Luận văn thạc sĩ VNU ULIS evaluating an ESP blended learning program for second year students majoring in chemistry in a university in hanoi

INTRODUCTION

Rationale for the study

It is undeniable that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) nowadays plays a crucial role in human being‟s life in general and education in particular The increased integration of ICTs in teaching and learning has become more familiar with higher education in Vietnam and led to a deeper interest in enhanced interactions between students and their teachers, peers and learning materials As a result, blended learning, defined as “the organic integration of thoughtfully selected and complementary face-to-face and online approaches and technologies.” (Garrison & Vaughan, 2008), has been becoming a popular method in higher education because it not only helps improve teaching methodologies but also changes students‟ ways of learning However, the main issues here are to what extent blended learning is effective

“Blended learning is typically more complicated and multifaceted than either fully online or face-to-face learning….” (Bonk, Kim, and Zheng, 2004) The application of the blended learning program enables students to learn a wide variety of knowledge and then apply them into inside English class activities In particular, the combination of online learning and face-to-face class environment gives chances for teachers to provide students with rich language input and opportunities for students to learn online and focus on facilitating students‟ interactive and collaborative learning in face-to-face classes For example, students learning online at home will have material for their face-to-face classes and then have more time to apply these materials into improving speaking Therefore, the combination of online and face- to-face learning creates opportunities for students to develop their English knowledge and skills as well

Blended learning program provides an ideal environment for language education, so it becomes more familiar with higher education in Vietnam The university where the study is conducted is one of the first universities applying blended learning in teaching English The implementation of blended learning is expected to enable teachers to improve their teaching methodology to facilitate students‟ development of English ability for social and professional communication, as well as their lifelong learning skills To achieve these purposes, teachers teaching in blended learning courses are required to understand blended learning, take part in designing curriculums and material processes Although the university has applied blended learning in teaching English there since 2015, there has not been any research into evaluate the effectiveness of this teaching program It is necessary to discover the answer to this matter Basing on the results, recommendations can be proposed to improve the quality of this program at the university A deep understanding of the effectiveness of blended learning environment will provide the opportunity to improve students‟ English as well as teachers‟ teaching methods in implementation of blended learning in English language teaching at the university.

Aims and objectives of the study

The study aims at evaluating the effectiveness of an ESP blended learning program for second-year students majoring in Chemistry in a University in Hanoi Its interrelated objectives are:

- To investigate the effectiveness of the ESP blended learning program for second year students majoring in Chemistry in a university in Hanoi from the students and teachers’ perspectives;

- To find out difficulties encountered by teachers and students during their teaching and learning time in this ESP blended learning program.

Research questions

The study was carried out to obtain information for answering the following research questions:

1 How effective is the ESP blended learning program for second-year students in Chemistry Department from the teachers and students’ perspectives?

2 What are difficulties encountered by teachers and students during their teaching and learning time in this ESP blended learning program?

Methods of the study

To serve its purpose, this study has been conducted as survey research using questionnaires and interviews to collect data Fifty-five second-year students, who are either taking or have just completed the ESP blended learning course have participated in filling the questionnaire Five teachers teaching the ESP blended learning program have been interviewed

The data obtained from the questionnaire was analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively to identify the common patterns of responses regarding the effectiveness of such program The answers from the interviews were analyzed to identify the teachers‟ evaluation of the program and their suggestions for improving this program.

Scope of the study

The study is conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of ESP blended learning for second-year students majoring in Chemistry in a university in Hanoi from the perspectives of teachers and students experiencing this program All other studies aim at evaluating other programs for other types of students are out of the scope of the study.

Significance of the study

In theory, this study will contribute to blended learning program to some extent

The evaluation of the program will show its effectiveness and propose some possible suggestions to improve such program Therefore, the result of the study is the material for teachers teaching ESP blended learning at this university in particular and for teachers and students attending ESP blended learning in general to implement a successful ESP blended learning program in the future.

Structure of the thesis

Chapter 2: Literature review has three main parts The first part provides some theoretical background about the definition of ESP, types and characteristics of ESP, the differences between EGP and ESP The second part is about the definition, characteristics of blended learning and requirements in implementing blended learning program The last part focuses on program evaluation including definition of program evaluation, the purposes of program evaluation, and program evaluators, the evaluation of blended learning, and the evaluation of an ESP course Last but not least, a brief summary of some existing relevant studies is also presented in this chapter

Chapter 3: Methodology works with the introduction of research methods including research questions, data collection instruments, data collection procedure

Chapter 4: Findings and discussion chapter shows the procedure of carrying out the research and presents the data analysis, which results from analyzing questionnaire and interview

Chapter 5: Conclusion followed by references is the last chapter which is the summary of the whole study The limitations of the study and suggestions for further study are also mentioned on the last pages of the paper.

LITERATURE REVIEW

English for Specific Purposes (ESP)

The term ESP has quite a lot of definitions from various authors

ESP focuses on the specific needs of the learners and includes the skills and competencies of language usage in different contexts

According to Hutchinson and Waters (1987), it is “not the existence of a need, but rather an awareness of the need” that sets ESP apart from General English

The other approach of ESP is to focus on restricted language repertoire, teaching terms, and specific discourse (Huckin, 2003; Hyland, 2003)

ESP is also defined as “the role of English in a language course or programme of instruction in which the content and aims of the course are fixed by the specific needs of a particular group of learners” (Richards and Schmidt, 2010, p 198)

According to Brown (2016, p.5), ESP is fundamentally linked to “the specific needs of a particular group of learners,” or “put another way, if there is no needs analysis, there is no ESP.”

Widdowson (1983, p.5) defined “ESP is essentially a training operation which seeks to provide learners with a restricted competence to enable them to cope with certain clearly defined tasks These tasks constitute the specific purposes which the ESP course is designed to meet.”

As definitions are mentioned above, ESP courses should have the distinctive features from General English course of skills, themes, situations, functions language and methodology

Carter (1983) identified that there are three features common to ESP courses: a) authentic material, b) purpose-related orientation, and c) self-direction

The use of authentic content materials, modified or unmodified in form, are indeed a feature of ESP, particularly in self-directed study and research tasks Purpose- related orientation refers to the simulation of communicative tasks required of the target setting Finally, self-direction is characteristic of ESP courses in that the " point of including self-direction is that ESP is concerned with turning learners into users" (Carter, 1983, p 134) In order for self-direction to occur, the learners must have a certain degree of freedom to decide when, what, and how they will study Carter (1983) also adds that there must be a systematic attempt by teachers to teach the learners how to learn by teaching them about learning strategies

Also, Dudley-Evans and St John (1998) listed out absolute and variable characteristics that reflect specific characteristics of ESP courses

Table 2.1: ESP characteristics (Dudley-Evans and St John 1998)

1 ESP is defined to meet specific needs of the learner;

2 ESP makes use of the underlying methodology and activities of the disciplines it serves;

3 ESP is centered on the language (grammar, lexis), skills, and discourse appropriate to these activities

1 ESP may be related to, or designed for specific disciplines;

2 ESP may use, in specific teaching situations, a different methodology from that of General English;

3 ESP is likely to be designed for adult learners, either at tertiary level institution or in a professional work situation;

4 ESP is generally designed for intermediate or advanced students;

5 ESP course assumes that learners have some basic knowledge of the language system, but it can be used for beginners

Additionally, Dudley-Evans' (1997) claimed that ESP should be offered at an intermediate or advanced level, use of authentic learning materials is entirely feasible

Based on specifying language input according to the learners‟ target language use, ESP is commonly divided into English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) While the former focuses on the use of the language in (future) work conditions, the latter deals with teaching and learning English for study purposes (Dudley-Evans & John, 1998, p.34)

Table 2.2: Types of ESP (Dudley-Evans, T & John, M.J 1998, p.34-73)

