REGISTRO DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7916412
Keitiane Ribas da Silva Maciel
Abstract
This paper discusses aspects of hybrid teaching related to English language teaching. Its main objective is to analyze such aspects for implementation in Brazilian rural schools, specifically in Manaus, Amazonas. For hybrid learning to be structured, some issues must be considered, such as the adequacy of the curriculum, infrastructure, and teachers’ development. Some proposals can be organized into models’ categories which break with the traditional, one of them was chosen to elucidate this paper and the nineth grade of elementary school exemplifies. Through the intervention proposal, it aims the autonomy of the students and, due to the social conditions that they are inserted, to develop the technological skill. In addition, it seeks to contribute to the social construction of knowledge and further reflection.
Keywords: Hybrid learning. English teaching. Rural schools.
1. Introduction
In Brazil, distance learning between 2005 to 2016 showed high percentages of development aimed only at higher education. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was necessary to differentiate and apply this method to all educational segments, such as the initial, final1 and high school years. According to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), around 800 million children and adolescents are being affected by isolation.
The possibility of avoiding contact with other people and going to schools, in addition to making time more flexible, are some of the advantages of this model in this health crisis, from that, schools can be modified, improved, experimented and adapted to this new reality. The variety of tools and methods can positively support learning, ensuring some stability in the face of so many changes.
This study presents a brief history of distance education, among which hybrid teaching stands out. And its application in the context of rural education in English classes will be the objects of this study.
1.1. Brief analysis of the state of the art
Due to the situation experienced by the pandemic, an alternative to the education found was the continuation of studies through distance learning (EaD). In Brazil, according to a study by Bielschowsky (2018), it indicates that this teaching modality has increased in higher education since 2005 as shown in figure 1. Those numbers show the great demand for e-learning and that through the years the education becomes more accessible by technology resources.
Figure 1. Percentage increase in the number of enrollments in higher education, compared to 2005. Figure from: Bielschowsky, C. (2018).
As seen in the figure, with this data it is concluded that the future of education is digital, students over the years are transformed and immersed in a world of connections and direct contact with technology. And with the current situation, in general terms, this represents a break from previous forms or the optimalization of the teaching and learning process.
1.1.1. Transmission of classes for basic education
For basic education, according to a survey conducted by Instituto Unibanco and the organization Todos pela Educação, 95% of Brazilian states have implemented some online source to support students. The surveys, however, take as reference only the urban area, below there is a table that describes the use of the internet in school activities carried out by students. The activities are taking courses, do exercises that teacher commands and the one that most students use internet to develop, study for exams. The table shows that the internet is a strong ally to education.
Table 1. The use of the internet in school activities, according to students from urban schools
Adapted from figure: Infografica G1
The table above shows that the internet offers teachers and students experiences to be explored, improving the quality of classes. Today’s students are no longer people who fall into the educational system that was designed to teach them. It is no longer appropriate to educate them today with yesterday’s methodologies as it takes tomorrow away from them like John Dewey’s quote2said.
1.2. Justification
Consequently, the new reality that the pandemic brought us, exposed that education must be adapted. It is a challenging scenario that needs to be studied to generate knowledge and produce possibilities for future actions. This is the moment when it is crucial to seek, demand and recommend new ways to help rethink education with actions aimed at transforming the educational system.
Technological resources will be used even more and traditional methods will be transformed. Hybrid education, a method that unites online and offline education to build a more dynamic and meaningful education, comes as an alternative to rural education. Which has several specificities compared to urban schools and urban students, so this study seeks to propose the verification of a possible implementation of hybrid teaching-learning in the rural context and specifically in English language classes for final years.
1.3. Objectives of the study
In this section, the objectives, both general and specific, that are pursued in the research work will be specified.
a. GENERAL OBJECTIVE
Analyze the possibilities and challenges of implementing hybrid teaching in English classes of rural education.
b. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
i. Check the potential of the hybrid teaching-learning modality.
ii. Identify the resources needed to promote hybrid teaching-learning in rural education.
iii. Relate the application in foreign language teaching.
2. Literature review
In the following section, a bibliographic review of the topics under study is carried out, which will later serve as the basis for the intervention proposal.
2.1. Distance learning: historical view
Distance learning, despite being very focused recently, started around 1850 in Europe. According to Litto (2010), in relation to higher education, the University of London stood out in 1858 through correspondence courses, in which printed activities were brought to students. In the decade of the twentieth century, with the emergence of cinema, this resource was also used in education, as well as radio and in the 50s, television. In the second half of the twentieth century, the audiocassette and then, videocassette were instruments that facilitate distance learning by the convenience of studying where and when students chose. However, the computer that was the differential, because it allows to register words, images, videos, receive and send messages etc. It merged all previous technologies into one device, the computer has changed the reality in a surprising way as it combines several functions into only one device, texts, sounds, videos, image etc.
Communication technologies have different characteristics, but they can be applied in various situations, and it has an advantage over face-to-face learning because in the classroom there is only one teacher, his energy etc., while in distance learning the possibilities of videos, connections with people from other states and even countries are realities. Another great contribution, considering the particularity of places far from large centers of study and people who do not have the financial means to move, there is the possibility of access to quality institutions through technological facilities. In addition, the economic issue since the face-to face service is more expensive. Also, the collaborative and interactive characteristics that distance education has, enable the success of learners because they are important in daily professional work.
