b. Mr. Chelto’s lived experience in implementing blended learning.
My thesis supervisor, Mr. Mukarto, suggested that I try to contact Mr. Chelto in PBI Sanata Dharma for my research participant. I directly contacted him
because actually we belong to the same Whatsapp group of PBI 2000. Mr. Chelto and I were at the same batch in our undergraduate. I texted him in April 2015 and
directly asked him if he was willing to be my research participant. I told him that my I was working on teachers‟ lived experience in implementing blended
learning. He granted my wish but I could start the following semester since his class almost finished at that moment.
Based on the interview transcript, it is indicated that in Mr. Chelto‟s class, there are some benefits of blended learning. First, that it is more powerful in term
of having abundant learning source. He said: “Anytime I and they needed source, we just explored in the
internet. I, in the classroom, could search for sources while teaching” 2-C2-BEN.
When he previously still used conventional class, he noticed that many of his students brought laptop to the class to search for learning sources. His
students, as well as him, will easily find any kind of learning sources. Although not all sources are reliable, it is really helpful. He also said that although it was
hard in the beginning but in the implementation it will ease to explore further. The second benefit indicated is it is easier than traditional classes. He
stated that when he still applied the traditional class, the preparation before it caused him troublesome. “I had to provide handout, make material and so on,” he
said 2-C2-BEN. It caused him troublesome to seek material and so on. He argued that his students also need easiness. He said: “
“Now in the office I can prepare material for the class. I can do it too from home 2-C2-BEN.
With technology, his job as a teacher e.g. to prepare material, to search
learning sources is assisted. According to him, blended learning is helpful. What he needed to do was to search the material, uploaded it before the class and
facilitated the learning process in class. The third benefit reflected is it promotes more intense interaction.
Moreover, he facilitated the interaction using a mobile phone application called Whatsapp WA. He used this group to promote his students‟ motivation in
blended learning class. He said: “There is a WA group of the class. I can interact with my students
almost unlimitedly” 2-C4-BEN. In this group, he and his students can interact almost unlimitedly. He also
said that actually in blended learning class already allows us to interact unlimitedly. Hence, they can share idea and discuss something with all members.
Consequently, they can be close with one another with the help of technology. He once again emphasized that actually using blended learning already promotes
more intense interaction. He then explained how significant it is in his class. He said that if the teacher creates gap with his students, the communication process
will tend to be one way. He said:” If for me, I open myself for communication so that
there is
two-way communication,
for more
comfortable learning
circumstances. Therefore, the can learn more relax and if there is a question they will not hesitate to ask” 2-C5-BEN.
In another part of the interview he stated that his every blended learning class is interesting. He said:
“Interaction in blended learning class is interesting for me. It is because the interaction can be intense” 2-C31-BEN.
He also said that during his conventional class interaction had already
taken place. He said: “There were students who interacted and discussed with me
outside the class. But it was very limited. It is different from now. Discussion can take place at any moment” 2-C31-BEN.
The fourth benefit reflected is the student can be more independent. He
said: “They can be independent learners. I have uploaded the material.
They downloaded, read and opened video outside the class. They explored either in or outside the class” 2-C27-BEN.
Independence in learning happened both outside and in the classroom. It
happened when they explore to the internet. His students do almost all activities required by themselves. They became independent learners.
The fifth benefit indicated is that it serves as a means for students to show their creativity. He said:
“Blended learning can also be used as a means to show their creativity. I like their creativity in completing video project 2-
C28-BEN. He said that in relation with his feeling. He said that it was fun to
implement it. Concerning constraint, there were two constraints in his blended learning
class. First, it is student‟s motivation. He stated that in the beginning of the interview. He said: “Their motivation was still low” 2-C3-CON. In the
beginning when he started implementing blended learning in his class. Motivation became the major constraint. He said:
“However, generally their motivation was still low when they came for the first time to the class. I can see it from the passive
participation in the forum” 2-C3-CON. He countered the low motivation using well-founded interaction in the
class. He then stated that his students were able to build their motivation. He said: “But, as time goes by they managed to fit the new system” 2-C3-CON.
The second constraint was the internet connection. In the beginning ot the interview he indicated that he would mention it as a constrain in his class. He said:
“For connection, we all know how it is in our region” 2-C3-CON. He had some experience related to it. It was when he had in-class meeting. He said:
“I once uploaded videos. Because they accessed at the same time, it buffered.” Consequently, they took longer time to open the
video. They had to wait for the video to load” 2-C13-CON. He finally underlined: “The connection was not really strong” 2-C13-
CON. In addition to it, when I asked him about having a test using Exelsa he said he never had. He was afraid to conduct a test using it due to the internet
connection. He said: “I am afraid if the connection will suddenly be down. When it
happens it must become problem” 2-C19-CON. Concerning teaching methodology, he expressed that there is no single of
it that is applicable to all of his classes. He said: “I do not embrace rigid guideline in class about the steps. I make
my class as fluid as possible” 2-C8-MET.