English for Academic Purposes English for Occupational Purposes

English for management , finance and economics

Browns, J.D (2016, p.7) divided ESP into 2 primary categories as following figure:

EAP means English for Academic Purposes EAP can also be divided into subcategories of English for science and technology, English for social science purposes and English for humanity purposes

EOP means English for Occupational Purposes EOP also includes some categories like English for medical purposes (these purposes may subdivide into smaller categories such as English for doctors, nurses, emergency medical technician…), hotel purposes (these purposes may subdivide into smaller categories such as receptionist, concierge, maids…), construction purposes and so forth

In conclusion, though the classifications of ESP are expressed differently and each researcher has their own points, the most common view is that ESP can be divided into EAP and EOP The English program for second-year students majoring in Chemistry at the University where the research was conducted can be considered as a branch of EOP

2.1.4 English for General Purposes (EGP) versus English for Specific Purposes (ESP)

The learners and their purposes for learning English constitute the major difference between ESP and EGP On the one hand, ESP learners are usually adults, who are familiar with the English language They are highly motivated because of their needs They are learning the language in order to communicate professional information and to perform some particular, job-related functions ESP courses are centered on the context The English language is taught as a subject related to the learners‟ real needs and wishes in a particular field of human activity and usable immediately in the employment context The learners are highly motivated when they are fully aware of their specific purposes for learning English

On the other hand, the ages of English for General Purposes (EGP) learners vary from children to adults and learning the English language is the subject of the courses EGP courses mostly focus on grammar, language structure and general vocabulary and are responsible to the general language acquisition For the vast majority of learners, they are extremely useful EGP helps students to cope with any subject-matter courses It gives them the ability to generate more language If EGP learners are taught well, they can use English to cope with the language in any undefined tasks EGP courses deal with many different topics and four skills are equally treated

Recently, the advantages of using Internet and information technologies have increased significantly and it is available for using in language teaching and learning Therefore, online learning activities are being expanded and becoming alternative choice for traditional face to face teaching and learning

Additionally, a large amount of online learning research has been devoted to producing content, constructing online learning systems, and integrating technology to improve the learning process The term blended learning is widely used in education settings in which refers to a teaching and learning program that combines online learning and offline lessons or it is called a mixture of online and face-to- face learning Graham (2006) defines “blended learning systems‟ as learning systems that “combine face-to-face instruction with computer mediated instruction.”

Poon (2013: p.1) adds that the aim of the two delivery methods is to complement each other Online learning integrates with traditional face-to-face instruction to create a more effective experience for both instructor and students The online element should not solely be an addition to classroom-based teaching; rather, blended learning requires the effective integration of both virtual and face-to-face methods (Garrison and Kanuka, 2004)

So and Brush (2008) claimed that blended learning is effective in facilitating online collaborative learning

In addition, cooperative learning involves carefully structured activities for group members that allow students to reflect on and evaluate their work in the group, while providing suggestions for improvement (Liao, 2006) For example, if a teacher placing some selected course materials, such as a course handbook, on a virtual learning environment would not constitute a sufficient „blend‟

Singh (2003) describes blended learning as a combination of delivery methods, which complement each other and work to support student learning, while Driscoll

(2002) states four different ways in which blended learning can be defined She describes blended learning as:

● a mixing of various web-based technologies;

● a mixing of pedagogical approaches (e.g constructivism, behaviorism);

● a combining of instructional technology with face-to-face teaching; and

● a combining of instructional technology with on-the-job tasks

Sloman (2007) also argues that blended learning should not simply be considered in terms of delivery and technology He comments that:

“If the term blended learning is to have longevity in our trainer vocabulary we must extend its use beyond technology It must be as much about varying learning methodology as it is about training delivery We must understand more about what motivates learners, what support they need and how these supportive interventions can take place in practice Only with this understanding can we get the “blend” right” (Sloman, 2007, p 315)

There are several advantages of using blended learning Some evidence improves blended learning can lead to improved course outcomes Stockwell, Cennamo, and Jiang (2015) found that blended learning courses improved attendance at face-to- face classes, in self-report measures of student satisfaction, and in examination performance The improvement in course outcomes due to blended learning has been partially attributed to a more strategic use of classroom time Garrison and Kanuka (2004) argue that blended learning is effective because it questions the traditional lecture-based teaching model, allowing classroom time to focus on more active and meaningful activities Online activities can be used to either reinforce learning undertaken in the classroom or they can serve as a basic introduction to topics before they are covered in more depth in class Another advantage of blended learning is the increased flexibility of access to learning, which can be attributed to the inclusion of online components Aspden and Helm (2004) found that blended learning especially helped students who lived far away from campus use their time at university more effectively as they were able to engage with materials at home prior to attending class Additionally, they found that students who were struggling with particular topics in class were able to participate and engage with online materials and thus grow in confidence In Wivell and Day‟s (2015) study, students reported that self-motivation, self-reliance and the ability to work independently were essential to their success on the blended learning course However, students who already struggled in the face-to-face delivery struggled to adapt to the demands of the blended program A further potential benefit of blended learning is the additional opportunity for peer and tutor interaction through online discussion

2.2.3 Requirements of implementing blended learning

Program evaluation

Program evaluation is crucial in English learning and teaching because it measures whether the goals of a teaching program have been met and ensures the program‟s continuous improvement Traditionally, evaluation within the education system is hierarchical- the “expert” superior evaluates his/her subordinate Evaluation will not only provide feedback on the effectiveness of a program but will also help to determine whether the program is appropriate for the target population, whether there are any problems with its implementation and support, and whether there are any ongoing concerns that need to be resolved as the program is implemented A number of writers have attempted a definition of program evaluation

Depending on the scope of their coverage, definitions vary from very broad perspectives Richards et al (1985) views it is as the systematic which gathers of information to make decisions

"Systematic educational evaluation consists of a formal assessment of the worth of educational phenomena" (Popham, 1975, p.8)

Worthen and Sanders (1987, p.19) define that “Evaluation is the determination of the worth of a thing It includes obtaining information for use in judging the worth of a program, product, procedure, or object, or the potential utility of alternative approaches designed to attain specified objectives.”

Stake and Sullivan (as cited in Shawer and Alkahtani, 2012) assert program evaluation is undertaken to find out the benefits and drawbacks of the program so that they can improve performance, reveal they deliver what they promise and defend why they should keep going this program (p 1336)

The issue of quality in teaching and learning environments is a subjective and multifarious concept, dependent on a range of factors relating to students, the curriculum, faculty, technology and learning design (Meyer, 2002)

Pombo and Moreira (2011) indicate four elements that need to be taken into consideration when evaluating blended learning programs:

Figure 2.1: Four puzzle pieces of evaluation (Pombo and Moreira, 2011)

1 What is the purpose of evaluation? To improve student engagement, resources, or overall course quality?

2 Who should be involved? Lecturers, students, course leaders?

3 How and when should evaluation take place? Methods of data collection; during the course or at the end?

4 What should be evaluated? Teaching, learning, course outcomes, resources, quality of assessment?

Each puzzle piece includes numerous factors that are fully explained in this model proposed by Pombo and Moreira (2011a)

This study focuses especially on the piece “What should be evaluated?” in order to assure and enhance the quality of teaching and learning in the ESP blended learning program In this piece, the model includes three main categories:

(i) Teaching (which includes teaching but also the lecturers), (ii) Learning, and

These categories are assessed with the following criteria:

„Teaching‟: (i) the relevance of the proposed activities/tasks; ii) the quality of the teaching materials provided; (iii) the communication tools used; (iv) the organization of the curricular units (e.g if the activities meet the objectives, etc.)

