Hong Kong EFL Learners’ Perception on the Relationship between Blended Learning and Critical Thinking: In an Era of AI

With the rapid advancement of educational technology, the blended learning model has gained increasing prominence as an effective approach to modern education. The emergence of ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, is further expected to serve as a powerful tool for facilitating personalized learning and enhancing student engagement in blended learning environments (Malhan et al., 2024). Previous research has demonstrated that blended learning can effectively foster students’ practical competencies, including critical thinking, problem-solving, and literacy skills. The present study investigates Hong Kong EFL learners’ perceptions of blended learning, with a particular focus on whether this learning model enhances their critical thinking skills. It also explores the key factors that contribute to the development of critical thinking in blended learning contexts. A mixed-methods design was employed, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. Specifically, 65 Hong Kong EFL learners completed a questionnaire, and 4 participants were subsequently invited to take part in semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that blended learning has a positive impact on the development of EFL learners’ critical thinking. Moreover, factors such as classroom discussion, learner–teacher interaction, instructional materials, learning topics, and teaching strategies were identified as significant contributors to this improvement. These results offer pedagogical implications for both EFL learners and educators seeking to promote critical thinking in blended learning environments. This study also lays the groundwork for future experimental research aimed at examining the extent to which blended learning influences Hong Kong EFL learners’ critical thinking development.