Social Sciences and Humanities Open (Jan 2024)
Challenges of blended learning in higher education across global north-south: A systematic and integrative literature review
Abstract
Integrating traditional in-person and online learning, commonly called blended learning, has gained immense popularity and is proposed as a sustainable solution to higher education crises. However, numerous studies, including review studies, have identified challenges within the blended learning paradigm. Despite such efforts, there is a dearth of a comprehensive study that formulates a barriers model considering the impediments faced simultaneously by key stakeholders, namely students, teachers, and administrators, while also being sensitive to the global educational landscape amidst the recent crisis. To address this void, we conducted a systematic literature review combined with an integrative literature review, leading the selection of 39 relevant studies out of an initial pool of 642, published from 2000 to 2023, strictly adhering to the PRISMA guidelines. The data was analysed based on inductive and deductive coding in accordance with the research questions. The main findings of this study introduce a conceptual barriers model of blended learning, informed by the Community of Inquiry framework, comprising the 16 identified barriers hindering the implementation of blended learning. Significantly, our study brings to light the differing nature of blended learning barriers affecting the Global North and Global South. Besides, the review underscores passive learning, design limitations, and deficiencies in training as central challenges in the blended learning domain among the 16 identified barriers. We also develop a 12-factor conceptualisation of the term blended learning. Further, our review highlights a significant gap in scholarly research on blended learning barriers emerging from the Humanities and Social Sciences, particularly at the postgraduate level. Additionally, it underscores a lack of multi-stakeholder approaches and cross-disciplinary analyses in the existing literature. Findings from this study have implications for students, teachers, and institutions by providing insights for successfully implementing blended learning practices. It underscores the necessity for tailored, region-specific policy interventions to mitigate blended learning challenges. The study concludes by proposing the potential of the blended learning barriers model for identifying specific areas that warrant further exploration and enhancement within the field of blended learning.
