VIETNAMESE LECTURERS' CONCERNS ABOUT BLENDED LEARNING IMPLEMENTATION: INSIGHTS FROM CONCERNS-BASED ADOPTION MODEL

Abstract

Blended learning has been increasingly implemented in higher education with the desire to transform teaching and learning. However, limited literature focuses on the perspectives of teachers, who play a crucial role in adopting blended learning. This mixed-methods study utilized the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (Hall & Hord, 2006) to assess the stages of concerns among lecturers and their specific concerns regarding the top-down decision to adopt blended learning in a Vietnamese university. The Stages of Concerns Questionnaire was administered to 165 academic staff to explore their group concern profile, and follow-up semi-structured interviews were then conducted with 16 lecturers to delve into their specific concerns. The findings showed that the lecturers were early adopters of blended learning, exhibiting strong concerns about the adoption, particularly those unrelated and self-focused. The research also indicated that lecturers experienced instructional ambiguity in understanding the essence of blended learning, technological apprehension, workload stress, and skepticism about student learning autonomy. However, there were also encouraging indicators, such as the lecturers' readiness to learn about blended learning, their enthusiasm for intradisciplinary cooperation, and their flexibility in applying the teaching strategy. These insights help policymakers better understand the concerns and viewpoints of the lecturers. Furthermore, the conclusion of this paper includes some suggestions for improvement.