Investigating the effectiveness of using the video-mediated flipped classroom to enhance student engagement in the IELTS speaking and writing classroom.
- Mixed Methods research
- IELTS preparation
- Flipped classroom (FC)
- Student engagement
- Classroom Observations
- Higher education
- Chinese students
- Foreign language learning
A great number of Chinese students continue to speak mute English and struggle to write in English after learning this language for many years. The reasons for the poor productive skills are suggested to be related to insufficient practice in the classroom and limited opportunities to use them in everyday life. Research has shown FC may be able to improve students’ language skills by increasing their engagement with learning both in and outside of the classroom. This research aims to investigate the effectiveness of FC in enhancing student engagement and their attitudes towards this mode of learning in IELTS speaking and writing classes in the Chinese higher education context. A mixed research method including observations, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews was utilised to obtain data from the teacher’s and students’ perspectives. After triangulating the data obtained from observing 15 students and their responses from 13 questionnaires and 11 semi-structured interviews in both the IELTS speaking and writing classes, the findings of this research show FC can enhance student emotional and social engagement, and students perceive positive attitudes towards this mode of learning. But more research is needed to further understand whether FC can enhance student behaviour and cognitive engagement.
The results indicate FC is able to enhance student learning time outside of the classroom; the time for group work, class discussions, practice, and feedback in class is also increased, which is likely to enhance learning effects.