Luận văn thạc sĩ VNU ULIS using the flipped classroom model as a vocabulary teaching aid for the new ‘tiếng anh 11’ to enhance EFL learning of students at a high school in ha noi

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ------ KIỀU THỊ THU THỦY USING THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM MODEL AS

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

- -

KIỀU THỊ THU THỦY

USING THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM MODEL AS A VOCABULARY TEACHING AID FOR THE NEW „TIẾNG ANH 11‟ TO ENHANCE EFL LEARNING OF STUDENTS AT A HIGH SCHOOL IN HA NOI

(Sử dụng mô hình lớp học đảo ngược làm công cụ hỗ trợ việc giảng dạy từ vựng cho sách giáo khoa “Tiếng Anh 11” chương trình thí điểm nhằm nâng cao hiệu quả học

tập ngoại ngữ của học sinh tại một trường THPT ở Hà Nội)

M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field : English Teaching Methodology Code : 8140231.01

Hanoi, 2020

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

- -

KIỀU THỊ THU THỦY

USING THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM MODEL AS A VOCABULARY TEACHING AID FOR THE NEW „TIẾNG ANH 11‟ TO ENHANCE EFL LEARNING OF STUDENTS AT A HIGH SCHOOL IN HA NOI

(Sử dụng mô hình lớp học đảo ngược làm công cụ hỗ trợ việc giảng dạy từ vựng cho sách giáo khoa “Tiếng Anh 11” chương trình thí điểm nhằm nâng cao hiệu quả học

tập ngoại ngữ của học sinh tại một trường THPT ở Hà Nội)

M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field : English Teaching Methodology Code : 8140231.01

Supervisor : Prof Dr Hoàng Văn Vân

Hanoi, 2020

DECLARATION

I, the undersigned, declare that this thesis is the results of my own research and has not been submitted to any other university or institution partially or wholly Except where the reference is indicated, no other person‟s work has been used without due acknowledgement in text of the thesis

Student

Kiều Thị Thu Thủy

In my capacity as supervisor of the candidate‟s thesis, I certify that the above statements are true to the best of my knowledge

Supervisor

Prof Dr Hoang Van Van

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First of all, the researcher would like to express her gratitude to the Dean, the Vice Dean and all staffs of the Faculty of Postgraduate Department for their priceless wisdom, encouragement, help and kindness during her study and writing this thesis

In the second place, she wishes to extend her great honor and deepest gratitude to her adviser, Prof Dr Hoang Van Van, for his invaluable guidance, correction, facilitation and encouragement in the writing of this thesis

Her special thanks also are forwarded to Mr Khuat Dang Khoa, the Headmaster of the High School where she is working, who had permitted her

to conduct this research in his school Her thanks are presented to all the English teachers of the school‟s English group for their help and advice during the implementation of the research And then, her great thanks are extended to students of class 11A4 (school year: 2017-2018) for their cooperation during the time the research was conducted

Finally, she would like to thank her family, her friends for their spirit, encouragement and their support Without them this thesis couldn‟t be accomplished

ABSTRACT

To master all four language skills, vocabulary is very essential to successful communication Understanding this need and the problems that learners face during learning English, this action research was conducted with the aim at improving students‟ English language learning through Flipped Classroom Model technique to the eleventh graders at a high school in Ha Noi

in the academic year of 2017-2018 and investigating their attitudes toward this technique Forty three participants were involved in the research during

16 weeks of the second term The present study was concerned with using Flipped Classroom techniques as a vocabulary teaching aid by administering pre-test, post-test and questionnaire as the research instruments The results showed that students‟ achievements in all four language skills were higher after the intervention Although the general achievement was not so impressive, it however indicates that Flipped Classroom Model is still an effective learning method and worth applying in English language teaching and learning Besides, most of the students showed their agreement on the use

of Flipped Model as it helped them to be more motivated, active, and engaged

in learning It also created a friendly learning environment where students felt more confident, cooperative and responsible during learning process In general, Flipped Classroom Model improved students‟ outcomes academically, socially and psychologically

