(Blended) Learning: How Traditional Best Teaching Practices Impact Blended-Learning Classrooms

Decades of research have shown that the quality of instruction a student receives has a greater impact than any other factor on his or her learning, but the emergence of the blended-learning model has caused many teachers and leaders to focus on innovation and changing practices rather than on developing the research-based teacher practices that have a demonstrated positive impact on students’ learning. Through observations of and interviews with six teachers, this study shows that best teaching practices from traditional classrooms – especially (1) demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness, (2) using assessment in instruction, and (3) engaging students – do, in fact, have a substantial impact on student learning in blended-learning classrooms. These results should help leaders and teachers understand where to focus their time and energy in order to improve student learning. Key Words: blended learning, teacher practices, instructio