The Use of Blended Learning Model to Enhance Student's Learning Interest in English

: The goal of this study is to ascertain whether employing a blended learning paradigm has increased students' interest in learning. In this study, a descriptive method is combined with a qualitative approach. The population of this study consisted of 36 students in class II-A of the STKIP Yasika Mathematics Education Study Program, which used purposive sampling as its sample technique. Data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing or verification are used in the analysis of data gathering procedures, which include surveys, interviews, and observations. The results showed that, on average, 86 percent of students in class II-A of the Mathematics Education Study Program in STKIP Yasika exhibited greater interest in studying English when blended learning is used. These results include the following indicators: 1) feelings of enjoyment with the very strong category (89%); 2) attention with the very strong category (83%); 3) very high interest in learning (91%); and 3) actively involved with the very strong category (81%).


INTRODUCTION
The Industrial Revolution 4.0 is the current era in which people live. a technology-based internet-based system of order in daily living. Of course, this has an effect on the field of education as well, particularly the educational system. According to Hanifah (2011), selecting an educational philosophy, approaches, tactics, and teaching methods in the classroom depends on a knowledge of the learning system. In order to help students grow and evolve based on the desired goals, all the components in question will move simultaneously in a series of focused learning exercises. The blended learning model is one of the educational approaches used nowadays to adjust to the advancement of technology. Blended learning is a method of instruction in which teachers give knowledge and instructions to students in a variety of ways, including online and at various times and in different stages of learning. This strategy mixes face-to-face instruction with online learning activities that may be accessible via computers and/or cell phones in order to stimulate student outputs or learning outcomes.
Along with promoting educational innovation, blended learning may also help pupils become more imaginative and motivated to learn. This was discovered by the author while conducting preliminary observations in Class II-A of the STKIP Yasika Mathematics Education Study Program. Initial findings suggest that some students are still not focused on learning, that learning independence is still poor, and that some students lack enthusiasm in learning. This final factor should be anticipated because learning models and media are still based on traditional patterns, which tend to be boring and do not encourage students' inventiveness. Actually, one of the internal aspects that influences the learning process is interest in learning and therefore it becomes very important to improve.
The difficulties in adjusting the blended learning paradigm during the pandemic can be solved if teachers, students, and parents work well together. Every teacher who implements this strategy must be innovative in how they provide English learning resources, including PowerPoint, YouTube videos, and other online resources (Susanti & Prameswari) (2020). This is so that the blended learning paradigm can incorporate both traditional and online learning (Amin, 2017).
Students may study more independently when blended learning is used. To promote students' learning independence, blended learning can be utilized as an alternative to other learning models (Diana, 2020).
As a result, it is anticipated that students who utilize the blended learning model will have better learning outcomes and greater motivation than those who use the direct learning approach (Khoiroh, 2017).
In light of the circumstances and conditions outlined above, the author is interested in conducting a more in-depth investigation of the use of blended learning in class II-A of the STKIP Yasika Mathematics Education Study Program to increase students' enthusiasm in studying English.

METHOD
In this study, descriptive research is used to methodically describe phenomena or events in light of their nature and the surrounding circumstances. Descriptive qualitative data were employed in this investigation. Students from STKIP Yasika's Mathematics Education Study Program made up the study's target population. The purposive sampling approach, which is a method of sampling based on specific concerns, is used to conduct sampling. 36 students from Class II A made up the sample. In this study, data were collected through interviews, observations, and a questionnaire to gauge students' enthusiasm for learning. The findings of data gathering utilizing questionnaires are used to calculate the percentage formula for student interest in learning. Through expert judgment and test questions that use a Likert scale, the questionnaire instrument for learning interests uses a valid questionnaire. Data analysis employs the stages of data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion and verification proposed by Miles & Huberman (2014).

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Students are given a questionnaire to fill out before and after engaging in blended learning in order to gauge their enthusiasm for learning. With blended learning, the initial data was collected with average student interest in learning of 68 percent. After using blended learning, learning showed a considerable improvement, increasing by 86 percent. Accordingly, it can be said that the use of blended learning results in an 18% rise in the average student's interest in learning, as seen in the diagram below.