Hybrid learning is another advantage of distance learning. The first reflections on hybrid learning appeared in the work of Michael Horn and Clayton Christensen (2018). In this work, the authors describe that it is important to have innovations in teaching and learning, in addition to considering the particularities of the people involved in the process. A point that deserves to be highlighted is the freedom that teacher and student obtain, from actions with smaller groups of students, the pace of work/study, the activities to be developed and time are modified.
2.1.1. Hybrid learning: characteristics
Singh (2003) defines blended learning as the combination of on and offline teaching, the first taking place via the Internet or Intranet and the second in the classroom. According to the author, in addition to offering more methodological options, the hybrid modality is also considered more effective in the learning processes. In addition to resulting in the development of new skills, such as digital citizenship, which consists in respecting and knowing how to live in such a comprehensive space.
The education has always been blended, because of the variety of activities, methodologies, points of views and experiences. The process now is deeper, broad, opened, creative and public. Blended learning is an educational concept that has the characteristic of using mixed solutions, using several methods to facilitate learning, ensure collaboration between students and allow the creation and exchange of knowledge. (Rodrigues, 2010 as cited in Chaves Filho, et al., 2006, p.84). The main purpose is to redefine learning, in which it adapts to each teacher and student since they are connected to different educational practices.
One of the advantages of hybrid learning application is the change in the educational system, to focus on the student as the protagonist of his own learning and change the teacher centered view. With that remark, students assume a participatory and coherent autonomy and obtain a critic position to corelate the real-life situations. Also, a new skill is developed by hybrid learning, the knowing how to live in digital spaces and respect opinions and diversity. Therefore, Gomes(2014) emphasizes that learning inevitably changes the way of teaching and learning. Soon the classes that were consumed/transmitted in a monologues and often monotonous way are replaced by participatory fluidity and sharing of ideas.
We live in a society that dictates the learning models without approaching the real of each context and situation, according to Moran (2013). And as accommodation, the new becomes a challenge to be implemented. During the implementation of the model, one of the challenges is to engage teachers on the importance of building a teaching and learning process in line with the challenges of a changing world. Because some has a behavior that does not enter into a critical-reflexive perspective, as they do not know the methodological nature in depth, do not understand the phenomenon that is occurring around them, they prefer to criticize and impose themselves. As well, students and parents often do not believe in the effectiveness of such new methodologies, and in this context, they are linked to the traditional, not allowing engagement and effort in the change.
When we insist on improving processes without changing the conventional model, it does not serve us for a world that requires people much more competent in dealing with change, with complexity, with coexistence in different projects and with people from different cultures and backgrounds. The standardized school, which teaches and evaluates everyone equally and requires predictable results, ignores that the knowledge society is specialized in cognitive, personal and social skills, which is not acquired in the conventional way and which specializes in collaboration, personalization and entrepreneurial vision. (Moran, 2013, p.1).
Education is increasingly transforming itself on a global level and with-it new requirements are assigned to society in addition to high cognitive competitiveness. The advances in the technological area dictate what is necessary for the achievement of social excellence, over which the domain of such has extreme relevance. In this way, hybrid education breaks down barriers and assists in quality training.
Hybrid education requires some resources for its effectiveness, although it is still possible to work with few resources through projects. However, a challenge for its total implementation is the infrastructure of schools. Another disadvantage is the possibility of lack of interest on part of the students in virtual sessions. Also, some education levels need more systematization, practice, and more targeted approaches, such as high school because it has a focus on access to university.
2.2. Education in Brazil
2.2.1. Brazilian educational system: structure, competences, and responsibilities
The Brazilian educational system is regulated in the 1988 Constitution and has several laws and menus. The National Education Guidelines and Bases Act (LDB) of 1996 defines the levels and modalities of education to better organize and direct as can be seen in the figure 2 below.
Figure 2. Levels and modalities of education. Figure from: Law nº 9.394, December 20,1996.
The current Brazilian structure includes the basic education and higher education division. Basic education is divided into early childhood education, which is subdivided into daycare and preschool, in the age group 0-3 and 4-5, respectively. Elementary school with a minimum duration of nine years, it is mandatory even for those who did not have access at the correct age for it and high school which is the final stage lasting three years. Regarding the teaching modalities, LDB 9394/96 pointed out: the education of youth and adults; special education; professional education; rural education; the indigenous education and distance education. The law also defines the competences and duties of the Union, states, and cities regarding the provision of education, in addition to collaboration between them.
According to the 2019 school census3, Brazil has 180.610 basic education schools, and small schools, with 50 enrollments, are most found in the North and Northeast regions, as shown on figure 3 and 4. The states with the highest percentage of small schools are Amazonas, Acre, and Roraima.
Figure 3. Percentage of schools in Brazil. Adapted from: Deed/ Inep based on Census data on basic education
Figure 4. Percentage of small schools (up to 50 enrollments) per municipality. Source: Deed/ Inep based on Census data on basic education
On July 25, 2014 the law 13.005/2014 established a plan of goals, the National Education Plan (PNE) which has as function the articulation and definition of guidelines, objectives, goals and implementation strategies are in place to ensure the maintenance and development of education at its various levels and the integration of government actions for the next ten years (2015-2024). With this plan, Brazil aims to seek quality education with real goals such as valuing the teacher in relation to career and training.
2.2.2. Education and unequal social conditions
In addition to social and economic issues, the process of pedagogical organization is among the main causes of the failure of the educational system. Deficiency in teaching and learning, inadequate structures of the education networks, very high demand, lack of qualified professionals and pedagogical resources.
The presence of technological resources as computer labs and internet access is still not a reality for many municipal schools. Computer labs are found in only 35.0% of schools’ element of the municipal network and only 55.9% of schools have access to internet. (Census, 2018).
