The Effect of Students’ Perception on the Use of Blended Learning in Public Universities in Kenya: A Case of the University of Eldoret

Abstract

Establishing the effect of students’ perception of the use of blended learning approaches among Bachelor of Education (B.ED) students at the University of Eldoret was the purpose of this study. The research objectives include: finding out the effect of perceived ease of use on the use of blended learning among BED students at the University of Eldoret; and determining the effect of perceived usefulness on the use of blended learning among BED students at the University of Eldoret. The study was anchored on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The philosophy and methodology guiding the study were pragmatism and sequential mixed research design, respectively. Third-year students enrolled in the Bachelor of Education (B.ED) program formed the population of the study. Fifty students participated in the study using the convenience sampling method. Data was collected using structured questionnaires and a desk review of relevant literature. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics techniques by aligning sequentially the quantitative inferences with qualitative inferences alongside findings from desk review. The results of the study reveal that Students’ Perceived Ease of Use (PEU) has a negative but non-significant effect on the acceptance of blended learning in public universities of Kenya (β = -0.143, p = 0.261). This suggests that the ease with which students perceive they can use the blended learning systems does not significantly influence their acceptance of such systems. On the other hand, Perceived Usefulness (PU) showed a significant positive effect on the acceptance of blended learning (β = 0.526, p = 0.00), indicating that students are more likely to accept blended learning if they find it useful. The study suggests that the university carry out training on blended learning for students at entry and install strong free wi-fi at the campus to address ‘perceived ease of use,’ among students. Further studies could be done on students in public universities enrolled in different programs other than BED.