Research Article

Blended learning after the COVID-19 pandemic: Undergraduate students’ perspectives on the application of blended learning in higher education

Najeh Rajeh Alsalhi 1 * , Mohd Elmagzoub Eltahir 2 , Fakir Al Gharaibeh 3 4 , Abdallah Qusef 5
More Detail
1 Department of Education, College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES2 College of Humanities and Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES3 Research Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES4 Department of Social work, College of Arts, University of Jordan, Amman, JORDAN5 Princess Sumaya University for Technology, Amman, JORDAN* Corresponding Author
Contemporary Educational Technology, 18(2), April 2026, ep641, https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/18057
Published: 09 March 2026
OPEN ACCESS   55 Views   34 Downloads
Download Full Text (PDF)

ABSTRACT

United Arab Emirates (UAE) has adopted blended learning (BL) as part of its commitment to incorporating technology and learning approaches. At Ajman University in UAE, this study explores students’ perspectives on BL’s application after the COVID-19 pandemic. A 20-item survey was used, and a descriptive research study was conducted to collect data. We administered the questionnaire to 1,400 undergraduates after validating its validity. With a 3.53% arithmetic mean and 0.957 standard deviations, the study found that undergraduate students expressed a high level of acceptance for BL after COVID-19 spread. In addition, this study found that students’ perceptions differ according to gender (males are the most positive for BL), according to the students in the college (medical students are more positive), and finally, according to their years of study (sixth-year students are the most positive). The study recommended that higher education should continue to study BL.

CITATION (APA)

Alsalhi, N. R., Eltahir, M. E., Al Gharaibeh, F., & Qusef, A. (2026). Blended learning after the COVID-19 pandemic: Undergraduate students’ perspectives on the application of blended learning in higher education. Contemporary Educational Technology, 18(2), ep641. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/18057

