| Blended learning has great potential to improve teacher education in terms of both accessibility and quality. Research studies are lacking in providing evidences for the contributions of blended learning in teacher education, especially at the program level. This study addresses this gap in research by examining a blended learning teacher education program and by analyzing students' and faculty members' perceptions of online learning in teacher education.;The methodology of case study with mixed methods data collection analysis was applied in this study. Recent graduates from the chosen teacher education program, 167 in total, completed an online survey. Eight of the survey participants were interviewed. Six faculty members also participated in interviews. Frequency and percentage, factor analysis, correlation, means, and standard deviation were conducted to analyze the numerical survey data. Constant comparison methods were used for analyze the qualitative data from open-ended questions in the survey and interviews.;Findings from this study support the viability and benefits of applying blended learning in teacher education at the program level. The opportunities for students to take classes and complete their program online increase the convenience, flexibility, and access of teacher education programs. Through applying blended learning, a teacher education program may maintain or improve the quality of teaching preparation. The increasing trend of online learning, the need to train quality teachers, and the current budget constrains due to the economic crisis call for teacher education programs to be more engaged in exploring the possibilities provided by the rapid development of online technologies to improve the access, efficiency, cost-effectiveness and quality of teacher preparation. |
