TY - JOUR
T1 - An Exploration of Teacher Roles in Blended EFL Contexts in Vietnam
AU - Nguyen, Giang
AU - Stracke, Elke
N1 - Funding Information:
The first author thanks Australia Awards (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia) for their support. Our special thanks go to the teachers who participated in this study, and the leaders of University A and B who gave their permission for the study being conducted at the two universities.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 AsiaTEFL All rights reserved.
PY - 2023/6/1
Y1 - 2023/6/1
N2 - This study investigates perceptions and practice of the roles of EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers at two Vietnamese universities in their blended English classes. Blended language learning (BLL) is often understood as a combination of face-to-face (F2F) learning and computer-assisted language learning (CALL). Teachers play an essential role in technology implementation in language education. Understanding their reality is vital for sustainable change. The study builds on theoretical models of teacher roles and blended learning. It draws on qualitative data. The six teachers in this study successfully combined traditional roles with innovative ones in the new learning environment. They became independent and creative designers, thus facilitating the blend of F2F and online learning. Nevertheless, they experienced challenges in designing activities for the successful complementarity of the blend. This study underlines the need for a high(er) level of teacher autonomy and professional learning opportunities for effective pedagogical practice in BLL in the Vietnamese context, other Confucian heritage culture countries such as China, Singapore, Korea, and Japan, and beyond. Such changes will pave the way for the success in improving English language capability and EFL teacher professional growth.
AB - This study investigates perceptions and practice of the roles of EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers at two Vietnamese universities in their blended English classes. Blended language learning (BLL) is often understood as a combination of face-to-face (F2F) learning and computer-assisted language learning (CALL). Teachers play an essential role in technology implementation in language education. Understanding their reality is vital for sustainable change. The study builds on theoretical models of teacher roles and blended learning. It draws on qualitative data. The six teachers in this study successfully combined traditional roles with innovative ones in the new learning environment. They became independent and creative designers, thus facilitating the blend of F2F and online learning. Nevertheless, they experienced challenges in designing activities for the successful complementarity of the blend. This study underlines the need for a high(er) level of teacher autonomy and professional learning opportunities for effective pedagogical practice in BLL in the Vietnamese context, other Confucian heritage culture countries such as China, Singapore, Korea, and Japan, and beyond. Such changes will pave the way for the success in improving English language capability and EFL teacher professional growth.
KW - blended language learning
KW - Confucian heritage culture
KW - teacher professional development
KW - teacher roles
KW - Vietnam
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85165957108&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.18823/asiatefl.2023.20.2.4.286
DO - 10.18823/asiatefl.2023.20.2.4.286
M3 - Article
SN - 1738-3102
VL - 20
SP - 286
EP - 299
JO - Journal of Asia TEFL
JF - Journal of Asia TEFL
IS - 2
ER -