Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Seyed Reza Dashtestani ¹
• S. Yahya Hejazi ²
• Mohammed Abed Salih Albadri ³

¹ گروه زبان و ادبیات انگلیسی، دانشکده زبان ها و ادبیات خارجی، دانشگاه تهران

² English Department, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literature, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran

³ English Department, The University of Tehran

Abstract

The increasing advancement of technology in the field of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) has turned blended learning—a combination of online and in-person learning—into an innovative educational approach. Given the significance of investigating students' attitudes toward learning environments in different EFL contexts, this mixed-methods study was set to examine Iraqi university EFL students' attitudes toward blended EFL courses and investigate gender differences in this regard. Thus, 250 EFL students were selected from five public Iraqi universities via convenience sampling method and completed the questionnaire of the study. Of these participants, a random sample of 25 students was also selected for interview sessions. The questionnaire results suggested that due to serious technological and instructional drawbacks, such as lack of appropriate infrastructure and insufficient technology knowledge, Iraqi EFL students had generally negative attitudes toward EFL blended courses. Gender also played no significant role in students' attitudes. In interviews, they emphasized the importance of technology training programs to pave the way for effective blended EFL courses, mentioning some important benefits for this hybrid approach. The pedagogical implications of the findings are also discussed.

Keywords

• English as a foreign language
• blended learning
• attitudes
• university students

Main Subjects

• English language learning