Focus on Students: A Blended Business English Writing Class in Sabah

Abstract

Blended learning (BL) has scored itself numerous zoom-in sessions in language teaching and learning discussions as it globally evolves rapidly as one of the leading 21st century learning approaches in Higher Education Institutes (HEIs). BL has just begun to be introduced in a private higher education institution in Sabah, despite its global acclaim. In this study, the effectiveness of a BL approach with first year Diploma in Commerce Students (N=30) in learning Business English writing skills was investigated. The BL approach involved a combination of traditional face-to-face classroom activities such as lectures, group discussions, individual consultations/ explanations with digital classroom activities such as discussion threads, online responses and links to relevant articles, videos and interactive website through Schoology©. Quantitative as well as qualitative methodologies were employed in this study for data elicitation, which includes pre and post achievement tests, questionnaires and interviews to explore the issues of learning, course management and challenges faced in operating the BL approach. A fundamental analytical lens- Engeström’s Activity Theory was employed in this study and was most useful in revealing overall positive views from students as well as certain limitations within the system. The findings showed that what was uncovered about the relevance of the BL approach might just be the tip of the iceberg.