The Use of Blended Learning in Descriptive Speaking Test

Abstract

Speaking, particularly descriptive speaking, is one of the skills EFL learners find hardest to master, which has pushed teachers to extend speaking practice beyond the classroom through blended learning. Most research on blended learning and Google Classroom has focused on general implementation or overall speaking achievement, leaving students’ perceptions of blended learning in descriptive speaking tests especially at Islamic senior high schools and largely unexamined. This study examined eleventh-grade students’ perceptions of blended learning through Google Classroom in descriptive speaking tests at an Islamic senior high school in Ciamis, Indonesia. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, fourteen students completed a Likert-scale and open-ended questionnaire, and five were then interviewed; quantitative data were analyzed descriptively and qualitative data thematically. Students held generally positive perceptions (overall M = 4.01, Agree), particularly toward the accessibility of Google Classroom and the sample videos and outlines that helped them prepare, while unstable internet, limited devices, and reduced face-to-face interaction were the main recurring difficulties. Supplemental blended learning can meaningfully support descriptive speaking test preparation when it complements rather than replaces classroom instruction; recommendations are offered for teachers, students, and future researchers.