Success factors for hybrid teaching

Hybrid teaching and hybrid learning have often been considered disruptive innovations in the field of education. Hybrid teaching and hybrid learning offer a new definition for what is good teaching and what produces good learning experiences and outcomes. The term “hybrid” is difficult to define since it is used in diverse ways in different educational settings by different educators. In this study, we define hybrid teaching as regularly scheduled face-to-face meetings explicitly integrated with significant online learning activities that replace onsite sessions. This paper aims at identifying successful hybrid teaching. The research data was gathered with 12 semi-structured teacher interviews in a higher education institute. The interviews were composed of three selected themes: technology, pedagogics and teaching contents. The data analysis combined thematic and content analysis, for this combination allowed classifications and comparisons of the data, as well as identifying completely new data patterns. As a result, four success factors for hybrid teaching were identified. The first success factor, teachers’ pedagogical skills, include the planning of the course and the actions taken during the hybrid session. The second success factor, teacher’s identity, refers to the can-do-attitude towards hybrid teaching and to the courage of trying new tools and pedagogical solutions. Organizational practices were discovered as a third success factor. These practices include, for example, arranging the timetables, deciding group sizes and the possibility to teach in pairs. The fourth success factor was educational technologies and facilities. This relates to the software and applications used and to other technologies like cameras and microphones of the classroom. Based on this study, it can be concluded that a successful hybrid teaching requires not only a skilled and open-minded teacher but also organizational and technological practices to support the teachers’ work