Abstract:
The traditional teaching approaches adopted in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses often
lead to students’ disengagement. Therefore, the blended teaching approach that focuses on
integrating the best of technology and pedagogy has become more prevalent and captured the
attention of researchers and educators. Although several studies have examined the effectiveness
of blended learning (BL) in various EFL courses, there is a paucity of studies examining the
effectiveness of BL in ESP courses. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of
implementing the blended teaching approach in ESP courses by measuring the extent to which the
blended teaching approach in English for Computer Science courses creates a flexible, thorough,
and authentic learning environment that meets students' diverse needs and interests. It was
informed by a case study using a mixed-method research design. Data collection instruments
involve a semi-structured interview conducted with six students, a needs analysis questionnaire, a
quasi-experiment, and a course evaluation checklist carried out with fifty participants. First-year
Master's students of computer science at Mostaganem University (Algeria) were selected as a
study sample during the academic year 2018–2019. The findings of the study indicate that using
different modes of teaching could positively impact student achievement and engagement and
increase their autonomy and motivation. This pedagogical shift could also be offered as an
alternative approach to overcome the hindrances of traditional classes since the conventional
nature of ESP courses taught throughout the year program before implementing the blended
courses was not adequate to meet the students' academic and professional needs. The participants
had positive attitudes toward implementing the blended teaching approach in ESP courses as the
latter could expand teaching context boundaries from the traditional classroom to the virtual
classroom, enabling students to learn at their own pace. Based on the results, the students
expressed their willingness for blended teaching to make the ESP courses constructively
associated with their academic and professional specialisations. Nevertheless, they expressed
dissatisfaction with the virtual interaction while learning. The overall findings of the study reveal
the increasing necessity for the implementation of a blended ESP course in the current computer
science department. These findings lead to pedagogical implications of considering the
construction of course assignments covering students' areas of interest in connection with the
multimedia features. Implications for leveraging students' digital resources and ongoing critical
feedback and reflective teaching practices were also suggested as necessary for students' ESP
mastery. A proposed ESP syllabus based on the stakeholders' needs within a blended learning
environment was also recommended. The study also recommends the provision of teacher training
as a first step towards the necessary improvements