The presence of pedagogically integrated technological elements in the classroom, accommodates different learning styles and cognitive manifestations, in addition to the opportunity to expand interaction outside the school walls. However, there is a major obstacle between the learners’ right to have these opportunities and what is offered at school.
Reorganizing and democratizing the school are fundamental in the search for quality education, and this thought was expressed by Paulo Freire: “we thought of a direct literacy and really linked to the democratization of culture, that would be an introduction to this democratization.” (Freire, 1982, p.104).
It cannot be ignored that the challenges for the educational inclusion of technologies and hybrid education for a considerable portion of the Brazilian population are great. These are challenges linked to the public policy system whose analysis implies verifying what education is intended to be achieved, for whom it is directed, how it will be developed and what technological means to use.
Based on this, Silva Junior (1995) says:
[…] education is responsible for defining the ends and criticizing the means with which management must operate. The peculiar nature of pedagogical work is the mandatory reference for those who intend to organize it in public schools. The teacher is the author and the protagonist of this special form of social work that does not therefore, it can be objectified. That is, it cannot be determined from outside inward or from top to bottom. It will necessarily have to be built by collective will of school workers. (Silva Junior, 1995)
This principle encourages the participation of teachers in the collective construction of the school’s pedagogical proposal and the fulfillment of their work, in addition to paying attention to student learning and teaching strategies. Thus, it will be possible to obtain paradigms, data, requests to incorporate education and hybrid technologies, to promote the emergence of different skills, values, and digital inclusion. However, this incentive does not exempt the government from playing its role.
2.2.3. Rural education
If Brazilian education has several problems, Brazilian rural education has much more. Rural schools are usually made up of two classrooms, which must operate in a multi-series4 manner that interferes in the learning process not allowing evolution. In addition to the structure that some schools still have wood, without lighting, wallets, materials are missing and still have to take advantage of the spaces around the school to accommodate students. Another major problem is the distances, as can be seen in the figure below, the reach of these schools is a challenge that students face.
Figure 5. Rural reality. Source: Brasil Escola
In view of all this, it is clear that the investments in these areas are low. However valuing education, the teacher has an extremely importance because he must be the transforming agent of the realities that the students have, as always. Although teachers may not solve the challenges schools’ infrastructure problems, but they are a way to promote social inclusion and education development.
Rural Education, as a concept and specific teaching modality, especially in the rural area, with the different social agents that comprise it, is the way to ensure that everyone has access to education in all its dimensions; it is the way to make this right accessible by ensuring an education that contributes to the construction of a better human being. (Marques, Reis & Pereira, 2018)
The rural pedagogy aims at valuing work, based on this, the search for qualifying students into the job market but at the same time preparing them for a life with high quality teaching becomes vital. To achieve these objectives, there are variables that influence the quality of teaching: students, the community, teachers, school characteristics, but mainly public policies that generate inputs for school progression. The rural education in Brazil was governed by some complementary laws, ordinances, and decrees, some of which are listed in the table 2. Such policies are necessary for democratization and awareness of what rural education is entitled to and what can / should be charged.
Table 2. Important National Laws for Rural Education
| NATIONAL LAWS | |
| Federal Constitution of 1988 – Education Chapter | Education, the right of all and the duty of the family, will be promoted and encouraged with the collaboration of society, aiming at the full development of the person and their preparation for the exercise of citizenship. |
| LDBEN No. 9,394 of 1996 – Law guidelines and bases of national education | Basic Education aims to develop the student, ensure the common training essential for the exercise of citizenship and provide them with the means to progress in work and further studies. |
| Federal Law No. 13,005 / 2014 | National Education Plan – PNE. |
| Federal Decree No. 7,352 / 2010 | Rural Education Policy and the National Education Program on Agrarian Reform – PRONERA. |
| Ordinance No. 68 2012-MEC | Expanding the participation of rural schools in the National Educational Technology Program – PROINFO, through PRONACAMPO. |
| Ordinance No. 579 of 2013 – SECADI / MEC | Ordinance that institutionalizes the continuing education program Escola da Terra that assists teachers in multi-serial classes in rural schools. |
| Ordinance No. 86/2013-MEC | National Rural Education Program – PRONACAMPO. |
| Federal Law No. 11,645 of 2008 | Inclusion in the official curriculum of the education network the mandatory theme of Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous History and Culture. |
Source: Adapted from pedagogical guidelines for field schools
This table above shows the evolution of the laws that rural education is governed. There are still many others, these were chosen as the main ones for qualitative data, but analyzing, they show that rural education has a lot to develop and to be invested.
And with the quantitative data for schools according to location (see table 3) it is possible to analyze from a general point of view that the indicators show that municipal public network has greater availability of schools in these areas. This can be explained by the structural division of Brazilian education, which covers the defined demand of the basic education level to the municipality.
Table 3. Number of schools per administrative dependency, according to location – 2019.
| SCHOOL LOCATION | ADMINISTRATIVE DEPENDECY | |||||
| Total | Public | Federal | State | Municipal | Private | |
| Total | 180.610 | 139.176 | 698 | 30.160 | 108.318 | 41.434 |
| Urban | 125.265 | 84.483 | 605 | 24.827 | 59.051 | 40.782 |
| Rural | 55.345 | 54.693 | 93 | 5.333 | 49.267 | 652 |
Source: Census data
In the public network, Municipal schools have the highest proportion of enrollments in the rural area, with 19%, followed by federal schools, with 12.3% of enrollments. The North and Northeast regions are the regions with the most schools with low enrollment, among the states is Amazonas which in the capital, Manaus the schools in the rural area present a differentiated teaching model.
