Assessing Biology education students perceptions of hybrid learning: a comparative study

Muhamad Asri Mohamad Kaber

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Type :	final_year_project
Subject :	LB Theory and practice of education
Main Author :	Muhamad Asri Mohamad Kaber
Title :	Assessing Biology education students perceptions of hybrid learning: a comparative study

Place of Production :	Tanjong Malim
Publisher :	Fakulti Sains dan Matematik
Year of Publication :	2024
Corporate Name :	Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
PDF Guest :	Click to view PDF file

Abstract : Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

Hybrid learning, a combination of face-to-face instruction with online components, is gaining popularity in higher education due to its adaptability and accessibility. This study delves into biology education students’ perspectives regarding understanding and readiness and the demographic factor that impacts perceptions of hybrid learning. Existing research on hybrid learning often overlooks biology education students and rarely analyses the impact of location. To address this gap, student perceptions were examined at two different institutions, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Malaysia and Universidad Del Sagrado Corazón (UDSC), Puerto Rico. The goals are to determine the level of perceptions of biology education students for engaging in hybrid learning and to compare the level of perceptions for hybrid learning based on the demographic factor between the two different groups. A sample size of 204 students were selected for UPSI and 93 for UDSC. A survey with Likert scale (4 scale) questions was employed. The survey instrument was developed and validated through face and content validity by two experts, and pilot testing with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.966 was obtained. Descriptive analysis (mean and standard deviation) and inferential analysis (Independent sample t-test) have been used to analyse objectives, respectively. The findings revealed a positive understanding (M=3.63, SD=±0.31) for UPSI and (M=3.51, SD=±0.34) for UDSC. UPSI and UDSC also shows a positive readiness (M=3.33, SD=±0.42) and (M=3.41, SD=±0.37), respectively, for hybrid learning. However, a significant difference emerged in average understanding scores (t(295) = 3.290, p = 0.01), with UPSI students (M=3.63, SD=±0.31) exhibiting a slight advantage compared to UDSC (M=3.51, SD=±0.34). This suggests the influence of context-specific factors beyond mere demographics. Notably, no significant differences were found in readiness levels (t(295) = -1.632, p=0.10) between UPSI (M=3.33, SD=±0.42) and UDSC (M=3.41, SD=±0.37), indicating a shared eagerness and openness to embrace hybrid learning. To conclude, the discovery of student perceptions regarding hybrid learning can yield valuable insights to optimize hybrid learning implementation in biology education programs. The implications of this study are to connect the knowledge gap of understanding the perceptions of hybrid learning and how demographic factors may influence the perceptions, aiding in curriculum development and implementation of hybrid learning.

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