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii

ABSTRACT iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iv

LIST OF ABBREVIATION vi

LIST OF TABLES vii

LIST OF FIGURES viii

PART A: INTRODUCTION 1

PART B: DEVELOPMENT 5

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 5

1.1 Definition of key terms 5

1.1.1 Vocabulary and Vocabulary Teaching 5

1.1.2 Vocabulary and integrated four language skills 7

1.1.3 Flipped Classroom 7

1.1.4 Traditional Classroom and Flipped Classroom 9

1.2 Theoretical Framework 11

1.3 Elements of the Flipped Classroom Model 15

1.4 Advantages of FC Model 16

1.5 Previous Studies 16

1.6 Strategy to Conduct FC Model 23

CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 25

2.1 Rationale for Choosing Action Research 25

2.2 Procedure 27

2.3 Research Setting 29

2.4 Textbook 30

2.5 Hypotheses of the Study 32

2.6 Data Collection Instruments 33

2.7 Intervention 35

2.8 Study Timetable and Data Analysis 36

2.9 Summary 40

CHAPTER 3: THE PRESENTATION OF THE FINDINGS 41

3.1 Data Tabulation and Description 41

3.2 Data Analysis 43

3.2.1 Findings Related to Research Question One: 43

3.2.2 Findings Related to Research Question Two 46

3.3 Discussion of the Findings 48

3.3.1 Achievement 48

3.3.2 Attitudes 49

PART C: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 50

1 Conclusion 50

2 Limitations of the Study 51

3 Recommendations 53

REFERENCES 54 APPENDICES I

LIST OF ABBREVIATION

FC Model Flipped Classroom Model ELT English Language Teaching EFL English as a foreign language F2F Face to face

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 Definitions of Flipped learning 17 Table 2 Tabulation of data showing the subjects‟ scores through FC model 41 Table 3 Students‟ responses to the two „open-ended‟ questions 43 Table 4 Summary of the research finding showing the mean score from pre-test and post-test of four language skills 44

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Comparison of traditional classroom and flipped classroom 10

Figure 2 Synthesis of the models and theories associated with flipped learning 14

Figure 3 Synthesis of learning processes in flipped learning 15

Figure 4 Action research cycle 28

Figure 5.The students‟ progress in each language skills through FC model 45

Figure 6 The progressing of grand mean in students‟ achievement thanks to application of FC model 46

PART A: INTRODUCTION

In this chapter, the background to the problem and the reason for choosing the topic are mentioned As a result, the necessity of delivering the research as well as the importance of the application of FC Model as a vocabulary teaching aid in improving students' language learning is revealed

The aims and the significances of the study are also stated The final section will present the scope of the study which shows the number of participants, the time of the intervention and the design of the research

The new series of English textbooks for upper secondary school is being used for pilot teaching in most upper secondary school together with the old textbooks in the first and second phases of this Project At the high school where I am working now, the new textbooks „Tiếng Anh 10‟, „Tiếng Anh 11‟

and „Tiếng Anh 12‟ have also been employed as textbooks for 3 classes of each grade

For the research topic, I have come up with this topic since I taught the new „Tiếng Anh 10‟ to three classes of grade-10 students last year The series

of the piloted textbooks for English subject are very helpful with real-life topics They provide students with various sources of vocabulary Vocabulary

learning is an important and indispensable part of any language learning process Second or foreign language vocabulary acquisition has been an increasingly interesting topic of discussion for researchers, teachers, curriculum designers, theorists and others involved in second/foreign language learning

In fact, second/foreign language learners often cite lack of adequate vocabulary as one of the most common obstacles to performances in foreign language classes However, with 45 minutes per lesson, it is challenging for

an English teacher to cover all the vocabulary items related to the relevant topics in the series of the newly-piloted textbooks “Tieng Anh 10”, “Tieng Anh 11” and “Tieng Anh 12 Due to the limited time for a lesson, the teacher has to choose five to seven words to teach and explain to the students This causes a learning problem for the students‟ English language learning To help them address the problem, the flipped classroom approach (FC) is tried

as a vocabulary teaching aid for the new „Tiếng Anh 11‟ to promote my students‟ English language learning

2 Significance of the Study

Theoretically, this thesis is a small contribution to the theory of ELT on the impacts of flipped classroom in vocabulary teaching in EFL classrooms

Practically, this study is firstly expected to be an alternative way to expose the students to more student-centered English lessons, and secondly to help them enhance their English language learning motivation

3 Aim of the Study

The aim of this research is to add to the body of knowledge and help provide data to investigate how well students learn English through the piloted textbook „Tiếng Anh 11‟ by using the flipped classroom model as a vocabulary teaching and learning aid

4 Research questions

To fulfill the aim, the study raises two questions for exploration:

 Question 1: To what extent does the integration of the FC model as a vocabulary teaching aid for „Tiếng Anh 11‟ affect students‟ English language learning?

 Question 2: What are the students‟ attitudes toward the integration of

FC model for English language learning?

