qualitative methodology was employed using a purposive sampling of school leaders whose schools had a dedicated teaching community for promoting blended learning and adopted the teaching method for at least two years. Also, the leaders had to have served the schools for at least two years prior to the interview. This helped ensure that the leaders had a thorough understanding of the school, its culture and communities, and the matter being examined. The last sampling criterion is the high satisfaction rate towards blended learning among teachers and students in these schools. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 school leaders. All interviews were transcribed and subjected to thematic analysis. The school leaders in this study had common experiences and strategies related to a) a gradual approach to instructional change and development, b) strengthening motivation of various stakeholders, c) cultivating a collaborative culture, and d) designing a responsive e-learning infrastructure. These findings are beneficial to future blended learning studies and provide the necessary skills and knowledge that leaders in schools that employ blended learning will need.
keywords: educational management, e-learning, hybrid learning, instructional design, K-12 education