This paper investigates the effectiveness of a blended learning environment through analyzing the relationship between student characteristics/background, design features and learning outcomes. It is aimed at determining the significant predictors of blended learning effectiveness taking student characteristics/background and design features as independent variables and learning outcomes as dependent variables. A survey was administered to 238 respondents to gather data on student characteristics/background, design features and learning outcomes. The final semester evaluation results were used as a measure for performance as an outcome. We applied the online self regulatory learning questionnaire for data on learner self regulation, the intrinsic motivation inventory for data on intrinsic motivation and other self-developed instruments for measuring the other constructs. Multiple regression analysis results showed that blended learning design features (technology quality, online tools and face-to-face support) and student characteristics (attitudes and self-regulation) predicted student satisfaction as an outcome. The results indicate that some of the student characteristics/backgrounds and design features are significant predictors for student learning outcomes in blended learning.

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Pre-service teachers need to acquire information and communications technology (ICT) competency in order to integrate ICT into their teaching practices. This research was conducted to investigate to what extent ICT-related variables-such as perceived ICT competence, perceived competence in ICT integration, attitudes toward ICT, anxiety around ICT usage, external barriers to ICT integration, ICT-related courses, pedagogical knowledge, and prior experience concerning the use of ICT-predict the dependent variable "integration of ICT into teaching practices" for pre-service teachers. Data were gathered from 599 pre-service teachers from the subject areas of Turkish language, social sciences, elementary mathematics, and science in their fourth year of training programs. The study indicated that pedagogical knowledge, ICT-related courses, and perceived ICT competence significantly predicted integration of ICT into teaching practice. These three variables predicted and accounted for 17% of the integration of ICT into teaching practices. The findings of this study showed that pre-service teachertraining programs, especially pedagogical knowledge and ICT-related courses, have a significant effect in enabling pre-service teachers to use ICT in their teaching practices. IntroductionTeachers facilitate student learning, creativity and innovation by using their knowledge of the subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology (ISTE, 2008). In this regard, information and communications technology (ICT) plays an important role in enabling teachers and students to teach and learn more effectively. The integration of ICT into education necessitates teachers to be competent in the use of ICT. In other words, teachers are required to have adequate ICT competencies to make use of ICT for education (Goktaş, Yildirim, & Yildirim, 2009). Thomas and Knezek (2008) point out that, teachers in both real and virtual schools and classrooms must be equipped with technology resources and skills to provide learning experiences effectively. These teachers will have the ability to develop innovative ways of using technology to enhance the learning environment, and to promote technology literacy, knowledge deepening, and knowledge creation (UNESCO, 2011a). The effective integration of ICT into education can be thought to enable effective citizens and workers to acquire functional and critical thinking skills such as information literacy, media literacy, and ICT literacy in the 21st century (Partnership, 2015). For that reason, one of the goals of the schools systems in many countries is to ensure that students

Available research has explored a wide variety of factors influencing information and communication technologies (ICT) adoption and integration in classroom teaching; however, existing research seldom centre on the combined impact of these variables. In addition, the little research available is set up in the Chinese context. The latter is important given that the different cultural context in which the interplay between teacher beliefs and educational practices has only been documented quiet little. The present study centres on the complex interplay of a number of internal teacher variables to explain ICT classroom integration. These variables comprise 'teachers' constructivist teaching beliefs', 'teacher attitudes towards computers in education', 'teachers' computer motivation', 'teacher perception of ICT-related policy'. A survey was set up, involving 820 Chinese primary school teachers. Path modeling was used to explore the direct and indirect effects of the teacher-related variables on their level of ICT classroom integration. Firstly, two distinctive types of ICT use can be distinguished in the Chinese context: (a) teacher supportive use of ICT that refers to the use of ICT for e.g. student administration, preparing worksheets, developing evaluation activities; and (b) classroom use of ICT to support and enhance the actual teaching and learning process. The results show that classroom use of ICT directly depends on teachers' computer motivation and the supportive use of ICT. Teachers' constructivist beliefs, their attitudes towards computers in education and perceptions about the ICT-related school policy influence ICT integration in an indirect way. The results demonstrate how the complex interplay between teacher-related variables and ICT integration in the classroom is partly in line with findings in non-Asian contexts. A number of differences can be explained by the particular Chinese context. In particular an indirect relationship was found between teachers' constructivist beliefs and their level of ICT integration

This study examines teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the organizational culture of their universities and their views about and reactions to instructional innovations with regard to student-centred learning, collaborative learning and use of innovative educational technologies. Six Chinese universities were involved and in total 1051 students and teachers participated in a survey study. The results show that features of organizational culture affect students’ and teachers’ perceived need for innovation, their views about innovative approaches to instruction, responsiveness to instructional innovations and the perceived implementation level of educational innovations. In addition, differences among teachers and students and among the institutions were examined and discussed.

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