He would decide what to do based on the student‟s need. He said: “It means that if they need discussion they will do. If they need
exploration they will do. It is also possible that after they discuss they explor
e in the internet” 2-C8-MET. This varied steps happened frequently almost in all his classes. He
exemplified in his LTM class. He said:
“For example, it is in my LTM class. I uploaded material before discussion. They explored they started discussion they explored to
gain more input” 2-C28-MET. Discussion could still be carried out in the audio visual laboratory.
Students sat on the floor during the discussion. When they all have finished, they continued in Exelsa forum. When he discussed a certain topic related to computer
program he applied different steps, too. He said: “We once discussed computer software. In class we had
workshop. In workshop, I presented how to use the program. It is according to what they need” 2-C9-MET.
Then, his students practiced using it. He added that the emphasis of his LTM class was on discussion, elaboration and workshop if needed.
In his interpreting class, he applied a bit different of steps. He said: “In Interpreting class, students read, browsed the material
watched video. All is done outside the class. In class, they practiced” 2-C10-MET.
What his students do in the class was to practice. He provided the material
and his students practiced to interpret. It is a branch of blended learning. He called it a flipped learning class. This activity happened continuously for the whole
semester. When they are done with the practice they continued with the forum. He said that it is a means for them to discuss. They could post a question and other
students responded. Concerning teacher function, he said that he facilitated the learning
activity. It happened not only in the class but also in the forum. He expressed his role as facilitator in discussion forum. He said: “I am involved means I facilitated
them to seek sol ution” 2-C6-TEA. When a student raised a question he
facilitated to find the answer. He continued:
“I facilitated when they were discussing. I let them find their answer. I helped to underline their answer” 2-C6-TEA.
In another part of the interview he explained his role in the classroom. In
classroom, he also facilitated his student‟s need and monitored their progress. He said:
“If they needed workshop, I administered it. When they were discussing, I only directed the discussion” 2-C12-TEA
He let his students to actively take part during the discussion. If for
example, his student faced difficulty in operating a computer program he would help.
Concerning feeling, he stated that blended learning is fun. He said: “Well, for sure, I feel that it is fun. And actually, it eases me” 2-
C28-FEE.
He felt that blended learning was fun because he can monitor his students‟ progress more carefully. In his class, his students progress in their own phase.
Therefore, he can monitor his students individually. When there is a student who finds difficulty in certain topic, he can discuss with him. He can monitor his
students‟ progress through a computer. He also expressed that it is fun in relation to interaction. He said: “Also,
being able to interact more int ensely is fun” C-28-BEN. As stated in the
previous description, interaction is more intense. The medias for the interaction are LMS forum and Whatsapp. He really enjoyed it. In addition to feeling, he also
said: “I like their creativity in completing the video project” C-28-BEN. For him, blended learning serves as a means to express creativity.
Concerning project based learning he said that making project served as the main basis for the assessment. He said:
“For the assessment I required them to make project. In LTM class I required them to make audio visual media. In interpreting
they recorded their voice” 2-C20-BEN. In his LTM class the project is to create audio visual media. While for the
Interpreting class he required them to interpret something and record it. In the beginning of the semester, he announced that he assigned a project. He monitored
and facilitated them to accomplish it. he often helped them when they found difficulty in operating a computer program. When I asked him why he applied it
in his classes he argued that by using it they can hand on experience and gain deeper understanding. They could express themselves in their project. He also said
that it was fun to watch their videos. Project was their top of learning for the whole semester.
Concerning creativity, he said that it emerges in the project. He said that: by using project, they can express their creativity. He argued that being a teacher
must be creative. Creativity became the reason why he liked applying project. He said:
“What I like from applying project is, based on my experience, there will be kinds of creativity” 2-C22-CRE.
He said that he once found a video with fabulous editing process that made
it interesting to be a learning media. He also added that creativity would be beneficial for their students. He said that when they come to the working world
they would be able to create English learning activity interestingly. When I confirmed that project based learning accommodates student‟s creativity he
referred to Bloom taxonomy. He said that when we referred to Bloom taxonomy, creating or creativity is on the top.
Concerning self actualization, he said that blended learning accommodates his students to actualize themselves. He said: “And the more important thing is
that they can actualize themselves in blended learning class.” In his class, his students can show who they are and how creative they are. They could become
their own selves. He said that Abraham Maslow is used as reference. He said: “If we follow pyramid from Abraham Maslow, the position of self actualization is on
the top.” According to him, that is another side that must be achieved. He once again stated that blended learning enables them to actualize themselves. However,
there are some ways to do that. He said: “Self actualization can be in the form of performing well in the test or creating something innovative a
ccording to them” 2-C-25-SEL.
B. INTERPRETATION
In this subchapter, the interpretation of teachers‟ lived experience is presented. The interpretation is based on narrative data that has been previously
described. The interpretation section is generally divided into two sections. They are prefigured themes and emerging themes.
As described in the previous section, some prominent issues emerged in this research. Those issues are goal, benefit, constraint, project based-learning,
creativity and self actualization. Those are the main discussion in this interpretation section.
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