A Comparison of the Learning Efficiency of Business English between the Blended Teaching and Conventional Teaching for College Students

Abstract

Over the last thirty to forty years, as technology and supplementary broadcast networks have advanced, an increasing number of teachers have entered the classroom with new perspectives, such as providing students with resources and an environment that adheres to the blended teaching style. Learning can take place whenever and wherever it is desired with a blended teaching approach. The primary goal of this study was to investigate whether the blended teaching strategies and materials or the traditional teaching method in the Business English class increase students' learning satisfaction and academic achievement. Participants in this study included 56 undergraduate students majoring in Applied Foreign Languages in central Taiwan. Business English ESP courses were offered during the 108 and 109 academic years. The four-point Likert scale questionnaire was distributed after students took the course. Moreover, in-person interviews and class observations were also focused to reveal overall students’ learning efficiency and perceptions on the preferences of teaching techniques in Business English and their learning satisfaction. As a result, students considered blended teaching an effective teaching strategy that increased their learning motivation with additional instructional activities. In addition, findings demonstrated that both handwritten exams (associated with traditional teaching methods) and interactive answering Apps (associated with blended teaching methods) work effectively based on different teaching methods. The outcomes of this study suggest that the majority of students have a positive attitude toward blended learning in the ESP program of business English and that their academic performance has obviously improved.