„Lecturers‟: (i) scientific or pedagogical competence; (ii) dynamism and monitoring in conducting face-to-face and online activities; (iii) skills at motivating students;

(iv) quality of feedback given to students, etc

„Learning‟: (i) the interactions (communication between students) within groups; (ii) the interactions (communication between students) among groups; (iii) the assessment strategies adopted; (iv) the development of specific competences defined for the curricular unit; (v) the development of transversal competences defined for the curricular unit (e.g development of values and attitudes, autonomy, capacity for research and group work, etc.); (vi) type and adequacy of assessment tools/tasks/products (if the literature tools are appropriate to the proposed tasks), etc

„Resources‟: (i) support provided by nonteaching staff; (ii) the support structure (LMS, network, bandwidth, help desk); (iii) logistics (availability of computers, wireless access, adequate rooms ), etc

These four categories should be connected together, if one category is not working well, it will affect the functioning of the whole process In the present study, the researcher adapted this piece into four major domains of the evaluation: online learning parts, face-to-face lessons, the integration between online and face-to-face, and the learners‟ outcomes

There is a range of motivation or purposes for evaluating a program, especially educational program Course evaluation aims at providing a general picture of the course, reveals the course strengths to prove its success in meeting its goals and weaknesses for improving in the future The evaluation would be valuable to suggest further recommendations to expand the goals and content of the course, and to provide feedback to instructors for improving teaching methodology

Scriven (1967) distinguishes two main types of evaluating: formative and summative evaluation (as cited in Lynch, 2003) The former occurs while the program is being implemented and developed The goal of formative evaluation is to recommend changes for improving it, and towards this end, it focuses on program processes Typically, the outcome of this type is numerous small-scale recommendations for change The later takes place at the end of a program‟s natural term or cycle with a view to make a judgment about the program worth, whether it has succeeded in reaching its aims or not Accordingly, the outcome of the summative evaluation is a formal report to be used in large-scale decisions such as whether to continue funding the program or not

In fact, most evaluations represent a combination of formative and summative If evaluators are fascinated in judging the ultimate worth of a program, they must explain why it is or is not working and then recommend for improvement

Discussing the dissimilarity between formative and summative evaluation, Rea-Dickins and Germain (1992) illustrate this distinction as confirming versus innovating That is sometimes motivation for evaluation is to decide whether the current practice (program) is doing what it should; at other times, motivation is to bring about innovation or change in those practices

Program evaluators who evaluate the program is also an important point need considering in any studies

As Brown (2007) points out, the teacher, the students, and the program are the major factors affecting course evaluation (p 159) During the learning process, all participants can learn from each other and contribute to the others‟ improvement

Teachers are insiders who undertake the program and want to improve the quality of teaching and learning in their own classrooms Students are the recipients of the teaching process, hence students‟ perception and observation can work in practice and become part of exploratory studies (Eken, 1999; Sidhu, 2003 as cited by Ahmad, F & Aziz, J, 2009)

One of the most popular methods to investigate what is going on during teaching is the use of teachers‟ and students‟ perception

According to Fraiser (1994) students have a good vantage to make judgments about their classrooms because they have encountered many different learning environments and have spent time in classroom to form accurate impressions

Therefore, students should at least be able to say what they like and do not like (Fraiser, 1994 as cited in Alausa, Y.A, 2000)

Previous studies related to the thesis

There have been several studies concerning the ESP blended learning program for higher education Firstly, the definition of blended learning and ESP should be clear for the deep comprehension about the research topic In this study, the researcher supports the definition of Graham (2006) that “blended learning systems‟ is learning systems that “combine face-to-face instruction with computer mediated instruction”

Hutchison and Waters (1988, p.19) defines ESP is an approach to language teaching in which all decisions as to content and methods are based on the learners‟ reasons for learning

After understanding the key terms of blended learning and ESP as mentioned above, the researcher would write a brief summary of relevant studies

Kintu, Zhu and Kagambe (2017) investigated the effectiveness of a blended learning environment through analyzing the relationship between student characteristics/background, design features, and learning outcomes in the Ugandan university context The authors administered to 238 respondents to gather data on student characteristics/background, design features, and learning outcomes The analysis results showed that the learner characteristics, design features investigated are potentially important for an effective blended learning environment The results also indicate that some of the student characteristics/backgrounds and design features are significant predictors for student learning outcomes in blended learning

Huang, Q (2016) conducted a research about learner‟s perceptions of blended learning in relation to the respective roles of face-to-face learning and online learning as well as their interaction in the blended EFL contexts The study used questionnaires to examine the attitudes of 296 university students towards a blended English course learned at the university The results showed that students were generally positive about blended learning and they also acknowledged the interdependencies between face-to-face learning and online learning in the blended English course The findings of the research shed light on how face-to-face and online learning interplay with each other in the blended learning context so that the learning environment can be better integrated for English learning

Liu, M (2013) describes and evaluates blended learning in an Academic English Writing course in terms of course design, material development and presentation, assignment submission and grading, student involvement, teacher reflection, and student evaluation The research showed that the students highly appreciated and benefited from the blended learning employed in the course in varying ways: it helped increase student-student and student-teacher interactions, reduce or even eliminate communication anxiety, motivate them to become (more) independent and autonomous learners, and enhance their academic English writing ability, and so on

Al-Zumor, Al-Refaai, Bader Eddin & Al-Rahman (2013) investigated King Khalid University English (EFL) students‟ views regarding the advantages and limitations of the blended learning The study also examined students‟ suggestions for improving the quality of blended learning courses The findings reveal that students appreciated learning management system in enhancing their confidence, providing opportunities for useful feedback from both their instructors and their peers and improving communication among students and their instructors Additionally, students found that blended learning was more effective than the traditional face-to- face mode of instruction Students suggested solving technical problems, providing proper training and increasing the number of e-learning labs

Tue N (2015) conducted a study to investigate English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers‟ perceptions and practices of blended learning in a Vietnamese university and influencing factors The study collected data from interviews with 15 teachers, three institutional executives, and one executive of online service provider, observations of the teachers‟ practice in face-to-face classes The findings revealed that teachers have limited understandings and use of blended learning due to three primary influential factors: (i) the traditional teacher-centered pedagogy, (ii) institutional management and leadership styles, and (iii) fragmented knowledge of technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge for blended learning The researcher also proposed a systematic understanding of blended learning concepts, a localized TPACK framework, and a model of teacher professional development program

The previous studies differ in some ways concerning methodology and tools, but they generally investigated students‟ evaluation and teachers‟ evaluations of the blended learning This indicates the significance of implementing the blended learning approach in instructing English The researcher benefited a lot from the above-mentioned studies in developing the research instruments and enriching the theoretical knowledge However, the present research goes in line with the above mentioned studies in some aspects like the design and the used tools, but it deals with a different sample and uses different materials and strategy

This study is related to previous ones that examined the practices of teaching and learning in blended learning program, concerning the perceptions of Pombo &

Moreira (2010) To extend prior research and test the application of the blended learning strategy, this research attempts to assess the effectiveness of ESP blended learning for the second-year students in the Chemistry Department at a university in Hanoi.

Chapter summary

This chapter has provided a brief critical review of the literature on program evaluation and ESP blended learning program The first section indicated major issues of ESP, including the definition and its characteristics, types of ESP, EGP and ESP comparison The second section addressed blended learning: its definitions, requirements, and benefits The third part focused on program evaluation, its definitions, purposes and program evaluators; and then presented about ESP program evaluation and blended learning evaluation theory The last part of this chapter presented some previous studies related to the topic of the present research Therefore, this chapter can be seen as the theoretical foundation for the applications for the study in chapter three.

