Student Voices on Blended Learning in English for Specific Purposes

Blended learning has become increasingly important in Saudi higher education under Vision 2030, particularly for English for Specific Purposes (ESP) instruction. This study used a convergent parallel mixed-methods design to collect quantitative data through a survey that included eighty-seven participants and qualitative data through three focus groups that included twenty-two undergraduate students from medicine, engineering, and business departments at a private university in Saudi Arabia’s western region. The students expressed positive views about blended learning because they believed it provided flexible learning options. They found the interactive synchronous activities to be highly effective, especially the live quizzes and the breakout room discussions. The research identified five major obstacles, which included: participants experiencing difficulties with completing their asynchronous tasks, participants lacking drive to engage in self-study, participants facing problems with their internet connection, participants encountering challenges when trying to understand technical vocabulary from online materials, and participants lacking immediate feedback for their asynchronous assignments. Thematic analysis identified six overarching themes: (1) device and connectivity challenges, (2) time management and self‑discipline, (3) value of interactive synchronous activities, (4) isolation and feedback gaps in asynchronous work, (5) linguistic and motivational obstacles, and (6) instructor and peer support as success factors. The course design requirements establish a need to create educational experiences which combine interactive learning methods with planned asynchronous learning activities.