Becoming
and being a blended/online teacher is a continuous, dynamic process that
involves the teacher, who acts in a context and takes into account the
students. The main purpose of the research presented in this dissertation was
to examine the implementation and deliberate application of blended and online
learning practices in higher education from a holistic teacher perspective. Although
context always influences teachers’ behavior, the teacher always has the ability
to realize change in his/her practice. Even under very difficult circumstances,
people can always choose how they react to change, to choose their own way.
The
results in this dissertation bring together different aspects of teachers’
professional identity in relation to blended and online learning practices.
First of all, a combination of adaptive teacher attributes emerged in chapter
1: in particular a combination of teacher beliefs, attitudes and competences
that stimulate the adoption of blended learning. Four maladaptive attributes rather
hinder the adoption of blended learning, ranging from more teacher-centered beliefs
about education, to an unclear understanding of the pedagogical concept.
Chapter two zoomed in on teachers’ beliefs about blended learning and the
relationship between beliefs and practice. An important finding concerned the
distinction in teachers’ beliefs that can be evaluative or descriptive in
nature.
Chapter
three and four originated in the corona pandemic, and therefore focused more on
online learning practice and a desired return to blended learning. Tensions
emerged in different domains such as opportunities and threats for the digital
learning process or the relationship/distance with colleagues and the students.
Chapter four investigated contextual factors, perceived as influential for
online and blended learning practices. This final chapter discussed the results
on two levels: apparent contradictions between the results, and aspects of
teachers’ mindset in relation to practice and a group dimension. Although further
research is required to further understand the complex interplay between online
and blended learning and the teacher, we hope that the findings given
throughout this dissertation are helpful for practitioners involved with online
and blended learning in higher education. Even after a period of intense online
education during the corona pandemic, it must be emphasized that the deliberate
application of online learning and (a return to) blended learning remains a
complex and continuing endeavor.