METHODOLOGY

The participants

This study was carried out with the participation of 55 students come from Chemistry Department The participants were selected purposively They are almost

20 years old and come from the same class at university All the students were in Chemistry Department who has been learning English for about eight years but their language competence ranged differently in class Almost all of them learnt about English vocabulary and grammar, and they are not good at speaking and listening skills The ESP blended learning implemented here to enhance students‟ speaking skills so the study was conducted after the program has been taken for three semesters with the hope that students can have enough time and experience to provide reliable answers as well as to elicit as much information of the program as possible

The study was conducted with the participation of five English teachers who taught English for these students All of them have obtained BA or MA degrees in English teaching methodology They have at least one year of experience in teaching English for ESP blended learning program All of them are enthusiastic and willing to help students Therefore, they can provide their own view of the program.

Research setting

The researcher has worked as an English lecturer for four years at the university where this study is conducted This university has many departments and all the students have to learn English for six semesters Since it was set up, there have been several English programs, and recently the school has implemented blended learning program for the students of all departments including students in Chemistry Department

The blended learning program applied here is the mix of online course and face-to- face lessons Students are given an account to access the online website (eop.edu.vn) and these accounts are activated on the first day of the semester to study online and closed when the term finishes For the first year (two terms), the students learn English for General Purposes (EGP) and for the second and the third year, they learn English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) – a part of ESP

The participants of this study are fifty-five students of Chemistry Department, who are all in the class Chemistry 1 All of them are learning English in the ESP blended learning program for three semesters They learn online at home on the online platform created by IT staff, and then learn two face-to-face lessons a week in class

Each semester lasts for ten weeks, which includes four online tests, two progress tests and a midterm test in class The results of these tests allow them to take the final test if their average score is equal or more than mark 5 If not, they take the course again without joining the final exam The final exam takes place in the 11th week and students must get at least 5 points to pass the exam

There are two books used to teach in the programs The textbook “English for Chemical and Environmental Engineering” is used in class The book contains eight units and each unit covers one theme The books aimed to develop students‟ speaking skills The textbook “Teacher‟s and Tutor‟s handouts” covers all the exercises related to the topics There are six kinds of exercises: vocabulary, grammar, reading, listening, writing and speaking for students to review the knowledge in online lessons and face-to-face lessons This ESP blended learning requires students to study online before every single face-to-face lesson After each lesson, teachers set a deadline for online work and at that time, the teacher will export a report for the students‟ online result If the students do not finish the online exercises before the deadline, they will be charged two absent lessons After learning in class, students also required to review the topic at home, do a small online test and create a short paragraph about the topic of the unit The average score of these online tests are more than or equal to 5 is a condition for students to take part in the final exam The proportion of online learning and face-to-face lessons are equal in this course.

Research questions

In tailoring the methodology for the research, it is beneficial to refer back to the research questions posed in the first chapter, which are:

1 How effective is the ESP blended learning program for second-year students in Chemistry Department from the teachers and students’ perspectives?

2 What are difficulties encountered by teachers and students during their teaching and learning time in this ESP blended learning program?

Research methods

Survey research is employed in this study Survey research is defined as "the collection of information from a sample of individuals through their responses to questions" (Check and Schutt, 2012, p 160) This type of research allows for a variety of methods to recruit participants, collect data, and utilize various methods of instrumentation Mackey and Gass (2005) suggest that a survey, as a form of quantitative research method, mostly in the form of questionnaires, is one of the most common methods when focusing on investigating the opinions or attitudes of large groups of participants Similarly, Dửrnyei (2007) argues that using quantitative methods removes the stress of unique human variability and personal bias and then brings objectivity to the study Consequently, a questionnaire was developed and used to gather information about participants‟ evaluation However, quantitative instruments are not always enough because they are limited in terms of judging the subjective variety of individual life Therefore, Dửrnyei (2007) suggests the combination of quantitative and qualitative methods for survey research

The aim of this study is to measure the effectiveness of ESP blended learning applying for second-year students majoring in Chemistry at a university in Hanoi, in order to find out the merits and demerits for the purpose of improvement There are two main reasons for choosing survey research for this study First, the goal of survey research, which is to obtain information by gathering data from a particular sample of a given population to study its characteristics, fits well with the objectives of this study: to evaluate the effectiveness of ESP blended learning program for second-year students majoring Chemistry at a university in Hanoi Second, survey research allows researchers to collect rich data quickly and effectively, which is suitable when conducting a questionnaire with different aspects of an evaluation according to Pombo and Moreira‟s evaluation model (2011)

Based on the criteria in the evaluation framework, the researcher arranged these categories in four major domains of the evaluation:

(i) online learning parts, (ii) face-to-face lessons, (iii) the integration between online and face-to-face, and (iv) the learners‟ outcomes

The researcher chiefly uses quantitative and qualitative methods to collect data

The use of quantitative data (questionnaires for students) and qualitative data (teachers‟ interviews) helped to make the findings credible The surveys are used for gathering students‟ evaluation on the ESP blended learning that they experienced in three semesters In-depth interviews of teachers' evaluation towards ESP blended learning were obtained after the survey questionnaire to have a deeper analysis and interpretation of the results

The steps of constructing the questionnaires were performed as follows:

(1) Constructing and piloting the questionnaires;

(5) Making an analysis from questionnaires;

Data collection instruments

In research, there are various ways to collect data such as interviews, questionnaires, observations, document analysis, etc In this study, the researcher used questionnaires and in-depth interviews as the main instruments of collecting data Questionnaires and interviews are two types of instrument used in survey- based research or research that aims at studying “the characteristics of a population by examining a sample of that group” (Dửrnyei, 2007, p 101); they are also some of the most efficient methods of understanding and improving foreign language programs (Davis, 2011)

It is obvious that questionnaires can be the most common tool to collect data because of certain advantages As Seilinger and Shohany (1989) pointed out, questionnaires do not take much time to administer as other procedures Also, since the same questionnaire is given to all the subjects at the same time, the data are more uniform, standard and accurate Hence, survey questionnaire is very useful when the researcher need to quickly and easily get a lot of information from people or phenomena that cannot be observed and the researcher can get a large amount of data in a short time The participants can complete anonymously which make them more comfortable to do the survey and make the result more reliable Lastly, questionnaires can be easily quantified because multiple-choice questions or items form of Likert- scale are used Moreover, the population of the study is 55 students, which are quite big in quantity to apply interview The students also have their learning schedule which are different from each other because they have right to choose their timetable from the beginning of each semester, therefore, it is impossible for the researcher to observe their English classes Due to these advantages and analysis mentioned above, survey is used as a main data collection instrument in this study

In this study, questionnaire items were used to get information about the students‟ opinion about the ESP blended learning program that they learned in the third semester at the university There were 2 types „close-ended‟ and „open-ended‟ items in the survey questionnaires

The first part of the questionnaire is „close-ended‟ question which the author attached in appendix A This is a set of questions mainly about the students‟ evaluation on the online learning parts, face-to-face lessons, the integration between online and face to face and the learners‟ outcome The evaluator offered and asked respondents to number their level of agree according to five- point Likert-Scale from 1 to 5 (Strongly agree (1)- agree (2)- neutral (3)- disagree(4)- Strongly disagree(5)) These questionnaires, adapted from Akkoyunlu & Soylu (2008), were originally designed to understand the perceptions of students and instructors regarding blended learning The questionnaires developed for the present study were modified to fit the blended learning format of the institution and for the purpose of the study The questionnaire was developed to identify students‟ evaluation of the ESP blended learning program Statements in the questionnaire were categorized into four main following domains:

- Items (1-8) identify the students’ evaluations on online learning parts;

- Items (9-19) address the ideas about face-to-face lessons from the students’ perception;

- Items (20-26) are related to the integration between online and face-to-face lessons;

- Items (27-32) are students’ self-evaluation of their learning outcome

The data collected from the survey is used to measure the students‟ opinion about the ESP blended learning program after learning three ESP blended learning semesters

