Vietnamese EFL Lecturers’ Blended Learning Practices and Concerns: A Call for Institutional Support and Professional Development

Abstract

Blended learning has been widely embraced in higher education as a potential game-changer for classroom learning. Despite its growing popularity, there is a significant gap in the literature regarding the perspectives of lecturers on the adoption of blended learning, particularly in language teaching contexts. To address this gap, this study conducted an embedded case study involving seven English as a Foreign Language (EFL) lecturers from a Vietnamese university. The study utilized semi-structured interviews and questionnaires to gather insights into the lecturers' blended learning practices and concerns. The findings revealed that the lecturers were early adopters of blended learning with intense personal and informational concerns, possessed a limited understanding of the concept, and were not proactive in designing online instruction. Perceiving online teaching as an add-on to in-person teaching, lecturers played a minimal role in providing support and management for student online learning. To enhance the standardization of blended learning that EFL lecturers apply in their early adoption, the study offers several recommendations such as creating a supportive educational environment, offering appropriate professional development, and implementing transparent policies related to blended learning.