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Blended Learning: The New Normal Teaching - Learning Pedagogy Post COVID-19 Pandemic


 The pandemic of COVID-19 has been declared a Public Health Emergency and is of International concern. In the 21st century, everyone is a global citizen. Keeping in mind that the teachers are powerful agents of change and caregivers for the next generation of scientists and doctors, their professional needs cannot be compromised due to the uncertainties that will occur post-pandemic. Sustaining safe school operations or reopening schools after a closure requires many considerations. Similarly, the professional growth of teachers of all types of educational institutions also needs reconsideration. The present situation (of the year 2020) in the world demands teachers and educators to adopt blended learning teaching practices. These practices will not just be for teaching but also for learning. There are several digital educational resources, such as the SWAYAM MOOCs and NPTEL courses are available for the teachers. Along with, many premium global institutions are conducting skill development webinars, short term courses, etc to train and better equip teachers with e-learning tools and technologies. The present study addresses the attitude of 313 teachers towards blended learning approach and its six dimensions viz. learning flexibility, online learning, study management, technology, classroom learning and online interaction as a strategy to meet their professional needs post COVID 19 pandemic era. The present study investigated the attitude of male and female teachers towards blended learning and its dimensions. Also, the study aimed to find the difference in attitude of teachers teaching in English medium institutes and those teaching in institutes having other languages like Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, etc as their medium of instruction. The results indicated that the attitude of male teachers is greater than that of female teachers with respect to online learning. Also, teachers teaching in English medium institutes have a positive attitude towards Learning Flexibility dimension of blended learning when compared to those teaching in institutes having other medium of instruction. There is a need for a paradigm shift in the education system to create and enable technology dependent learning environments post COVID-19 pandemic which will help in maintaining safety and enhance learning experiences not just for students but for teachers' professional growth.