The second part of the questionnaire is „semi-open‟ questions which asked the students to choose some of their difficulties and also give their own answers about the difficulties having in learning process

- Item 34 asks for their difficulties during learning

The third part of questionnaire is „open-ended‟ which required students to write their own suggestions for the program From this result, the author can partly answer the second research question

- Item 33 asks for students’ expectation

- Item 35 focuses on students’ suggestions for improving the course based on their experience

The second way of gathering data in this study is by conducting in-depth interviews

Janesick (2000) defines interviews as a „meeting of two persons to exchange information and ideas through questions and responses, resulting in communication and joint construction of meaning about a particular topic‟ (p 30) Compared to questionnaires, interviews provide evaluators with in-depth information that can be later interpreted in a context that explains the inquiry about phenomena When using questions that encourage reflection, interviews may create ideas and elicit insights not readily captured through questionnaires

Five teachers teaching English for Chemistry Department students in ESP blended learning course in the third semester were interviewed to get more detailed information and understand the issues explicitly The interviews produce the responses that were unpredictable, hence the data is more reliable and validity

In this study, the author uses the same questions for both students‟ survey and teachers‟ interviews to gather data.

Data collection procedure

The procedure of collecting data is described as follow:

The questionnaire is designed for students based on the content outlined and then the participants are selected randomly The author visited the class to meet the students, explained the purposes of the survey and asked for their agreement to cooperate

The researcher used the same questions of the survey for interviews; and then the researcher got in contact with the teachers in person to ask for their consent in helping with the interview The recording device was set up to ensure that nothing said by the respondents would be missed

Step 2: Administering the questionnaire and conducting the interview

First, 55 students were chosen randomly to do a survey to find out their evaluation of learning English in ESP blended learning program The students‟ opinions about the online learning resources, face - to-face lessons, the integration between online learning and face-to-face and learning outcomes were revealed through the questionnaires Moreover, the questions are in English so the researcher translated it into Vietnamese for easier understanding Afterward, the English- Vietnamese questionnaires were delivered to the 55 students

The researcher visited the participants and administered the questionnaire directly

To begin with, the researcher explained that the questionnaire is not a test so the students answered more freely and comfortably The researcher gave students three days to complete the questionnaires because these questionnaires need reading and answered carefully for reliable results It would not have a reliable data if the participants complete 35 questions in five or ten minutes in class After collecting

55 questionnaires back, the writer sorted it and analyzed the data

Second, in-depth interview was carried out with five teachers teaching in this ESP blended learning program for those students All the interviews were conducted through face-to-face discussion in English with teachers The purpose is to investigate the teacher‟s assessment about the effectiveness of applying blended learning for second-year students as well as to find out their difficulties and suggestions to improve this program The researcher and the interviewees had a good rapport for a long time as the researcher had been working as a teacher since the program started for Chemistry students Therefore, the researcher and the interviewees were now fairly acquainted The researcher began each interview by ensuring the respondents of their anonymous in the current study The questions were asked and answered in the order that specified in the interview schedule The researcher tried to take note all details during each interview and the whole conversations were recorded by a device placed close to the respondents After that, the data was sorted, and analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively to obtain realistic results.

Data analysis procedure

Data analysis comprises of two main parts:

3.7.1 Analysis of the survey questionnaire

In order to analyze the results from the survey of 55 students, the data collected from questionnaire was entered into the excel platform, and then calculated the frequency for items addressing the same target

The analysis of the interviews was broken into smaller steps:

All the interviews were transcribed to enable closer, full investigation of the information provided by the respondents With the transcription, the examination of the data is more convenient and makes it easier for the researcher to find out the theory generated from the data

The data were classified according to research questions that the study seeks to answer There are two major groups of answers corresponding to the research questions including the evaluation of teachers of the course and their difficulties during teaching time

In this step, within each group of the answers, comparison and contrast are made for greater understanding to find the answer for the research questions

The data gathered from questionnaire and interview are merged and analyzed together according to four small aspects divided as mentioned at the beginning of the research method part.

Chapter summary

In this chapter, a description has been made about research methods, which explains why the researcher decided to choose a survey research and used questionnaires and in-depth interviews as the main tools to collect data The author identified questionnaires and interviews as some of the most practical methods of data collection for evaluating a blended learning course The researcher then presented a description of participants, data collection procedure, and data analysis procedure

In conclusion, being an evaluator, the researcher wished to bring positive changes in the future.

DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS

The effectiveness of the ESP blended learning program

4.1.1 Online learning parts 4.1.1.1 Students’ evaluation on online learning parts

Figure 4.1: Students’ evaluation of online learning parts

As mentioned above, in every single unit of this ESP blended learning program, students have to self-study online joining face-to-face lessons

For evaluating the information of deadline for online tasks, 49.1% of the students strongly agreed and 38.2% students agreed that they can see the due date/ time

1 Due dates/times for online activities was shown clearly on the website

2 Contact information of teachers and technical staffs was provided on the learning website

3 The supports from non-teaching staff were quick and helpful for the online system …

4 There were various types of online tasks for learners to practice many times

5.The materials are suitable with students‟ level

6 The materials were useful for learners‟ future career

7 Online sources encouraged learners to self- study

8 Online content was an excellent material for using in social interaction

Students’ evaluation of online learning parts

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree clearly on the online platform Therefore, learners can arrange their time finishing these tasks to avoid missing the deadline and lacking knowledge for face-to-face lessons

Also, most of the questioned students agreed that contact information of teachers and technical staff is shown obviously on the website Learners can easily get teachers and IT helpers‟ names, phone numbers and emails on the website As a result, they are supported when studying in class and at home as well

In terms of support for students, 27.3 % of surveyed students strongly agreed and 47.3% of them agreed that the support from the IT staff and non-teaching staff about the online learning is quick and helpful If students have any troubles in learning online, they can call the IT helpers immediately to deal with these difficulties

Regarding online learning content, more than 23% strongly agreed and 52% of students agreed that the materials provided on the website appears to have various and suitable content Students also agreed that these materials are useful for them in future career In addition, more than 70% of students agreed that online materials are motivated them to learn English because they are resourceful knowledge to use in daily life

The figures above initially show the positive attitude of students towards online learning parts, including the online learning platform, the support for students and online materials

4.1.1.3 Teachers’ evaluation on online learning parts

As far as the efficacy of online learning was concerned, five teachers asserted that deadlines for online activities were shown on the online learning website so that students can see easily Besides, teacher provides this information in class after each lesson This idea is similar to the result from students‟ questionnaires that the deadline was already on the website However, there were still some students could not find this information because of their inattentions Both students and teachers use the same interface which can help to avoid causing lack of information in students In addition, five teachers also shared the same opinion with students that the contact information was provided on the website and students can contact to the

IT staff and teachers easily

With regard to the support for students, three teachers showed their neutral attitude and two of them disagreed that students are supported quickly from IT helpers because sometimes the help was delayed or even they could not contact to IT staff

The large number of students and teachers call the IT helpers every day and the staff must deal with so many problems; hence, sometimes they may miss a request from teachers or students Instead of depending on IT helpers, students can ask their teachers for help with some simple online struggles For example, teachers can help students if they forget the password or they cannot finish the task because of an incorrect answer In fact, students often get in touch with their teachers in case they cannot call the IT helpers

In terms of the online learning content, it is remarkable that 100% of teachers agreed that there was a great number type of online tasks in a unit for students to practice They also consented that online learning materials are directly and widely applicable to students‟ lives and work Teachers asserted that the content of these exercises is taken from real-life situation which help students with using natural English in both daily conversation and future job circumstances

