Systematic literature review on the impact of Blended Learning in promoting student engagement and autonomy: findings and recommendations

Abstract

Education has been transformed due to the insertion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) within the school environment. Among the methodologies used by educators, Blended Learning has been considered, which enables greater flexibility, autonomy, and engagement of students. This article presents the results of a literature review to better understand how the application of Hybrid Learning can contribute to student autonomy and engagement, as well as whether it produces more meaningful learning for students. In our research, 21 articles published in the last decade were evaluated, with 50% published in the year 2022, 30% of the articles published in 2021, and 20% published between the years 2015 to 2020, which provided us with a more recent critical view of the literature. Authors generally evaluated the use of Blended Learning positively regarding student engagement, autonomy, and more significant learning. Studies have shown that the inclusion of technology in the classroom, such as Moodle, Teams, Zoom, Kahoot, and Canvas, can improve teacher-student interaction. Additionally, the creation of engaging learning scenarios, support and interaction with students, and encouragement to carry out weekly activities were crucial factors for success in blended learning. However, the review also revealed limitations such as a limited number of studies from South American countries and a lack of standardization in the definition of blended learning. The findings allowed the creation of a guide with recommendations for teachers regarding the use of blended learning, and suggest that blended learning has the potential to improve student engagement and autonomy.