Face-to-face, Blended or Online: How do Students Prefer to Study?

Abstract

The article presents the findings of a study on the learning format preferences in students of the Moscow State University of Psychology & Education (N=761) in February-March 2022 . Face-to-face learning (FTF) was chosen by 10 .8% of students, blended learning (lectures in distance format, seminars and practical classes in-person) (BL) — 39 .7%, distance learning (DL) — 49 .5% . There were no differences between the 3 groups by gender and age . In the BL group, compared to the DL group, logical thinking (p=0 .001) and verbal intelligence (p=0 .003) are better developed, natural science literacy rates are higher (p=0 .018), there is a better understanding of the vaccination benefits against COVID-19 for the individual and society (p=0 .016) and less confidence in serious negative consequences of the coronavirus vaccine (p=0 .005) . In the FTF group, compared to the DL group, there is a lower fear of COVID-19 disease (p=0 .050) and a higher estimate of the vaccination benefits against COVID-19 for an individual and society (p=0 .050) . Cluster analysis using K-means method identified 2 clusters . Cluster 1 includes respondents with more developed logical thinking, verbal intelligence, better natural science literacy, better understanding of the vaccination benefits against COVID-19 for a person and society and less prone to various fears, doubts, underestimation of the danger of coronavirus and distrust of vaccination . In Cluster 1, as compared to Cluster 2, the share of respondents preferring BL prevails (44 .4% vs 37 .1%), and the share of those who prefer DF is lower (43 .8% vs 52 .6%); the differences are significant at the trend level . The shares of respondents preferring FTF are practically the same and make up only about 10% . Using the method of logistic regression analysis, 4 statistically significant predictors were identified and a model was built to predict the respondents’ choice of the BL vs DL . The older the respondent, the more pronounced his/her fear of COVID-19, the lower his/her logical thinking, and the less confident (s)he is in the vaccination benefits against coronavirus for the individual and society, the more likely (s)he is to prefer DL over BL . Conversely, BL is more likely to be preferred over DL by younger respondents with higher logical reasoning scores, less fear of COVID-19 disease, and greater confidence in the vaccination benefits against coronavirus for the individual and society . The overall prediction accuracy of the model is 60 .4% .