However, teachers supposed that students are quite lazy to finish all online tasks while 23.6% of students strongly agreed and 47.3% of students agreed that online sources encouraged them to self-study Interviewed teachers revealed that good students found the motivation to learn online because they know how to study by themselves Whereas, weaker ones are tired of self-studying due to the fact that they often misunderstand grammar structures shown on online website “Because of having difficulties in learning at home, not all of the students are keen on online exercises”, Teacher 5 claimed

In general, the interviewed teachers evaluated that online materials are valuable and helpful for students

9 Each unit in the course book had clear objectives

10 Each lesson had clear objectives

11 Checklist and procedure for each unit activities was included

12 In-class activities were well-designed with various types of activities and interactive media

13 The instructions in the textbook were clear and helpful

14 Detailed requirements for student performance on each activity were provided

15 In-class activities promoted positive classroom atmosphere

16 The teachers provided learners clear instructions in activities

17 The teachers motivated learners in productive discussion

18 Teachers used relevant teaching resources to create a positive learning atmosphere

19 Teachers provided useful feedbacks to reinforce learning requirements and expectations

Students' evaluation on face-to-face lessons

Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree

4.1.2 Face-to-face lessons 4.1.2.1 Students’ evaluation on face-to-face lessons

Figure 4.2: Students’ evaluation on face-to-face lessons

The chart shows the data of students‟ evaluation on face-to-face lessons

On evaluating the textbook, more than 40% strongly agreed and more than 43% agreed that the objectives of each unit and each lesson are clear In class, teachers also provided the objectives at the beginning of each lesson to guarantee students know their final goals for the lesson

81% of surveyed students agreed that there was a checklist and procedure of each unit activities which showed them the content of the lesson that they must follow to reach the final objectives

Regarding the textbook and instructions, most of them agreed that in-class activities were well-designed with clear instructions and detailed requirements for each task

It was incredible with 43.6% of students strongly agreed and 50.9% of students agreed that they learned with a well-designed textbook, 20% of students strongly agreed and 61.8% of students asserted that the instructions in each activity are clear and helpful The instructions are short, clear and understandable to avoid the confusion in students Moreover, the teacher also explained the instructions carefully during the task and sometimes they translated them into Vietnamese to make sure students understand them thoroughly

Concerning teacher‟s performances in face-to-face lessons, nearly 90% of students agreed and strongly agreed that their teachers motivated them to participate in class activities by providing students clear instructions and useful feedback and corrections for their performances At the end of activities, teacher gave comments for students‟ performances and suggested some recommendations for them to improve in the next task Teacher‟s feedback helps to reinforce learning requirements and expectations for the topics

In addition, about 90% of students agreed that teachers frequently used relevant teaching resources besides the course book to create a positive learning atmosphere

Consequently, students are encouraged to study in the online following sessions because they are exposed to new knowledge and activities, which enrich their knowledge and enhance their study skills

In conclusion, students revealed that face-to-face lessons are excellent for them to improve their English and motivated them in learning English

4.1.2.2 Teachers’ evaluation on face-to-face lessons

Regarding to evaluate face-to-face lessons, teachers supposed that the textbook has clear objectives in every single lesson and unit They also added that textbook provides checklist and procedure for each activity for teachers and students to follow and gain the correct goals at the end of each lesson

Five teachers strongly agreed that the instructions and requirements for students‟ performance in the textbook were clear and helpful with understandable and supportive language, but there were still 7.3 % of students disagreed with this idea

This disagreement is mainly due to the students‟ laziness in learning online and preparing for face-to-face lesson

Students and teachers’ difficulties encountered during the programs

Besides giving opinions about the ESP blended learning course, students were asked to write down their difficulties while learning this ESP blended learning course

Firstly, most of them revealed that they meet difficulties in doing online tasks because of the online system The website did not run smoothly with some mistakes such as disconnection, auto-resetting, incorrect answers, etc These errors prevent students from finishing their tasks on time In addition, most of the students expressed that they felt tired of doing a lot of online tasks for one unit “There were so many tasks which took a lot of time to finish but I could not remember the knowledge after that.'' (Teacher 1)

Moreover, students were demotivated when studying some difficult units, which were above their level In the third semester at university, Chemistry students study background knowledge subject related to their major but some topics in English subject required major understanding, which seems to be challenging

Some of students mentioned that during the term, they do not have time to prepare for the test because of the test frequency There are two written tests and an oral test during ten weeks that take place right after the new topics without revision sessions

Last but not least, students claimed that they face struggles with the requirement of getting at least mark 5 to pass the final exam The final test is divided into two parts: written part includes listening, vocabulary, grammar, reading and writing which take place in forty-five minutes and accounts for 60% of the final score; spoken part includes three sub-parts, personal information, pair conversation, and a mono talk Because of covering a lot of knowledge and demanding all four English skills and other test-taking skills, this test seems very hard for students to pass

Concerning the challenges of teaching in the ESP blended learning program, teachers revealed that they encountered a great number of obstacles

Two teachers said that they had troubles in dealing with students who were lack of basic IT skills and showed negative attitudes towards the course due to their low linguistic competent “To be more specific, during the lessons, they are completely timid or do not participate in any single activities”, Teacher 3 asserted

Two other teachers said that it‟s difficult to boost students‟ motivation in both online and offline learning In terms of online tasks, “The content of the course itself is really relevant to the students and they realize that However, the heavy workload and difficulty of both language and major-related knowledge soon demotivate them.” (Teacher 2) Not every student seems to be hard and patient enough for finishing all the online tasks before learning in face-to-face session Due to the complication of knowledge, low- level students who did not remember the online materials seemed to be unconcerned about joining in face-to-face activities

This indifferent caused the ineffectiveness in interaction of face-to-face activities and prevented teachers from carrying out all planned activities

Another difficulty is teaching ESP requires teachers to have certain major-related knowledge because students sometimes asked about the vocabulary or structures to express their ideas

The last interviewee added that when teaching in this ESP blended learning course, a mixed-ability class is a big problem that affected teaching methodology There is no certain activity that fits all students‟ levels

In general, there were some considerable challenges that teachers have to encounter during teaching this program, which are related to students‟ ability and the mass of knowledge.

Suggestions and implications

4.3.1 The teachers and students’ suggestions to improve the ESP blended learning program

After revealing the students and teachers‟ evaluation of the ESP blended learning program, this study asserts that the students and teachers were generally satisfied with the course in terms of four main aspects: online learning parts, face-to-face lessons, the integration between online and face-to-face and the learning outcomes as it brought a great number of benefits for students in learning English Besides reflecting the difficulties of both teachers and students experiencing this course, the author asked both students and teachers for some suggestions to improve such program

The learners have given some recommendations for improving the ESP blended learning that they have learned for three semesters in terms of online learning, tests and interaction with teachers and other supports in class

Firstly, to improve online learning, many students suggested reducing the online workload, eliminating some types of automatic exercises such as rearranging the letters to make words or rearranging the words to make sentences because these tasks take them a lot of time to finish and they are inefficient in enhancing their proficiency because students do not need to self-produce language When they are required to write by themselves, students can remember and apply vocabulary and structures effectively All of the students want to have a good website that smoothly runs and they can learn online more effectively Studying online accounts for nearly a half content of the course; thus if the online platform has troubles, the learning process will be affected negatively and it causes learners‟ difficulties in learning

Secondly, some students implied that they want to have more interaction with their teachers who directly teach them in class to get to know each other Because of learning two lessons in class only, the time of interacting with teacher is limited, so students are hesitated to ask teachers for helps Learners suggested that teachers can openly contact with them by different ways such as text message, social networks, and mobile phone Subsequently, student will feel that teachers are willing to help them with their learning