REFERENCES

  1. Aguilera-Hermida, A. P. (2020). College students’ use and acceptance of emergency online learning due to COVID-19. International Journal of Educational Research Open, 1, Article 100011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2020.100011
  2. Ahmed, K. G. (2023). Exploring a blended learning comprehensive transformation process for a non-lab based graduate course at UAE University. Education Quarterly Reviews, 6(2), 124-137. https://doi.org/10.31014/aior.1993.06.02.744
  3. Al Balushi, W., Al-Busaidi, F. S., Malik, A., & Al-Salti, Z. (2022). Social media use in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 17(24), 4–24. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v17i24.32399
  4. AlAmri, H. A., Watson, S., & Watson, W. (2021). Learning technology models that support personalization within blended learning environments in higher education. TechTrends, 65, 62-78. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-020-00530-3
  5. Al-Fraihat, D., Joy, M., Masa’deh, R., & Sinclair, J. (2020). Evaluating e-learning systems success: An empirical study. Computers in Human Behavior, 102, 67-86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.08.004
  6. Alsalhi, N. R., Eltahir, M. E., & Al-Qatawneh, S. S. (2019). The effect of blended learning on ninth-grade students’ achievement in science and their attitudes towards its use. Heliyon, 5(9), Article e02424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02424
  7. Alsalhi, N. R., Eltahir, M. E., Dawi, E. A., Abdelkader, A., & Zyoud, S. (2021). The effect of blended learning on the achievement in a physics course of students of a dentistry college: A case study at Ajman University. The Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 19(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.34190/ejel.19.1.1992
  8. Bernard, R. M., Abrami, P. C., Borokhovski, E., Wade, C. A., Tamim, R. M., Surkes, M. A., & Bethel, E. C. (2009). A meta-analysis of three types of interaction treatments in distance education. Review of Educational Research, 79(3), 1243-1289. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654309333844
  9. Cobo-Rendón, R., Bruna Jofre, C., Lobos, K., Cisternas San Martin, N., & Guzman, E. (2022). Return to university classrooms with blended learning: A possible post-pandemic COVID-19 scenario. Frontiers in Education, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.957175
  10. Czerniewicz, L., Trotter, H., & Haupt, G. (2019). Online teaching in response to student protests and campus shutdowns: Academics’ perspectives. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 16, Article 43. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-019-0170-1
  11. Dziuban, C., Graham, C. R., Moskal, P. D., Norberg, A., & Sicilia, N. (2018). Blended learning: The new normal and emerging technologies. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 15, Article 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-017-0087-5
  12. Gall, M. D., Gall, J. P., & Borg, W. R. (2007). Educational research: An introduction (8th ed.). Pearson.
  13. Garrison, D. R., & Kanuka, H. (2004). Blended learning: Uncovering its transformative potential in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 7(2), 95-105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2004.02.001
  14. Gazi, M. A. I., Masud, A. A., Sobhani, F. A., Dhar, B. K., Hossain, M. S., & Hossain, A. I. (2023). An empirical study on emergency of distant tertiary education in the southern region of Bangladesh during COVID-19: Policy implication. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(5), Article 4372. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054372
  15. Gopal, R., Singh, V., & Aggarwal, A. (2021). Impact of online classes on the satisfaction and performance of students during the pandemic period of COVID-19. Education and Information Technologies, 26, 6923-6947. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10523-1
  16. Halverson, L. R., & Graham, C. R. (2019). Learner engagement in blended learning environments: A conceptual framework. Online Learning Journal, 23(2), 145–168. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v23i2.1481
  17. Harper, C. V., McCormick, L. M., & Marron, L. (2024). Face-to-face vs. blended learning in higher education: A quantitative analysis of biological science student outcomes. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 21, Article 2. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00435-0
  18. Hew, K. F., & Cheung, W. S. (2014). Students’ and instructors’ use of massive open online courses (MOOCs): Motivations and challenges. Educational Research Review, 12, 45-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2014.05.001
  19. Hrastinski, S. (2009). A theory of online learning as online participation. Computers & Education, 52(1), 78-82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2008.06.009
  20. Hrastinski, S. (2021). Digital tools to support teacher professional development in lesson studies: A systematic literature review. International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, 10(2), 138–149. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLLS-09-2020-0062
  21. Johnson, N., Veletsianos, G., & Seaman, J. (2020). U.S. faculty and administrators’ experiences and approaches in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. Online Learning, 24(2), 6-21. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v24i2.2285
  22. Lalima, & Dangwal, K. L. (2017). Blended learning: An innovative approach. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 5(1), 129-136. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2017.050116
  23. Mabuan, R., & Ebron, G. P. (2017). A blended learning approach to teaching writing: Using e-mail in the ESL classroom. Asian EFL Journal, 2017(100), 80-103. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316177119
  24. Mahdy, M. A. A. (2020). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the academic performance of veterinary medical students. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2020.594261
  25. Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., & Baki, M. (2014). The effectiveness of online and blended learning: A meta-analysis of the empirical literature. Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education, 115(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/016146811311500307
  26. Mohammed, N. (2017). Project-based learning in higher education in the UAE: A case study of Arab students in Emirati Studies. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives, 14(2), 73–86. https://doi.org/10.18538/lthe.v14.n2.294
  27. Nassaji, H. (2015). Qualitative and descriptive research: Data type versus data analysis. Language Teaching Research, 19(2), 129-132. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168815572747
  28. Owston, R., York, D., & Murtha, S. (2013). Student perceptions and achievement in a university blended learning strategic initiative. The Internet and Higher Education, 18, 38-46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2012.12.003
  29. Picciano, A. G. (2009). Blending with purpose: The multimodal model. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 13(1), 7-18. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ837540.pdf
  30. Raza, S. A., Qazi, Z., Qazi, W., & Ahmed, M. (2022). E-learning in higher education during COVID-19: Evidence from Blackboard learning system. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 14(4), 1603–1622. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-02-2021-0054
  31. Samsonova, O. (2020). Blended learning approach in UAE higher education: A selected annotated bibliography. International Journal of Higher Education Pedagogies, 1(1), 13-22. https://doi.org/10.33422/ijhep.v1i1.14
  32. Shields, P. M., & Rangarajan, N. (2013). A playbook for research methods: Integrating conceptual frameworks and project management. New Forums Press.
  33. Smith, K., & Hill, J. (2019). Defining the nature of blended learning through its depiction in current research. Higher Education Research & Development, 38(2), 383–397. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2018.1517732
  34. Sobaih, A. E. E., Hasanein, A., & Elshaer, I. A. (2022). Higher education in and after COVID-19: The impact of using social network applications for e-learning on students’ academic performance. Sustainability, 14(9), Article 5195. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095195
  35. Thacker, I., Seyranian, V., Madva, A., Duong, N. T., & Beardsley, P. (2022). Social connectedness in physical isolation: Online teaching practices that support under-represented undergraduate students’ feelings of belonging and engagement in STEM. Education Sciences, 12(2), Article 61. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12020061
  36. Wiesenberg, F., & Stacey, E. (2005). Reflections on teaching and learning online: Quality program design, delivery, and support issues from a cross-global perspective. Distance Education, 26(3), 385-404. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587910500291496
  37. Yu, Y., Che Tak, K. B., Bailey, R. P., Samsudin, N., & Ren, C. (2025). The effects of blended learning on learning engagement in physical education among university students in China: The mediating role of attitudes. Sustainability, 17(2), Article 378. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020378