BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF BLENDED LEARNING: PERSPECTIVES OF PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS OF PRIMARY EDUCATION IN ILORIN, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study investigated the perceived benefits and challenges
of blended learning among pre-service teachers of primary
education in Ilorin, Nigeria. The study adopted descriptive
survey research design. The target population consists of all preservice
teachers of primary education in tertiary institutions in
Ilorin, Nigeria, while the study sample consist of 400 pre-service
teachers randomly selected across four tertiary institutions.
Researcher self-constructed questionnaire titled: “Benefits and
Challenges of Blended Learning Questionnaire” (BCBLQ) was
used for data collection. The instrument was validated by two
experts in Teacher Education and Educational Test and
Measurement, while Cronbach Alpha reliability method used
yielded an index of 0.83. Mean and standard deviation was used
to answer the research questions, while Multivariate Analysis of
Variance was used to test the hypothesis formulated. The findings
revealed that blended learning is beneficial to teaching and
learning as it promotes collaborative learning and improves
learners’ engagement. It was also revealed that lack of suitable
infrastructure and access to technology is among the constraints
for the successful implementation of blended learning. It was
recommended that school administrators should encourage the
integration of blended learning to foster effective teaching and
learning.