Finally, regarding testing and assessments, participants suggested that the university should design some extra classes in which learners can learn and review the knowledge of the course and focus on test-taking skills in order to pass the offline final exam easily Furthermore, the students are worried about passing the final exam; they suggested that the online test should be designed in the same format of paper-based final written test, which enables their self-assessment From the result of this test, the students can measure their capacity and plan to study more for final exam Also, they suggested that there should be a second chance for them to retake the final test if they fail for the first time

Advising for better teaching English in the ESP blended learning program for the second year students in Chemistry department, five teachers proposed their recommendations in terms of improving online learning, face-to-face sessions, learners‟ outcomes and teaching methodology as well

For online learning parts, one of the suggestions related to the heavy online workload Teachers share the same idea with students that the number of online exercises should be reduced because practicing with too many exercises is not useful, as the students have to study many other subjects The numbers of online tasks are not the most important factor affecting learners‟ outcomes It is essential to focus on improving learners‟ learning skills that they are required to do in each kind of task There should be only two or three exercises for each section instead of six exercises as current program With fewer tasks, students can do it carefully in the same amount of time and they will understand it more thoroughly

Moreover, teachers wish to have policies to control the frequency and results of students‟ online learning It is important to the students‟ online result first; and then teachers ought to spend time on reviewing some key vocabulary and grammatical items that students have learned online to control students‟ learning and check their understanding

Towards the in-class activities, the interviewees suggested designing more interactive activities and scaffold students in each task to encourage them to take part in lessons as well as cultivate their passion for learning English

Regarding mixed-ability classes, teachers suggested designing suitable exercises or activities to help the low-level students, awarding students who tried their best to encourage them to self-study and having better students help weaker ones For instance, teachers can ask good students to write a paragraph about the topic and translate the reading text To weaker students, they should only require them to write sentences about the topic or look up the meaning of new words in the dictionary

Last but not least, because some of the students feel shy and hesitate in class, teachers raised idea about having direct small talks or keeping in touch with them through social networks such as Facebook or Gmail to find out the best way to motivate them during the course

In conclusion, to make the program more effective, interviewed teachers proposed that ESP blended learning teachers had better connect the online learning parts and face-to-face activities by using suitable tasks and activities for students Because online learning parts are required for all students, teachers should prepare and follow students closely in face-to-face lessons by designing tasks, which fit students‟ level As a result, they will be motivated to learn English and the course will be more effective

4.3.2 Implications for a better ESP blended learning program

As analyzed above, the ESP blended learning program for second-year students in the Chemistry Department appears to be a good English program under the present circumstances However, obvious weaknesses also urge for immediate improvements Therefore, the writer would suggest some implications for enhancing such program from the data analysis This ESP blended learning program is associated to students, teachers, and university authorities, thus the researcher would like to propose the implications for all of them

On the one hand, as learning in the ESP blended learning program obliges students to study online before attending face-to-face interaction classes, they should reinforce their IT skills to afford the requirements of fulfilling the online tasks

Therefore, learners need to use the online website properly, search the materials and try to finish exercises on time Besides, the aim of the course is to improve students both four English skills, especially speaking skill, so they should take full advantage of opportunities to practice speaking in face-to-face activities

Discussion

In this study, the researcher examined the effectiveness of the ESP blended learning by evaluating online learning, face-to-face lessons, the relationship between online and face-to-face and learners‟ outcome through students‟ questionnaire and teachers‟ interviews Results of the research indicated that learners preferred the ESP blended learning course which is in alignment with the finding of the previous research of Liu (2013) about evaluating blended learning in a University EFL Writing Course and Huang (2016) about Learners‟ perceptions of blended learning and the roles and interaction of face-to-face and online learning

The first finding of this study indicated that online learning parts in the ESP blended learning is a helpful and an effective tool for learning and teaching in blended learning program This is similar to a research conducted by Huang (2016) in

Guangdong University of Foreign Studies that online learning had helped to enlarge their vocabulary and enrich their world knowledge, and online learning is more likely to offer learners an individualized and adaptive learning experience, which tends to promote learning more effectively

With regards to face-to-face lessons, Kintu, Zhu and Kagambe (2017) reveals that learners shows their great attitudes towards face-to-face learning and they indicate that the sessions were enjoyable experiences with high quality discussions This result is in line with the present study that students are interested in learning in face- to-face lessons and they are motivated to discover knowledge after every lesson

Face-to-face lessons promoted learners‟ interests in learning English and facilitated the learning of world knowledge when learning English in ESP blended learning course

Huang (2016) found that the two learning modes, in learners‟ views, had mixed well within the blended course as they were regarded as helpful and complementary to each other by making each other more interesting and more effective This is supported by the findings of this study which have confirmed that online learning parts and face-to-face lessons integrated to each other closely in the ESP blended learning course Students and teachers assessed they complement each other and combines their advantages to bring out better learning environment

According to Al Zumor, Al Refaai, Eddin, and Al-Rahman (2013), blended learning has many advantages over traditional classroom teaching and learning such as providing motivation and autonomy for learners, flexible learning, immediate and detailed feedback, reducing anxiety, and enhancing student involvement and participation This is in agreement by this current study that blended learning improves students‟ performance or learning outcomes including learner autonomy, motivation and learning results Besides, the effectiveness of the blended learning should be investigated in deeper research

Finally, both the course teacher‟s reflections and student evaluation in the present study revealed that the students highly appreciated and benefited from this ESP blended learning in varying ways: it helped improve their computer skills, increase student-student and student-teacher interactions, motivate the students to become more independent and autonomous learners, and enhance their English ability, and so on, as found in numerous existing studies (Huang, 2016; Al Zumor, Al Refaai, Eddin, & Al-Rahman, 2013; Kintu, Zhu and Kagambe, 2017; Liu, 2013)

Chapter summary

This chapter has presented the results of students‟ survey questionnaires and teachers‟ interviews, which combined to analyze and discuss to reveal the evaluation of the fifty-five Chemistry second-year students and five English teachers of the ESP blended learning program The analysis indicated that the ESP blended learning brought a positive learning environment for the students The evaluation of students and teachers revealed that this ESP blended learning is an effective program In addition, a summary of recommendations and implications were proposed based on analyzing the effectiveness and limitations of the course to design a better ESP blended learning program in the future.

CONCLUSION

Recapitulation

The present study evaluates the ESP blended learning program implementing for the second-year students majoring in Chemistry Department in the university in Hanoi

To achieve its objectives, the research has addressed two research questions:

1 How effective is the ESP blended learning program for second-year students in Chemistry Department from the teachers and students’ perspectives?

2 What are difficulties encountered by teachers and students during their teaching and learning time in this ESP blended learning program?

To provide answers to the above questions, qualitative and quantitative research instruments were developed, including questionnaires for students and interviews for teachers The research methodology was built on the statement of the problem and the research questions, as well as the theoretical discussion of program evaluation, ESP and blended learning Fifty-five second-year students in the Chemistry Department and five teachers teaching these students were participants of this study The data collected were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively in terms of four major aspects in the questionnaire items and interview questions, including online learning parts, face-to-face lessons, the integration between online and face-to-face and the learners‟ outcomes

The findings of the study provided detailed information about how teachers and students experienced teaching and learning in an ESP blended learning environment The data yielded by this study provide strong evidence that participants have positive as well as negative attitudes towards the ESP blended learning English course in their institution On the whole, the results of the interviews and questionnaires illustrated that the ESP blended learning program was effective and helpful in improving students‟ English ability, to some extent