Diagram 1 Students' interest in learning before and after using blended learning
According to the following diagram, students' interest in learning is quite high after employing the blended learning model, with an average proportion of 86 percent. Thus, introducing students to a blended learning approach can boost their enthusiasm in taking English classes.
According to research by Hermidayani and Khoirun (2018), those who receive a blended learning model treatment achieve greater average economic learning results than those who learn in-person or face-to-face. According to Khoiroh (2017), students who utilize mixed learning models typically achieve better learning outcomes and are more motivated than those who use direct learning models. This is because the deployment of blended learning mixes traditional teaching methods (face to face) with e-learning.
While blended learning does not mean eliminating in-person instruction, it can improve the availability of online and virtual learning resources that allow for online discussion and learning. Additionally, students may be able to position themselves as active learners by understanding their requirements and attempting to grasp them autonomously thanks to blended learning. The four components of the interest questionnaire used in this study are (1) pleasure, (2) attention, (3) active learning, and (4) student interest. These factors are divided into a number of indicators.
The average sensation of enjoyment for students adopting blended learning was 86.50 percent, which places them in the very strong group, according to the data collecting and analysis results.
This implies that students are satisfied with the teaching methods used by the teacher, namely face-to-face instruction in the classroom to help students understand the material presented, enrichment activities or assignments, and the distribution of materials to make learning more Before After effective and efficient, which leads to students learning outside of the classroom. In order to understand the lecturer's subject more quickly, students can ask questions and learn from online resources. According to Diana's research (2020), using blended learning can encourage pupils to develop greater levels of independence in their learning.
According to the findings of a different study, Bibi (2015), the application of blended learning is time-efficient since, during the process, content is provided independently to students in accordance with students' learning preferences. The subject is particularly explained face-toface, and online learning is also taken into consideration. Students are thrilled because they can learn outside of class and because the information is simple to understand.
According to the findings of student interviews and observations, blended learning is preferred by students as a learning method. This is due to the fact that learning occurs both face-to-face in class and online. Because they can easily access it via a computer or smartphone, pupils do not view this type of learning as problematic.
Using a blended learning model, indicators of student attention to learning reveal an average of 85.80 percent, placing them in the very strong group. This indicates that both when learning via a blended learning approach and when learning face-to-face in class, students are able to pay attention to the learning process. This engages students, who then pay close attention to the learning that is being done. This is in line with Pohan's (2016) assertion that employing computer or laptop media during blended learning will pique students' interest in the subject matter.
Learners pay more attention to learning while using blended learning, according to the findings of student observations and interviews. This is due to the fact that learning occurs both in and outside of the classroom, thus students must focus entirely on their studies. With this focus, both in-person and online students feel encouraged and challenged to participate in learning activities. By rereading and completing tasks on time and within the allotted time, the teacher's materials are simple to comprehend.
An average interpretation of 85% with a very strong category indicates that students are interested in studying utilizing blended learning. When learning is conducted in small groups or through blended learning strategies, students experience greater engagement. Based on the study by Susanti & Prameswari (2020), it is possible to overcome current issues by using blended learning models during a pandemic with excellent cooperation between teachers, students, and parents. The approach calls for teachers to be innovative when offering learning tools like PowerPoint, YouTube, or videos.
According to the findings of student interviews, there is an attitude of interest in the learning that is being done. This is due to the fact that a blended learning paradigm is used in conjunction with regular classroom instruction throughout the process. Additionally, students favor blended learning approaches due to their usefulness in the classroom. According to research on the usage of blended learning, which can help kids study more autonomously, this is the case.
Learning models that emphasize hands-on learning can be substituted by learning models that use blended learning strategies. Due to their interest in blended learning models and independent study, students are also interested in seeing the teacher's explanations in person. Iftakhar (2016) thinks that using Google Classroom media to track student learning can assist blended learning approaches. According to Amin (2017), learning that is conducted utilizing a mixed learning paradigm will be successful. This is so that teachers can see how often students make mistakes when completing tasks or issues. He added that the typical outputs of blended learning studies also have an impact on the outcomes of student learning.
As a result, the use of blended learning can enhance and replace content that was not provided during the learning process in the classroom. Additionally, blended learning is advantageous for initiatives to foster student engagement and excitement for learning so that kids are interested in learning. The ability to actively engage in learning will be taught to students. As a result, using a blended learning approach to learning can help students assess their degree of mastery of each subject. As a result, this will motivate kids to work more when learning.
84.5 percent of students were engaged on average. This demonstrates the high level of student engagement in the subsequent learning using a blended learning methodology. According to the findings of observations, when students are observed participating in face-to-face instruction, they pay close attention to friends' explanations given in front of the class and comply with the teacher's instructions, such as when the teacher inquires about any difficulties they are having with the material, makes conclusions, and administers quizzes. When the teacher asks a question, some pupils choose not to respond.
According to the findings of student interviews, students are reluctant to ask the teacher questions in person because they are ashamed to do so, are concerned that their friends will make fun of them, and some of them don't understand. Students appeared unafraid to ask about their struggles with the English subject during the online chat, in the meantime. This is in line with the findings of a study conducted by Istiqomah and Ninik (2013), who highlighted that the use of the blended learning model increases student learning activities in a very favorable way.
Nearly all students are interested and happy to participate in learning using technology, as seen ISSN 2599ISSN -1019 Page | 112 by the student activities that have improved and improved. In order to increase student interest and motivation to attempt to improve them in order to acquire the greatest score possible on all exam exams offered by the teacher, teachers can also submit assessment results directly through learning applications that can be easily accessed by all students.
Students appear to respond to each other's statements made by their classmates throughout class via online forums, showing that learning is actively engaged. The teacher not only addressed the statements of the remedial students in his class, but the remedial students also addressed the statements of his peers. This demonstrates that students are not hesitant to respond to queries from teachers using blended learning modes of instruction.
The interpretation of each indicator of student interest in blended learning is provided below.

Diagram 2 Students' Learning Interests Based on Their Indicators
According to the aforementioned diagram, the percentages of enjoyment, attention, learning interest, and engagement are all shown to be 89 percent, 83 percent, 91 percent, and 81 percent respectively. The student's interest in learning through blended learning is the best indicator. A person's interest in learning will be sparked or established if they are participating in an activity that they enjoy and are not forced to do by others. This will make them feel relaxed and unburdened when studying. subject when a person pays attention and is interested in the media or learning methods offered by the teacher. He will then be passionate about studying it and feel challenged to learn it.
The least amount of students is actively engaged in their education. The reason for this is that in blended learning, students must be able to actively interact with the internet, interact through tests and assignments given by teachers and students, and teachers and students must actively interact by opening websites passively and completing assignments on time while feeling left out. so as to minimize their involvement in the learning process.

CONCLUSION
In class IIA of the Mathematics Education Study Program of STKIP Yasika, it can be inferred from the findings and discussion above that the use of blended learning can boost students' enthusiasm for learning English courses. The student's interest in learning is extremely strong, as are the following: 1) aspects of feeling glad about the category are very strong, 2) attention with the category is very strong, and 3) actively involved with the category is very strong.