How lecturers of English perceive hybrid learning at the tertiary level

Abstract

Hybrid learning has gained prominence in higher education institutions in Vietnam, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, research on lecturers’ perspectives of this educational paradigm remains limited. This study aims at investigating English lecturers’ perceptions towards hybrid learning via self-assessment of their Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK). Employing a mixedmethods approach, combining Likert-scale surveys and in-depth interviews aligned with M.J. Koehler, et al. (2014) [1]'s framework. The research engaged 35 in-service English lecturers across four universities and a college in Ho Chi Minh city and Dong Thap province. The findings indicated that lecturers demonstrated high levels of content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge, while selfassessments on technological pedagogical knowledge were comparatively lower. Notably, qualitative data from in-depth interviews highlighted the pivotal role of collaborative support from colleagues in sharing teaching materials and addressing technological challenges, alongside the perceived benefits of time flexibility and the comfort of teaching at home, as crucial factors facilitating the effective implementation of hybrid learning. Nevertheless, lecturers identified obstacles to hybrid learning implementation, including limited technological literacy, deficiencies in suitable professional training programmes, learner hesitancy, and inadequacies in available textbooks. Some recommendations arising from these findings include a call for English lecturers to enhance their proficiency in technological pedagogical content knowledge and for educational institutions to furnish adequate resources to support teaching faculty.