The Role of Blended Learning in Human Resource Development: A Case of Payam Noor University

The purpose of this research was to examine the role of blended learning on human resource development in Payam Noor University (PNU). This study used a descriptive survey design. The population consisted of 3700 PNU faculty members in 2017-2018. Using stratified sampling and based on Krejcie and Morgan’s table, 302 faculty members were selected as the sample. The data were collected using two questionnaires: the Blended Learning Questionnaire with five subscales (i.e., pedagogy, methodology, technology, learning styles, and organizational strategy), 40 items, and a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.903; the Human Resource Development Questionnaire with five subscales (i.e., knowledge, attitude, skill, critical thinking, and job satisfaction), 39 items, and a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.893. The hierarchical regression analysis and structural equation modeling were used by SPSS 21 to analyze the data. The results showed that blended learning has a significant effect on all the dimensions of human resource development at the 0.05 significance level: knowledge (0.573), attitude (0.510), job satisfaction (0.362), critical thinking (0.351), and skill (0.241). Several fitness indicators suggested that the model fit the data well (𝜒2/𝑑𝑓 = 1.05; GFI = 0.97; AGFI = 0.93; RMSEA = 0.0029; critical value = 0.38321). Thus, there was a causal relationship between blended learning and human resource development.