About this topic, the Pedagogical Guidance for Rural Schools of Manaus (2018) establishes Itinerant project in response to the needs of the reality of rural communities. Because of this, the final years have a specific organization.
The itinerant project is based on legal concepts such as the Operational Guidelines for Education in Rural schools and in the National Program for Rural Education – PRONACAMPO. Its characteristics and requirements are according to the LDB and it is legitimized in Resolution 004/CME/ 2014, among which are: the same curriculum composition final years of elementary school, minimum frequency of 75% of the total teaching hours for approval and others.
The project works from clusters, each cluster has two teaching units, where in the first semester five subjects are worked out equivalent to the national workload, in school A and school B, there are four subjects. In the second semester the exchange is made, school A keeps four subjects and school B keeps five, thus covering all nine curricular components during the school year.
2.2.4. English teaching
The Brazilian educational system with its numerous laws and reforms submits the English language to different circumstances, even excluding from mandatory curriculum. In the late 1990s, educational authorities stated in the National Curricular Parameters (PCN) of the elementary education that “the focus on reading can be justified by the social function of foreign languages in the country and also for the achievable objectives in view of the existing conditions. ” (Brasil, 1998) Regarding opportunities, only a part of the Brazilian population obtains a foreign language through oral communication. The focus of the classes, according to the legislations, is always aimed at the reading skill because it goes according to what the entrance exams evaluates. And:
[…] classroom conditions in most schools (reduced workload, overcrowded classes, little mastery of skills oral presentations by most teachers, didactic material reduced to chalk and textbook etc.) can make the teaching of the four communicative skills unfeasible. (Brasil, 1998, p. 18)
Although PCNs claim that English language is as important as other subjects, the reality is quite different, disinterest and the famous speech ‘why study English?’ are part of the subject’s daily life. Making education effective depends on the democratization of education in which everyone: teacher who becomes the most vital because he is directly connected and knows the reality that goes on in classrooms, but also, students, authorities, and society has to become responsible. Therefore, “(…) the repeat authentic education, it is not done from A to B or from A to B but from A with B.” (Freire, 1997).
2.3. Hybrid learning and English
2.3.1. Models
For hybrid learning to be structured, some issues must be considered, such as the adequacy of the curriculum, infrastructure, and teachers’ development. According to Christensen, Horn and Staker (2013) hybrid teaching proposals can be organized into the category of models, such that they come close to the current model of education and other different models, which break with the traditional one, they are called sustained models and disruptive models respectively. It would be possible to apply all the models, with greater study and planning, but because the sustained have characteristics more similar to the practices of teachers, they are the most indicated in the introduction to hybrid education.
The models are exemplified in the figure 6, one of them will be adopted for this proposal to English classes and that is going to be described on the next chapter. The language learning system depends on elements such as teacher, student, cognitive factors that interact with each other and with other systems, such as the classroom itself. We need to know each model to choose which can be adopt because, any place can be a place for learning and teaching, it only depends on the situation and how it is going to be developed this environment. Applying to the reality of Brazilian schools in which the realities are so different, especially rural ones, what is needed is adequate planning, clear objectives, pedagogical intentionality, and the meaning of what one wants to teach.
Figure 6. Hybrid learning models. Source: Christensen Institute
The models are divided in:
a) Sustained models
Those are closer to the traditional teaching and it is easier to be incorporated:
– The station-rotation model which consists of organizing the class into groups (learning stations) with different activities and learning objectives where the students take turns at the stations. The students change the station, according to the completion of the proposed activity or a period determined by the teacher, so that all students go through all stations. The stations are independent, with separate objectives but which in the end are completed.
– The lab rotation is the one in which rotation takes place between the classroom and a laboratory for online teaching, the students of the same class are divided in two groups, one for online activities and the other with teacher’s guidance. Each group stays a period of time in each module and then they switch, so that the two groups go through the same modules and learn the same content differently.
– The flipped classroom is the most well-known and applicable model lately; it is the one in which the supervised class rotates at school and outside. Students have activities in advance to discuss content in the classroom. In this way, the student brings prior knowledge to share in the classroom. (Bacich et al. 2015, p. 43)
All models aim to give the student the opportunity to work autonomously and actively, bringing knowledge and collaborating with the learning of other colleagues.
b) Disruptive models
The disruptive models are the most “radical” and break completely with the traditional, requiring greater adaptations, taking into account the Brazilian reality.
– Individual rotation is similar to station rotation, the difference being that they do not work in groups. In this model, students have a personalized script for each station and are not required to go through all of them, only the one they like and make sense for their level of learning.
– In the flex model, the learning environment is divided into some areas, such as a laboratory, classroom, area for exchanging ideas, among others. The main idea here is flexibility. The student is free, with no fixed time to move around these spaces, there is no difference between class and grade. The activities are used online and can be carried out individually or in small groups. The teacher acts as a facilitator to offer guidance.
– Self-blended model places the responsibility of learning for the student. He and the teacher define the objectives that must be achieved, and the student must trace his journey, organizing his studies to achieve them. Classes are divided between online and offline, where offline would be face-to-face and online could be at school or any other place with a connection. Online classes are the execution of virtual classes of materials chosen by the student with the support of an online tutor.
– Enriched-virtual model the technology dictates totally. The learning is completely virtual, the offline class takes place in face-to-face meetings scheduled between tutors and students to monitor the studies, usually once a week.
