A BLENDED LEARNING TO EXPLORE STUDENTS UNDERSTANDING OF PUBLIC SPEAKING IN THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT OF MUHAMMADIYAH UNIVERSITY OF PONOROGO

Ferdinand Arya Putra. A Blended Learning Approach to Explore Students' Understanding of Public Speaking in the English Department at Muhammadiyah University of Ponorogo. Thesis. English Education Department, Muhammadiyah University of Ponorogo. Advisors: (1) Dr. Bambang Harmanto, S.Pd., M.Pd., (2) Dwiana Binti Yulianti, S.Pd., M.Pd.
This study aimed to explore the implementation of blended learning in the Public Speaking course, students’ understanding of Public Speaking through blended learning, and the challenges they encountered during the learning process. This study employed a descriptive qualitative research design. The participants consisted of one lecturer and four second-semester students of the English Education Department at Muhammadiyah University of Ponorogo. The data were collected through observations and semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the interactive model of Miles and Huberman.
The findings showed that blended learning was implemented by combining online learning and face-to-face learning. Online learning was used to deliver materials, facilitate discussions, and assign tasks through digital platforms, while face-to-face learning focused on speaking practice and presentations. The results also indicated that blended learning helped students improve their understanding of Public Speaking by providing flexible access to learning materials, encouraging independent learning, and enhancing their speaking skills and confidence. However, students still experienced several challenges, including unstable internet connections, difficulties in understanding online materials, limited speaking practice, lack of confidence.
The study concludes that blended learning is an effective approach to support students’ understanding of Public Speaking by integrating the advantages of online and face-to-face learning. Despite several challenges, students were able to overcome them through independent learning, collaboration with peers, and continuous speaking practice.
Keywords: Blended Learning, Public Speaking, Students’ Understanding, Qualitative Study.