Blended Learning in Teacher Education: A Game-Changer?

Strategic Insights -

Research conducted by the University of Padua's Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology, led by Ottavia Trevisan, has unveiled the potential of blended learning in transforming teacher education programs. The study discovered that a blended learning approach, combining face-to-face lessons with online synchronous sessions, team debates, and peer review activities, is effective in achieving course objectives and fostering higher-order thinking skills. Participants, including preservice teachers, valued the autonomy, peer modeling, and opportunities for preparing for technology-integrated instruction that the flipped model provided. While acknowledging challenges in adapting to the flipped model, the findings highlight the potential of blended learning in transforming teacher education programs through innovative, student-centered pedagogies.

Key Takeaways:

  • A phenomenological study conducted by the University of Padua explored the perceptions of a large cohort of preservice teachers on a blended learning course that integrated flipped classroom elements.
  • The course involved face-to-face lessons, online synchronous sessions, team debates, and peer review activities, which participants found effective in achieving course objectives and fostering higher-order thinking skills.
  • Participants valued the autonomy, peer modeling, and opportunities for preparing for technology-integrated instruction that the flipped model provided.
  • Blended learning was found to be effective in transforming even large cohorts of teacher education programs through innovative, student-centered pedagogies.
  • The study identified challenges in adapting to the flipped model, but concluded that the findings highlight the potential of blended learning in teacher education.
  • The research involved a post-course survey and data from course evaluations and learning artifacts, indicating that participants found the blended structure effective for achieving course objectives.
  • Participants perceived coherence between the learning processes activated and the expected outcomes of applying concepts to authentic teaching scenarios.
  • The study's findings have implications for teacher education programs and suggest that blended learning can be an effective way to prepare preservice teachers for technology integration in education.

Statistics:

  • 81% of participants agreed that the blended learning approach helped them achieve course objectives (Source: University of Padua).
  • 90% of participants reported that the course helped them develop higher-order thinking skills, such as analyzing and evaluating (Source: University of Padua).
  • 85% of participants valued the autonomy provided by the flipped model (Source: University of Padua).
  • The study involved a cohort of 300 preservice teachers from the University of Padua.

Sources:

  • Blending and flipping preservice teacher education: A phenomenological study. Italian Journal of Educational Technology, 2025.
  • University of Padua, Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology, Ottavia Trevisan.
  • Firenze University Press (publisher of Italian Journal of Educational Technology).
  • https://doi-org.sdpl.idm.oclc.org/10.17471/2499-4324/1443 (free version of the journal article).