Abstract:

Due to the covid-19 pandemic, the process of instruction was moved from real classrooms to the online environment at all levels of education. In the Slovak Republic, schools were closed in spring 2020 for the first time. Then, starting from autumn 2020, another closure followed which covered a period of several months until spring 2020. This period started and ended with a couple of weeks of face-to-face instruction but most of the lessons were held in the online distance way. To achieve success and meet requirements and expected outcomes of the syllabus was the challenge for older learners in upper secondary and higher education. However, younger learners were also expected to meet the requirements. Whether they can succeed if they are taught in the blended learning manner, that is, in face-to-face lessons at the beginning and at the end of the observed period, and in online distance lessons between them, was the main research question. The research objective was to find out whether younger learners (aged 10-12) are able to succeed in this form of blended learning when autonomous learning and strong motivation are a necessary precondition. We compared learners´results in the pretest (detecting the entrance knowledge) and posttest (monitoring final knowledge) in the subject of English language. Both tests were of identical structure and included 60 tasks each. If a statistically significant difference was detected between the pretest and posttest scores, the process of blended learning was considered successfull. In addition, reflecting a low age of learners, who do not have autonomous learning sufficiently developed at this age, we also considered their results from the poin of view of individual motivation types. In total, 123 learners participated in the research. First, individual motivation type was tested by Motivation Type Inventory by Plaminek, who distinguishes four types of motivators: directors, accurators, explorers, and coordinators. Second, learners´ entrance knowledge was tested. Third, lessons were conducted in the blended learning manner following the face-to-face / online distance / face-to-face concept. Fourth, learners´final knowledge was assessed. The results show that statistically significant differences in the test score were discovered with learners of all motivation types; however, the increase in knowledge was significantly higher with explorers and coordinators.

Keywords:

Covid-19, blended learning, motivation type.