Such formats have as a strong foundation the use of digital educational tools and values that each student learns in different ways.
3. Intervention proposal
Once the literature review about the subject in question has been viewed, then an intervention proposal is made in which various activities will be designed to work the hybrid learning in rural context.
3.1. Aims of the proposal
In this section, the objectives, both general and specific, that are pursued in the proposal will be specified.
3.1.1. General objective
Develop a plan that implements hybrid learning in rural schools for elementary grades in English classes.
3.1.2. Specific objectives
i. Design students’ learning autonomy.
ii. Teach how to use the technology for learning.
3.2. Educational context and/or Target group
The proposal was designed to work with the final years of elementary school – 6th to 9th grade from rural schools in the English classes. However, to specify and exemplify, the group chosen will be the 9th grade, students between 14 and 16 years old. The contents are described on the next section.
3.3. Timing
The timing for English classes according to the Itinerant project for rural schools is six months, divided in everyday sessions for 45 minutes, each unit has two months to be developed. On the table5 below, there is all contents that must be worked according to the curriculum from Manaus.
Table 4. 9th grade contents
Source: Curricular proposal of Municipal schools from Manaus
For some examples of this proposal the unit chosen was the fourth one, the specific content: comparative and superlative.
3.4. Methodology of the proposal
To adopt this methodology there is a need to improve the school equipment and environment. This proposal was thought to establish improvement for rural education, facilitate access to this new methodology, keep students engaged with learning and the inclusion of technological skills. It is important to highlight that for this proposal it is established that the school and / or the students have connectivity, internet access. Right now, a hybrid teaching approach with less access to the internet is not the focus.
The methodology will be based on the lab-rotation model where the students are divided in groups, each group will stay in the module about one week. The first one will be on classes in person with meetings twice a week, they are going to work with production processes. The other group is going to be at a laboratory at school with internet connection, they are going to work with receptive processes using top down approach. In order to identify and construct meaning, instead of decoding the form, students formed hypotheses and verified if they are correct. Although they seem to be independent sessions, there will be an effective interdependence between activities, carried out in person and online. Face-to-face activities can enhance online interaction and vice-versa.
To summarize the activities and sessions and to show the types of activities that the students will carry out see table 4. In the online environment they study, focus on listening and reading, in addition they attend school for mandatory face-to-face meetings with a teacher, one or more times a week. These meetings with the teacher, they are deepened as a requirement on the aspects that deserve further study, clarification of doubts, and monitoring of the written and spoken productions.
Table 4. Summarized activities
| ONLINE ACTIVITIES | FACE-TO-FACE ACTIVITIES |
| LISTENING AND READING ACTIVITIES | SPEAKING AND WRITING ACTIVITIES |
| Timing: student’s own time | Timing: 45 minutes |
| 1. Prediction about the content/text/video/audio | 1. Discussion about a topic |
| 2. During listening/reading activies – specific questions | 2. Elaborate and develop role-plays/small talks |
| 3. During listening/reading activities – identify situations (participants, relationship) | 3. Orientation about text organization, aspects etc. |
| 4. During listening/reading activities – metacognitive log, mind maps | 4. Group work to develop the stages of the writing process |
| 5. After listening/reading activities – exit slip |
Source: own elaboration
The following sections discuss general information on activities and methodology. The specific part will be in the topic: sessions and activities.
3.4.1. Receptive processes: listening and reading
For reading and listening activities those will be by internet on the laboratory or any other place with internet connection, the top down approach is the best option because it can use the learners’ background knowledge, where they will be able to comprehend the section even if they do not understand each word, also it is focus on construct meaning and the big idea.
Teacher is going to give learners activities of pre-reading/listening, during reading/listening and after reading/listening. A complete tool that can be used is Genially, the figure 7 show an example of it, there teachers can develop interactive gamified activities, it has a series of interesting resources that make possible to develop all receptive activities, an adaptation of classroom activities, strategies, and materials.
Figure 7. Genially interactive image example for reading and listening activities. (own elaboration)
Each button has an activity as can be seen on picture 8, for the student to develop, according to planning and objectives, texts, videos, audio, lyrics, etc. The first step is planning, to select a text/listening; the first button has to make students do some predictions about the exercises and/or content. The others can have reading/listening activities, the students can answer questions and complete a KWL chart and/or an exit slip.
Figure 8. Reading and listening linked activities examples. (own elaboration)
As a pre-reading/listening activity, students will predict, which is an excellent way to save time and improve understanding. In during reading/listening activity, noting questions, connections, and comprehension breakdowns, also share their thoughts with partners by emails or social class media.
Figure 9. KWL and metacognitive log examples. (own elaboration)
In figure 9 there is a metacognitive log example, this kind of activity can help to develop vocabulary and comprehension, also be used as a during activity or learning assessment. As after listening/reading activity, summarize the ideas about the text or video/audio using tables, mind maps to get the connections it is the possibility for checking understandings.
3.4.2. Production processes: speaking and writing
Speaking can be considered a production process because learners supposed to have accuracy, fluency and it is a process of creating meaning that combines receiving, processing, and producing information (Burns & Joyce, 1997). It is the most challenging skill because it occurs in real time and students must process quickly what is being said and answer it. Therefore, the activities are going to be worked in the classroom with learners’ interaction.
The activities will be based on Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) which uses the language for real situations, according to Richards (2015) the activities can be divided in categories of speaking skills like: small talk, conversations, transactions, discussions, and presentations. In rural education context, it is going to be used at the first moment small talks due to the disabilities that learners have, as development new activities can be added.
