On the Suitability of Blended Learning in Secondary Mathematics Education: Test Results and Perceptions of Belgian 9th Grade Students

In this paper, we focus on the result of a repeated factoral quasi-experiment for a mathematics course in a Belgian secondary school, in the first quarter of 2020. The research aims at assessing a Blended Learning design for mathematics that is based on the 4C/ID framework. In the study 2 cohorts of pupils, in the Belgian second grade (in international standards: grades 9 and 10, age 14 to 16 on average), from two types of secondary education are subjects in the experiment: 38 students from general secondary education and 28 students from technical secondary education. Each cohort was sub-divided into 2 groups. Within a cohort, one group received a first module in a Blended Learning (BL) approach (3 lessons), using Smartschool as a LMS, followed by a module consisting of 3 lessons of conventional instructional teaching. Both modules were concluded with a test. The other group of the cohort received the first module with instructional teaching and the consecutive module in a BL approach. Students could work at their own pace in the BL mode, they were allotted time to process the online material during class hours. They could proceed or repeat at home if necessary. Next to an experimental set-up in an ecological setting, which is rare in the extant literature, a novelty of the approach consisted of developing mathematical online material related to first degree equations, based on an established pedagogical theory: the 4C/ID model. Overall, it can be concluded that objective test results following the BL classes were not significantly different from those of the face-to-face classes. Students in both groups found BL to be a promising approach that requires further attention but also elaboration. Contrary to some findings in the literature, students from the general secondary education were pleased with the self-paced approach and did not really experience teacher pressure or self-regulation problems. In the technical education cohort, certain difficulties with self-regulation in self-paced learning content could be observed.

ISBN:978-84-09-27666-0

Publication year:2021