A Comparison of Impact of Blended Learning with Traditional Instruction on Critical Thinking and Happiness in Students

Subject Areas : Infomartion Technology

Azad Allah Karami ¹ , Esmaeil Zaraei Zavaraki ²

1 - Ph.D. Student of Educational Technology, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran
2 - Associate Professor, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran

Received: 2013-09-26 Accepted : 2014-04-05 Published : 2014-08-01

Keywords: happiness, Critical Thinking, blended learning, traditional instruction,

Abstract :

The purpose of this study was to compare the impact of blended learning with traditional instruction on critical thinking and happiness in third grade students in Qods township. The research method was a semi-experimental. The statistical population included all the third grade secondary school students in Qods town studying in 2012. The statistical sample was selected via available sampling method. Thus one school was selected since it was equipped with the necessary facilities for implementing blended learning. Two classes of third grade in this school were chosen as experimental and control groups. The tools used in this study were California Critical Thinking Test and Oxford Happiness Test. Both groups were given a pretest, and at the end of the semester a posttest was performed. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including mean and standard deviation and inferential statistics including Covariance analysis test. The findings showed that blended learning was more effective in increasing students' critical thinking and happiness compared with traditional instruction.

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