The writing activities are also going to be teach on classes, with teachers’ guidance whereas they need feedback that is essential for develop the skill. The writing stages allow interaction with teacher and the colleagues because reviewing the writing of others, learners build significant writing skill.
How writing is a creative process it must have a plan or steps to follow: the pre-writing will help learners to define some necessary points for it. After that, they are going to do drafting, which is getting the ideas on paper, remembering the word choice, punctuation etc. To finish the most important parts, the revision and editing those can be done by changing assignments between the learners.
The activities can relate to the online session, for discussion of topics and/or videos/texts seen, depending on the order of the groups. By engaging students in the online activities and vice-versa, teachers allow learners to retain the information for later use.
The step-by-step of the activities will be explained in the next topic.
3.5. Sessions and activities
Here are the lesson plans examples on table 6 and 7 according to each section, online and face-to-face, below there is an explanation about them.
Table 6. Lesson Plan for online session
Source: own elaboration
To start the activities, it is necessary that all students know the concepts of hybrid teaching, the methodology that will be adopted. So the first part is to bring all students together in a face-to-face section in the lab, so the teacher can explain the basic principles of internet access, security and how to behave in the virtual environment, the registration of emails, blogs’ creations and the operation of the lab rotation model which has to divide student in groups. After that, divide the groups that will work in the laboratory in the first place and those that will work in the classroom with twice meetings in a week.
To develop the online activity, the Genially website was chosen, which is free and easy to work with, where the teacher can provide material, activities and the student can access, in addition to the laboratory, any place and time. The teacher will provide students with links to websites that offer materials on the content, such as texts, documentaries, films, images, audios, podcasts. The students will do the activities in the website and the teacher will manage the answers. The doubts can be solved through email and / or chats.
Activity 1 – First, in his planning and development of activities, the teacher will select and link to the Genially website some image that is related to the content that will be developed. So that the student as the first activity has to predict it and fill in the link provided the KWL, with what he knows about what he thinks the content is and what he wants to know. In the exemplified context of this proposal, some images of objects characterizing the comparative and superlative: a tall and a short person, a beautiful place and an ugly one etc.
Activity 2 – The following is a video lesson related to the content, available on the Youtube platform or any other. The student will watch, pay attention and listen to, write down doubts etc, becoming the protagonist of his learning . The teacher’s role in this activity is to make the video available on the Genially site in advance according to his plan.
Activity 3 – After watching the video lessons, the student will summarize what he / she understood about it in a mind-map. The teacher’s role in this activity is to make the link on the Genially site in advance according to his plan, and to following up on responses.
Activity 4 – Then, other activities related to the content seen in the video lesson and in the prediction images begin,students will watch a music video of a song they should pay attention to and an activity related to it. Exemplifying again in the proposal, the song would be: treat you better from Shawn Mendes and the activity would be to answer if the song contains elements of comparison or superlative and if they like the song. In addition an exercise to complete the words heard that are missing. The teacher’s role in this activity is to make the link on the Genially site in advance according to his plan, and to following up on responses to verify the students’ understanding and preferences, in order to motivate and insert their participation.
Activity 5 – The next activity is related to reading, the orders can change, being in charge of the teacher’s planning, but remembering that has to be listening or reading activities. The student must identify the phrases with comparative and superlative, write possible doubts of vocabulary and / or research in depth to understand what is the text about.
Activity 6 – Still working on reading, the activity consists of the student completing the gaps with the comparative and superlative. The teachers’ role is to provide the activity and clarify doubts. These doubts can be answered through email and / or chats as well as in face-to-face sessions that will be held the following week in the group exchange.
Activity 7 – To close the online session, the student must end it with access to KWL again to answer the final part with what he/she learned about the content and activities worked on, in addition an exit slip.
This lesson plan is open to changes by the teacher in relation to the number of activities and /or their due orders.
Table 7. Lesson Plan for face-to-face session
Source: own elaboration
To start the activities, it is necessary that all students know the concepts of hybrid teaching, the methodology that will be adopted. So the first part is to explain how the activities will be developed, the group will have twice meetings in a week changing turns with the other group in the next week and so on. Alert students who may think that they will only study for two days that the activities to be developed are continuous and the other days necessary to complete, improve and etc.
Activity 1 – The first face-to-face activity consists of asking questions and explaining as stated above the methodology. As well as an explanation of the content to be worked on. Students must be positioned in class on the horseshoe.
Activity 2 – After the explanations, the first speaking activity starts, which can be a discussion related to the content / theme in question. In the case of the proposal, comparisons of Brazil with other countries. Students are invited to present phrases, examples, opinions and the teacher manage and encourage as well as elicit phrases with the correct forms of comparative and superlative and functions to link with the next activity. For example, in this discussion the forms of agreement and disagreement.
Activity 3 – For the next activity it is necessary for the teacher to provide small phrases or options that can be changed by the students in pairs in a conversation. Ex: I don’t agree, Brazil (or any other country) is the most beautiful place in the world. The teacher can choose to give the sentence and request them that it be changed or only the adjectives (crowded, hot) to create the sentences, or even only the options (Brazil, Argentina) to make their own comparisons. Students must create dialogues according to the information provided by the teacher, who will mediate and observe the activity, clearing doubts and checking the performances.
Activity 4 – In the next activity, students will be guided by the teacher regarding the writing process. The pairs with whom the previous activity worked will be exchanged so that there is more interaction with each other. The teacher will explain the stages of the writing process: developing ideas, drafting, revising, editing, sharing. Students will clarify their doubts, ask questions etc.