5 Scope of the Study

 This minor thesis attempts to investigate the impacts of the FC model

as a vocabulary teaching aid for the new „Tiếng Anh 11‟ on students‟

English language learning and their attitudes toward the integration of the FC model for EFL learning

 The subjects of the study include 43 students from a grade-11 class at a high school on the outskirts of Hanoi

 The study limits its scope to vocabulary teaching aid for the new „Tiếng Anh 11‟ by using FC model to improve students‟ English language learning because investigating all kinds of vocabulary teaching activities are such broad topics that they cannot be wholly discussed within the framework of this paper

 In terms of English vocabulary learning, the scope of this research is confined to the teaching-learning of the following topics in the textbook due to time constraint:

- Global warming (Unit 6)

- Further Education (Unit 7)

- World Heritage Sites (Unit 8)

- Cities of the Future (Unit 9)

- Healthy Lifestyle and Longevity (Unit 10)

6 Design of the study

This study is divided into three parts:

PART A: THE INTRODUCTION - presents the rationale for the

study, the aims to which the study is conducted, the research questions, the scope, the significance of the study, the research method and the design of the study

PART B: THE DEVELOPMENT consists of three chapters

Chapter I: Literature Review - provides the definitions of some key

terms, and the previous research related to the study as well as the gaps in the field which inspire the writer to conduct the research

Chapter II: Methodology - describes the research method, the

participants, the textbook, and the method to collect and analyze the data

Chapter III: The presentation of the findings - presents the data

tabulation and description, data analysis and discussion of the findings

PART C: CONCLUSION - briefly summarizes the study; besides,

some limitations of the study and recommendations for further research are also proposed

PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter presents the definitions of some key terms which are used

in the research Significantly, an overview of previous studies about the implementation of FC Model is provided Some space is also devoted to the discussion of the elements and advantages when applying FC Model in teaching Finally, the strategy of conducting FC Model which is used in this research will be presented

1.1 Definition of key terms

1.1.1 Vocabulary and Vocabulary Teaching

According to Kamil and Hiebert (2005), vocabulary is knowledge of words and words meaning in both oral and print language and in productive and receptive forms Teaching language cannot be separated with teaching vocabulary Vocabulary is considered as an important component in English language teaching and learning According to Thornbury (2002), vocabulary

is a crucial aspect in learning a language as languages are based on words

While Walters (2004) states that it is practically difficult to take in a language without words, even correspondence between individual depends on words

Both teachers and students agree that obtaining of the vocabulary is of focal calculated educating a language

Vocabulary is central to English language teaching because without sufficient vocabulary students cannot understand others or express their own ideas Lewis (1993) went further to argue, “lexis is the core or heart of language” (p 89) Particularly as students develop greater fluency and expression in English, it is significant for them to acquire more productive vocabulary knowledge and to develop their own personal vocabulary learning

strategies Students often instinctively recognize the importance of vocabulary

to their language learning Teaching vocabulary helps students understand and communicate with others in English The concept of a word can be defined in various ways, but three significant aspects teachers need to be aware of and focus on are form, meaning, and use According to Nation (2001), the form of

a word involves its pronunciation (spoken form), spelling (written form), and any word parts that make up this particular item (such as a prefix, root, and suffix) Nation (2001) stated that meaning encompasses the way that form and meaning work together, in other words, the concept and what items it refers

to, and the associations that come to mind when people think about a specific word or expression Use, Nation noted, involves the grammatical functions of the word or phrase, collocations that normally go with it, and finally any constraints on its use, in terms of frequency, level, and so forth For form, meaning, and use, Nation (2001) declared there is both a receptive and productive dimension, so knowing these three aspects for each word or phrase actually involves 18 different types of lexical knowledge When teachers teach vocabulary to build students‟ knowledge of words and phrases, helping them learn any and all of these different components assists them in enhancing their English vocabulary knowledge and use in all language skills such as reading, writing, speaking and listening

Teaching vocabulary is more effective by putting the word of vocabulary in context and indicating the use and function than deliver the definition of vocabulary in dictionary

In teaching vocabulary, the teacher as the class specialist is ought to know the principles in doing it so that the students will get the purpose of learning The principles, as Linse (2006) claims, are as the following:

emphasize direct and indirect teaching, teach vocabulary words before a new

activity, teach students how to use context clues appropriately, present multiple exposures to new vocabulary items, give opportunities for deep processing of vocabulary items, teach students to use dictionaries, and have students keep vocabulary notebooks

1.1.2 Vocabulary and integrated four language skills

Vocabulary knowledge is often viewed as a critical tool for language learners because a limited vocabulary impedes successful communication

Nation (2001) describes the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and language use as complementary: knowledge of vocabulary enables language use and, conversely, language use leads to an increase in vocabulary knowledge In English as a second language (ESL) and English as a foreign language (EFL), learning vocabulary items plays a vital role in all four language skills (i.e listening, speaking, reading and writing Furthermore they argue that the acquisition of an adequate vocabulary is essential for successful second language use because without an extensive vocabulary, we will be unable to use the structures and functions we may have learned for comprehensible communication

