USING VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN SUPPORTING THE TEACHING OF ACTION RESEARCH TO ENHANCE THE LEARNING ACHIEVEMENT AND LEARNING PARTICIPATION OF BHUTANESE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Abstract

This study explored the use of Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) in supporting the teaching of action research to enhance the learning achievement and learning participation of undergraduate students in Bhutan. Although the use of VLE is becoming increasingly important at the university level in Bhutan, only a limited number of studies have been focused in this field. The study pursued a quantitative approach, adopting a quasi-experimental study with an experimental pretest-posttest control group design. A sample of 68 B. Ed second year students were selected to participate in the study by clustered random sampling. The participants were further divided into two groups, namely control and experimental group. Each group had 34 participants. The experimental group received VLE aided instructions while the control group received instructions through traditional lecture method. Instruments such as achievement tests and questionnaires were used to collect the quantitative data. After performing satisfactory validity and reliability checks, the quantitative data assembled from achievement tests and questionnaires were analyzed and interpreted using inferential statistics t-test with p<0.05 level of significance, mean, standard deviation and descriptive statistics frequency. The posttest achievements scores of experimental and control groups had increased by 16.2 and 8.41 respectively. Students in the experimental group were highly involved in active learning participation while they were taught with the support of VLE. The findings emphasizes that teaching action research module with the support of VLE enhances the students’ learning achievement as well as learning participation.