Activity 5 – After explaining the writing processes, the teacher will guide the activity in pairs, which will be done in collaboration. The first part in this case: listing, noting pros and cons student together will do it; the theme as the proposal example will be to write about your city compared to others, so that the proposed content can be applied. The drafting phase each student will produce and the revision, the students will change papers for the colleague to do the review. And finally, the editing that will take the final production that will serve as formative assessment, the digital portfolio that students will feed on days that they will not have face-to-face meetings.
3.6. Assessment
Finally, an evaluation of both the proposal and the learning results will be carried out.
3.6.1. Learning assessment
According to Luckesi (2001, p. 174), the assessment of learning at school has two objectives: to assist the student in his personal development process, from the teaching-learning process and to provide information to society about the quality of the educational work carried out. For this proposal the assessment will be continuous, a performance assessment because it has to consider the relation between action and the rural reality. It will reflect the learners’ ability to appropriate knowledge in interactive, collaborative, and cooperative activities. As authentic as the students will have the freedom to verify that the learning is aligned with the real-life situations and to become active in their own education.
This highlights the need to use as many activities as possible to help students and teachers in the process. It can include portfolios, projects, group, individual presentations, interactive tests that show results in real time, like the Kahoot tool. Self-assessment practices like a checklist below enhance students’ active participation in the process.
Table 8. Checklist example for continuous assessment
| QUESTIONS | ALWAYS | USUALLY | HARDLY NEVER | NEVER |
| Do you participate in activities? | ||||
| Do you perform all online activities? | ||||
| Are you regular at classes? | ||||
| Do you usually ask questions? | ||||
| Do you work as a team? | ||||
| Do you interact with your colleagues? | ||||
| Do you seek to solve problems by your own? | ||||
| Do you use creative strategies? | ||||
| Do you have clarity in oral activities? | ||||
| Do you speak without reading? | ||||
| Do you follow the writing steps? | ||||
| Do you write clearly? |
For each skill the instruments can be different, for speaking and listening: interviews, debate, dramatization, video creations and for writing and reading: journal, letter writing, observation guide. To this proposal the instruments chosen are the checklist performance above as a self assessment, a digital portfolio of writings that will be through a blog registered on the Blogger website as a summative/formative assessment and an end-term exam as a formative assessment, for learning.
As in everyday life, formative and summative coexist in school practices, the portfolio focuses on students’ development of activities carried out in the classroom, involves self-reflection, and condenses the knowledge obtained in the learning process.
The following rubric will be used to evaluate the blog texts produced on classes:
Table 9. Rubric model for digital portfolio
Source: own elaboration
The test will be carried out at the end of the two-month period divided into two parts. The first part the student responds individually, in a face-to-face session with limited time. The teacher must collect the instrument, correct it, and offer feedback to improve the first version of the test. The second part of the test, (if possible) in the next class, initiates the student to receive this first version and perform the test again. In the end, the student will receive a final grade according to the two versions and progress from one to another.
In the same direction, the test divided into two parts with feedback encourages the student to reflect, analyze and question themselves. This implies not only evaluating the content by mere acquisition, but also the evolution of other skills. To develop competences and monitor the quality of meaningful learning and the appropriation of learners’ knowledge, besides encourage the autonomy. Those are the instruments that will enrich the student as center of the learning.
3.6.2. Assessment of the proposal
The educational process has some particularities in many dimensions, this proposal sets up new criteria and instruments for rural education. It is hoped that the community will be prepared to follow the progress and the investments in pedagogical innovation grow to bring new knowledge to rural learners. And therefore, to evaluate the proposal, a questionnaire will be applied at the end of the semester to the educational community: teachers, managers and students and parents.
Table 8. Proposal evaluation questionnaire
| YES | NO | RECOMMENDATIONS | |
| Was it appropriate for the school level? | |||
| Were the resources used well? | |||
| Were the activities well developed? | |||
| Was it enough time? | |||
| Was there lack of interest on part of the students? | |||
| Was there participation? | |||
| Was it able to achieve students’ autonomy? | |||
| Was there effective learning? | |||
| Other comments? |
Source: own elaboration
From the verification of the answers, reconsider, modify and improve the proposal in order that it reaches the objectives and complies with the needs of the students.
4. Discussion
The results and objectives of this proposal are in line with the studies being developed on hybrid education, as can be seen in the literature review. In addition to these results, it is possible to contribute to the practice and be an option to alleviate the current problem that pandemic has brought. This intervention proposal aims to develop the theories studied, and instruct students’ digital competence. This competence, as well as autonomy in learning, is expected to be acquired through hybrid teaching. As Charles Filho (2006) mentions, this method comes to facilitate students’ experiences and the teaching method.
Although Moran (2013) mentions challenges, we must not forget that hybrid learning brings innovation. And for the English discipline, innovation is an impulse to increase motivation and generate value acquisition. As well as the appropriation of language skills (listening, reading, speaking, and writing). This is in line with McCombs and Pope (1994), who argue that all students are motivated to learn, as long as they are exposed to an appropriate context and suitable methods.
Considering the possible results through the application of this proposal it can be said that the pedagogical process would be streamlined, and the traditional model modified. The rotational model demonstrates great effectiveness, the possibility of working with a small number of students per group favors greater integration and understanding of activities and content. The main axis of the proposal aims to provide two models of learning: classroom mode and online mode. These occur to offer different ways of acquiring knowledge: connected, sharing experiences, as the hybrid learning is continuous. The development of this process would be marked by collaborative actions with the appropriation of knowledge in an updated way. As Bacich et al. (2015) says, a methodological combination impacts the teaching situations and the students’ action in the learning environment.
