Hybrid Learning Through the Eyes of Current Lower Secondary School Teachers: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Hybrid learning is a revolution in education that combines the best of face-to-face and online learning, offering students greater flexibility and personalisation. This dynamic approach not only enhances the quality of education but also reflects the changing needs of society. Therefore, the hybrid form of learning deserves intensive research to reveal its full potential and help to further improve it. The aim of this pilot research was to test the suitability of the main research methodology focusing on the views, attitudes and experiences of current lower secondary school teachers with hybrid learning. The pilot phase focused on testing a semi-structured interview with an emphasis on the clarity of the questions, the relevance of themes and the overall effectiveness of the data collection. Five teachers with varying levels of experience working with digital technologies, online teaching, and varying lengths of experience participated in the research. The purpose of this pilot research was also to obtain current lower secondary school teachers' perspectives on hybrid learning in the form of preliminary findings. A qualitative research design was chosen for this pilot research. A semi-structured interview was used as the research instrument. The research investigation was carried out in a face-to-face meeting with five teachers of a lower secondary school in the Czech Republic. The results of the pilot research helped to verify the functionality of the proposed research tool and to choose an appropriate direction for further research. The pilot research confirmed the suitability of the proposed questions for the semi-structured interview. The data obtained showed the lack of experience of the selected lower secondary school teachers with hybrid teaching, but at the same time these teachers had a lot of experience in using digital learning resources in face-to-face teaching. The results of the pilot research showed that the methodology was workable and no major modifications to the research design were necessary. These preliminary findings suggest key themes for the main research in which the sample will be expanded to include additional respondents. The data obtained outlined the views of lower secondary school teachers and how hybrid teaching could be organised.