Use of instructional videos in leadership education in higher education under COVID-19: A qualitative study

triangulation or mixed method requires the epistemological clarity of the different research methods [112]. Our quantitative studies adopted the subjective evaluation strategy through the client satisfaction approach, while the present study employed the qualitative paradigm focus- ing on participants’ subjective experience. Both types of research approaches aim at investigat- ing participants’ perceptions of their experience, so the findings of our quantitative and qualitative studies could be triangulated. In the two quantitative studies we conducted previously, the questions in the survey inquired students’ perceptions of the theory-related and case-based videos’ content, imple- mentation quality and effectiveness of the videos in enhancing their PYD attributes [46, 47]. For the 15 theory-related videos and 9 case-based videos, all of the items received a high mean scores and positive response rates, showing that students had high satisfaction with the video content, quality of video delivery and the video effectiveness. In this focus group study, it was found that the majority of the students were satisfied with the video arrangement, content and design. Students also agreed that the videos could facilitate their pre-lesson self-learning, enhance their understanding of course content, and increase their participation in class discus- sion. Table 3 presents a side-by-side comparison of the findings from our first quantitative study and the findings from the present study. Both studies analyzed the same batch of stu-

dents in Semester 2 of 2021/22 academic year. The comparison showed that the findings from the two studies were highly consistent. For example, in our quantitative evaluation study, one of the items “the animated video is well designed” received positive response rates from 94.69% to 98.20% across the 15 videos. Similarly, in our qualitative study, within the “video design” theme, the majority of the students thought that the quality of the videos (both theory- related and case-based videos) was good (N = 21). On the other hand, for the case-based vid- eos, one of the items in the quantitative study “the video-based activity has increased my inter- action with the teacher” received positive response rates from 86.32% to 96.39% across the nine videos. Comparably, in the current qualitative study, within the “videos’ benefits to the students’ class participation” theme, it was found that the students were able to answer teach- ers’ questions after watching the videos (N = 16). These comparisons showed that the quantita- tive research findings supported the focus group study results, demonstrating that students had high satisfaction with and significant benefits received from watching the videos. 4.2. Limitations Limitation of this focus group study should be noted. First, purposeful sampling was adopted in this study and a homogeneous group of participants was sampled. To further analyze the difference in perceptions between students based on their demographic variables, stratified purposeful sampling could be applied in future studies. Second, because of social distancing

measures, the focus group interviews were conducted online, so physical features of group dynamics could not be observed. Richer analysis of group dynamics could be achieved if focus group interviews could be conducted in a face-to-face setting. 4.3. Implications for teaching practice This study demonstrated the teaching and learning effectiveness of educational videos under a blended learning and flipped classroom arrangement. Education practitioners could consider piloting similar practice in their respective institutions in the future. These educational videos were very valuable under the COVID-19 pandemic [4, 113]. And they could be further used in other situations that require online education (e.g., courses for students in remote areas) [114, 115]. However, it should be noted that the effectiveness of educational videos may be different PLOS ONE Qualitative evaluation of virtual teaching and learning videos in leadership education PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0291861 September 21, 2023 19 / 28