In addition to the role of the educator who in this process would be a facilitator that generates empathy and motivation in the search for learning, as well as selecting relevant activities and developing a guiding script, instead of the traditional model of transmitting information.
If we want students to be proactive, we need to adopt methodologies in which students are involved in complex activities, in which they have to make decisions and evaluate their results with the support of relevant materials. An unconnected student with no digital domain misses countless opportunities, the chance to access rich-information materials and communicate with others around the world. After all, isn’t communication what all are looking for in a foreign language? And this possibility must also be instigated in rural schools.
5. Conclusions
At the end of this work, some considerations must be explained, this proposal is necessary to expand visions and instigate reflections. This study aimed to analyze exactly the possibilities of hybrid education and it was found that it is a methodology that contributes to learning, especially English, allowing to improve language skills. This is due to the use of tools that make it possible to approach different forms of interaction between online and offline activities.
The online mode allows the student to become autonomous, allows him to organize his time for learning. Concealing with the classroom mode that contributes to collaboration, optimizing with discussions and problem solving.
The possibilities of implementation in rural education are beyond expectations, as these students, due to social conditions, are not familiar with the technologies. And relating to the study of a new language, learning will become more meaningful and encouraging.
The proposal is relevant since it differentiates from the traditional one, as it proposes new dynamic and innovative situations. Although a compilation of experiences with hybrid learning is necessary to obtain quantitative data to further promote the development of the educational environment.
6. Limitations and further research
In the following section, an analysis of the limitations of the research is offered and, later, the prospective on future lines of research.
6.1. Limitations
Thinking of the proposal application in general, there are still some limitations regarding the organization of Brazilian education which has many issues like: access to technology in schools, lack of teacher training in the use of digital resources and attachment of many students/parents to the traditional teaching model, based on the teacher’s idea as the center of the teaching process and learning. However, by the challenges generated by the current conditions of the pandemic, showed that it is necessary to have options, new teaching methods in different contexts.
Considering the execution of this dissertation the limitations was regarding the results, because to make this analysis it seems to be necessary to apply the proposal, what does not occur due to pre-established criteria, besides working with hypothetical results is somewhat vague. In addition, the development time in line with other subjects, practice, tests, and personal work, leaves the dissertation in the background and does not have the full attention to perform satisfactorily at first.
6.2. Further research
From this work, it opens the possibility of reflection and deepening in research that allows the breaking of borders, going beyond traditional methods, aiming at a new educational paradigm. Also, a study of the application of hybrid education with few resources to expand the bias. The application challenges are visible, but it is up to society to help qualify our education and develop the progression of evolution. It is a joint, continuous construction, fulfilling the objectives of hybrid education and adapting to the English language, perhaps in the future to other subjects.
References
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Bielschowsky, C. (n.d.). Qualidade na educação superior a distância no Brasil: onde estamos, para onde vamos? EaD em Foco.
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Christensen, C. M., Horn, M. B., & Johnson., C. W. (2008). Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns. McGraw-Hill.
Christensen, C. M., Horn, M. B., & Staker, H. (2013, Maio). K-12 education. Retrieved from Christensen Institute: www.christenseninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Is K-12-blended-learning-disruptive.pdf
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Gomes, P. (2014, Fevereiro 20). Ensino híbrido é o único jeito de transformar a educação: entrevista com Michael Horn. Retrieved from Porvir: porvir.org/ensino-hibrido-e unico-jeito-de-transformar-educacao/20140220/
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Annexes
Read the text below.
Josh is a university student and he is twenty-nine years old. Actually, he’s older than his sister and his brother. Josh likes to play baseball on weekends and he always plays well – some people say that nobody plays as well as Josh, which means he’s the best player in town.
Josh is dating a nice girl and they want to get married as soon as possible. Josh is younger than his girlfriend but it’s not a problem. Josh’s girlfriend is one of the most important people in his life and they really like each other.
Josh started a business and he’s saving money to buy a house. He knows it’s not easy but he really believes he’ll succeed because he’s doing his best.
2. Identify the comparative and superlative sentences in the text.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Create other 2 sentences using comparative and superlative about the text.
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1. Read the text and identify the comparative and the superlative adjective.
Brazil and Argentina are two of the countries that belong to the South American continent. There is a big rivalry between these neighbours, rivalry that goes beyond the football issue. The quest for political and cultural supremacy has a long story, and it started in the colonial times, when Portugal and Brazil divided the world, spliting the South American continent between them.
Cultural rivalries were always present in Brazil and Argentina, and the sports fields have been the perfect spot for these conflicts to emerge. No matter if Brazil is the biggest of all the South American countries, if its economy is the seventh largest in the world, Argentineans are the loudest and most loyal supporters in the world. As supporters they are far better than the Brazilians, but we can´t forget that Pelé is greater than Maradona.
Reading activities examples created in Genially from brainly.com.br and englishexperts.com.br
1Initial years correspond to elementary and final years correspond to middle school.
2John Dewey quote on Teaching and Learning: “If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.”
3 The Basic Education School Census is a survey carried out annually by the Instituto National Institute of Educational Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira (Inep) in articulation with the State and Municipal Education Secretariats, being mandatory to establishments public and private basic education, as determined by art. 4th of Decree No. 6,425 / 2008.
4 Mixed grades, ages and contents. Example: 6th and 7th grade together in the same class.
5 Curricular proposal of municipal schools in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, 2015.