Effectiveness of blended learning environments in sports education for university students

Aim: This study aims to explore the perceptions and effectiveness assessments of university students in sports education regarding blended learning environments. Material and Method: The population of this descriptive quantitative research consisted of university students majoring in sports education at İnönü University and Fırat University, and sample consisted of 674 students enrolled in the Faculties of Sports Sciences at İnönü University and Fırat University. The research was conducted during the 2022-2023 academic year. Quantitative data were collected through the Effective Blended Learning Environments Scale. The scales were administered to participants on a voluntary basis with the necessary permissions obtained. Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS program. Relationships between variables were examined using the "Independent Sample t-Test," "One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)," "Scheffe Test," "LSD test," and "Pearson Correlation Analysis" tests. Results: The findings indicate that face-to-face learning environments are perceived as the most effective and contributing to the learning experience (=4.062). Blended learning environments were evaluated as the second most effective learning environment (=3.841). However, it was observed that online learning environments (=3.342) and technical issues (=2.957) presented some challenges. In the correlation analysis, a moderate positive relationship was found between face-to-face learning environments and blended learning environments (r=0.435, p<0.01), as well as between online learning environments and blended learning environments (r=0.540, p<0.01). Conclusion: In university students majoring in sports education, the effectiveness of blended learning environments is correlated with factors such as student motivation, student-instructor interaction, technical support, and communication. Face-to-face learning environments are perceived as the most effective by students and contribute significantly to the learning experience. Blended learning proves to be an effective method in sports education, offering the potential to accommodate different learning styles and address technical challenges. However, the effectiveness of online learning environments and the provision of technical support need to be carefully considered. Keywords: online learning, blended learning,sports education, face-to-face learning.