Blended Learning as Methodology of Mathematics Instruction at the University of Rwanda in the Era of Covid-19 Pandemic

Denis Katakara Kagyera – African Centre of Excellence for Innovative Teaching and Learning Mathematics and Science-University of Rwanda College of Education
Banzi Wellars – University of Rwanda College of Science and Technology
Corresponding Author: kagyera@googlemail.com

Abstract: This paper reports the findings of the perceptions and barriers of blended learning in the instruction of mathematics from the standpoint of lecturers and students at the University of Rwanda selected colleges during the Covid-19 shutdown. The paper is a comparative study done with twelve lecturers and seventeen undergraduate students selected from the College of Education (CE), and College of Science and Technology (CST) at level three (the third year of 2021), who were chosen using a simple random sampling method. Data was collected through a survey questionnaire that asked lecturers and students about their perceptions and problems of using a blended approach in mathematics instruction. To ensure the scientific validity of the study, SPSS edition 23 was used to examine the tool for coherence, and it produced a reliability coefficient of 0.717. The results were also analyzed using SPSS-23. Lack of access and an inconsistent internet connection was cited by students as barriers to using blended learning in mathematics instruction. The findings show that lecturers’ and students’ perceptions on the usage of blended learning are strikingly comparable. This research should be viewed as a realistic approach to the universities’ willingness to implement blended learning methods in terms of curricula and instructional methodologies for mathematics instruction.