Pre-service music teachers’ understanding of blended learning: implications for teaching post COVID-19

The significant increase in online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic has created a heightened need for educators to implement teaching methods which do not rely solely on “face-to-face” learning within the same physical space. Blended Learning (BL) is one such approach, allowing for flexibility in the delivery of a class and constant access to unit materials. This paper reports on an investigation, by two Australian Pre-service Teacher (PST) educators, of their students' understanding of BL at the beginning and end of a BL music method unit. Data were collected for three consecutive years with three separate cohorts. Findings indicated that the majority of the participants began the unit with little to no understanding of BL. This improved considerably through direct BL experience, with some exceptions. The implications for the development of flexible and responsive PST education in the current and post pandemic education environment are considered.