One the one hand, with regard of the effectiveness of the ESP blended learning program, both the course teachers and students‟ evaluations indicated that the students highly appreciated this ESP blended learning in diverse ways Firstly, the program provides students with a better learning environment through a good online website running quite smoothly Students can learn online through various types of task with a rich amount of knowledge related to their major Secondly, face-to-face sessions present very clear objectives for every single lesson and unit that helps students understand what they have to reach in the end of the program Moreover, the face-to-face lessons contain a great deal of interesting and helpful activities help improve students‟ speaking skills under the helpful instructions and guides from the teachers Thirdly, there is a close integration between online and face-to-face which enlightens about blended learning and helps them recognized the usefulness of learning online and face-to-face at the same time Finally, the ESP blended learning program motivated the students to become more independent and autonomous learners and also provided opportunities to practice language and helped students gain a broad knowledge of the fields that can be applied in their future job Also, the course provided students with many opportunities to improve their English skills, especially speaking skills that are the most essential for them nowadays

On the other hand, participants expressed their difficulties encountered during experiencing this course Concerning students‟ evaluation towards the program, the analysis of the questionnaires revealed that majority of the students found it is challenging to learn online with so many exercises and pass the final exam with getting at least mark 5 Besides, the teachers noted that they had met some challenges during teaching this ESP blended learning program such as mixed-ability classes, learners‟ negative attitudes, major-related knowledge, and so on The participants also suggested some solutions for dealing with these difficulties and proposed some possible recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness of this

ESP blended learning program in terms of the online content, the teaching offline methodology and the learners‟ outcome

While evaluating the ESP blended learning applying for second-year students majoring in Chemistry in the university, some broader implications were drawn from the results for a more effective ESP blended learning program

Firstly, the online content is too heavy that learners sometimes feel overloaded and demotivated, so it is better if the number of online exercises could be reduced to be more reasonable Secondly, for more effective teaching and learning, teachers can keep contact with learners and support them more frequently Finally, students should be classified from the beginning of the course to arrange them into the suitable level class Last but not least, the university should provide better online system with quicker helps and supports from IT department

It is obvious that the benefits of the program outweigh its weaknesses Therefore, the program with some changes as suggested in the implications part can be nominated to be a good program to teach a foreign language at this university.

Limitations and suggestions for further studies

Although efforts have been made, some limitations are unavoidable during the process of doing the research The weaknesses of this research can be the suggestions for further studies in the future

Due to various constraints, several limitations exist in the present study The limitations might somehow influence the research

Firstly, according to Pombo and Moreira‟s evaluation framework (2011), there are four questions should be solved when evaluating a blended learning program, but this study focuses only on question four “What should be evaluated?” Therefore, there are more issues, which have not been evaluated yet

Secondly, the size of the respondents of this study (55 students and 5 teachers) is not big enough as expected

Finally, this study just carries out at the Chemistry Department, but other departments in the university also implement this program Hence, the result of the study may not be applied to examine the impact of blended learning in the university contexts

Doing program evaluation means more than evaluating through the perception of teachers and students about the strengths and weaknesses of the program Other aspects could offer room for evaluation like evaluating the teachers‟ performance and learners‟ performance, evaluating materials used in the program and such

However, since this is the first evaluation of the program to be done and due to the time matter, the researcher only focuses on the mentioned issues Due to the limit of time and scope, limitations and shortcomings are inevitable Hopefully, further research in the future will reach particular success in the above fields The researcher would like to recommend further study as following suggestions for enhancing the effectiveness and solving the challenges of such program

The first suggestion for future research would be to adopt the same research methodology and conduct research for other students majoring in other fields and see whether there has been any different on students‟ evaluation on the effectiveness of the ESP blended learning applying in the same university The further studies are expected to investigate both four aspects of the framework to find out more detailed about the ESP blended learning program

Secondly, the university is experiencing a challenging time because of the changes in implementing this program for students in every department Therefore, it is important to investigate whether these efforts get a good result or not Besides, conducting the same research for other students would also test the reliability of this research

Finally, the same research could be conducted for more students and teachers for more reliable results The research instruments should be varied for further studies such as interviews, observations, pre-test, and post-test It is expected that there will be some differences in the students and teachers‟ evaluations on the ESP blended learning between different years

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APPENDICES Appendix A: SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS

(PHIẾU KHẢO SÁT Ý KIẾN NGƯỜI HỌC)

Your full-name (Họ và tên):

For the following statements, please circle the number that best reflects your viewpoint on five-point scale (Hãy khoanh vào con số phù hợp với ý kiến của bạn)

1 2 3 4 5 Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

( Rất đồng ý) (Đồng ý) ( Tương đối) (Không đồng ý) (Rất không đồng ý)

A- Online learning parts (Học trực tuyến)

1 Due dates/times for online activities was shown clearly on the website

( Thời hạn hoàn thành các bài học online được hiển thị rõ ràng trên trang học trực tuyến)

2 Contact information of teachers and technical staffs was provided on the learning website.(Trang học trực tuyến cung cấp đầy đủ thông tin liên lạc của giáo viên và nhân viên kỹ thuật cho người học.)

3 The supports from non-teaching staff were quick and helpful for the online system running well (IT, teaching assistants )

(Nhân viên công nghệ thông tin và giáo vụ hỗ trợ kịp thời và hữu ích, giúp hệ thống trực tuyến vận hành tốt)

4 There were various types of online tasks for learners to practice many times

( Các loại bài tập trực tuyến rất đa dạng giúp người học luyện tập nhiều lần)

5 The materials are suitable with students‟ level

( Tài liệu phù hợp với trình độ người học)

6 The materials were useful for learners‟ future career

(Tài liệu hữu ích cho nghề nghiệp trong tương lai của người học)

7 Online sources encouraged learners to self-study

(Các nguồn tài liệu trực tuyến khuyến khích người học tự học)

8 Online content was an excellent material for using in social interaction (Nội dung học trực tuyến là một nguồn tài liệu tuyệt vời khi áp dụng trong giao tiếp xã hội)

9 Each unit in the course book had clear objectives

(Mỗi bài học trong giáo trình đều có mục tiêu cụ thể)

10 Each lesson of every single unit in the book had clear objectives

(Từng tiết học của mỗi unit trong giáo trình đều có mục tiêu cụ thể)

11 Checklist and procedure for each unit activities (including activities of each lesson) was included (Danh sách và tiến trình thực hiện các hoạt động cụ thể trong từng tiết học được cung cấp đầy đủ)

12 In-class activities were well-designed with various types of activities and interactive media such as video clips, audios, picture, etc

(Các hoạt động trên lớp được thiết kế phù hợp với các hình thức và phương tiện tương tác đa dạng, có sự hỗ trợ của các giáo cụ trực quan như video, bản ghi âm, hình ảnh…)

13 The instructions in the textbook were clear and helpful with understandable and supportive language (Các hướng dẫn trong sách rõ ràng và hữu ích, sử dụng ngôn ngữ dễ hiểu)

14 Detailed requirements for student performance on each activity were provided (Các yêu cầu chi tiết đối với người học trong từng hoạt động được cung cấp đầy đủ.)

15 In-class activities promoted positive classroom atmosphere

( Các hoạt động trực tiếp thúc đẩy không khí học tập tích cực trên lớp)

16 The teachers provided learners clear instructions on how to participate in the course activities (Giáo viên hướng dẫn rõ ràng về cách thực hiện các hoạt động trong khóa học)

17 The teachers motivated learners to participate in productive discussion

(Giáo viên đã thúc đẩy người học tham gia vào các hoạt động thảo luận)

18 Teachers frequently used relevant teaching resources besides the course book to create a positive learning atmosphere

(Giáo viên thường xuyên sử dụng những nguồn tài liệu phù hợp ngoài giáo trình để tạo không khí học tập tích cực.)

19 Teachers provided useful feedbacks and corrections, particularly at the end of topics, to reinforce learning requirements and expectations for that topic

(Giáo viên đưa ra những phản hồi và sửa lỗi hữu ích, đặc biệt là sau khi kết thúc mỗi chủ đề để củng cố những yêu cầu cần đạt được khi học về chủ đề đó)

C- Integration between online and face-to-face