Flipping the classroom and tertiary level EFL students’ academic performance and satisfaction

This study attempts to measure the possible impact that flipped teaching has had on the improvement of learners’ academic performance, as well as their satisfaction in a cross-cultural communication course. A total of 90 students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) were assigned to three conditions: a structured flipped classroom using a WebQuest active learning strategy, a semi-structured flipped classroom, and a traditional classroom. Results showed that the structured flip lessons were the most effective instructional intervention in improving participants’ academic performance, followed by the semi-structured flip lessons and the traditional lessons. Data collected from the questionnaire and interviews indicated that learners were more satisfied with the structured flip lessons than the semi-structured flip lessons. Given the positive results, the present study argues that the flipped classroom model could be a useful and promising pedagogical approach in EFL teaching. However, additional research is needed to contribute to the knowledge base of this approach across disciplines.