1.1.3 Flipped Classroom

Flipped classroom is an instructional strategy that reverses the traditional learning environment by delivering instructional content, often online, outside of the classroom It moves activities, including those that may have traditionally been considered homework, into the classroom In a flipped classroom, students watch online lectures, collaborate in online discussions,

or carry out research at home and engage in concepts in the classroom with the guidance of a mentor Flipped classroom is an emerging instructional model that provides a fusion of online learning elements powered by information technology and traditional face-to-face (F2F) learning elements,

which involves the advantages of both online and F2F instruction and hopefully benefits teaching and learning EFL

Inverting the classroom so that the transmission of information (lecture) happens outside of class and the traditional out-of-class work is completed in class with the teacher is not a recent concept The researchers often credited with first mentioning inverted learning, Lage, Platt and Treglia, published a paper "Inverting the Classroom: A Gateway to Creating an Inclusive Learning Environment" in 2000 In this article they explain that inverting the classroom

is an approach that occurs when “events that have traditionally taken place inside the classroom now take place outside the classroom and vice versa.”

Lage, Platt and Treglia (2000)s‟ results indicated that both students‟ and teachers‟ perceptions of the new methodology were positive Crouch and Mazur (2001) conducted a study where they investigated the concept of peer instruction that is in its essence similar to the flipped classroom in the sense that transmission of information occurs outside of the classroom while class time was devoted to conceptual questions and mini lectures which ideally would include higher order thinking and assimilation Strayer (2007) published his dissertation entitled "The effects of the classroom flip on the learning environment: a comparison of learning activity in a traditional classroom and a flip classroom that used an intelligent tutoring system" This study examined students‟ comfort with learning in an inverted classroom

However, the term “flipped classroom” was not readily adopted till Bergman and Sams, two chemistry teachers, started flipping their classroom by providing the students with videos to watch at home and devoting class time

to projects Their book Flip your classroom: reach every student in every class every day (2012) outlines the concept of the flipped classroom and defines its key elements From this, we can note that the development of flipped learning

was organic and that the changes in the method, and therefore the definition, mirrors technological developments in the world at large Technology and specifically social media has changed the way that information is transferred

Therefore, at one point flipping the classroom included reading and/or the dissemination of videotapes or even DVDs However, now it is possible to access, edit and disseminate videos easily so flipped classrooms have adapted

to match this technological transformation

For this minor study, in a flipped classroom, the teacher posted a series

of videos to provide the students with vocabulary items and exercises to help students revise what they learned in the videos In the physical class, students would use vocabulary they learned to participate in such class activities as discussion, presentation, reading, listening, writing and speaking as well

1.1.4 Traditional Classroom and Flipped Classroom

Flipped classrooms differ from traditional classes in many respects

Traditional classes as opposed to flipped classrooms, include lectures, and therefore transmission of information, in class (Talbert, 2012) In this format, students often take notes during the lecture while in class Outside of class, students complete assignments that are often targeted at assimilation of the information acquired during class time This work is then submitted or assessed in class In this approach, individuals work outside of class either alone or in groups but usually without the presence of an expert or a mentor

The flipped classroom implies a reversal of the traditional class and relies on a different process There are a number of definitions of flipped classrooms and they range from broad to specific depending on how the teacher uses the method The broadest definition of flipped learning is one that proposes that assigning readings to give the students prior exposure to new material is a form of flipped learning The narrowest definition, on the

other hand, limits the concept of flipped learning to instances where educators use technology, especially videos, to transmit information outside of class In the extant literature, the researchers who are often credited as the originators of the flipped learning concept, Lage, Platt and Treglia (2000) defined flipping (or inverting) the classroom as an instructional method in which “events that have traditionally taken place inside the classroom now take place outside the classroom and vice versa” (30-43) Interpretations of this definition can be quite general and thus can create the idea of an unstructured classroom design;

however, using this definition as a starting point can provide teachers with a certain amount of flexibility as well as give them the freedom to employ flipped learning using various methods One drawback when using this broad definition

of flipped learning is that it can be difficult to assess effectiveness Other researchers (Bishop and Vergler, 2013; Gannod, 2008; Enfield, 2013; Moroney 2013; Gaughan, 2014) have defined flipped classrooms narrowly and include specific methods such as interactive group learning inside of the classroom and videos outside of the classroom In more pedagogical vernacular, this definition means that the transmission of information takes place out of the classroom;

whereas assimilation takes place in the classroom (Talbert, 2012)

Figure 1: Comparison of Traditional Classroom and Flipped Classroom

1.2 Theoretical Framework

The theoretical framework of this project is based on the FC model

The flipped classroom model shifts traditional activities such as lecture outside the classroom Instead, class time is used to engage students in activities and discussion to reinforce what they have learned The teacher or instructor takes on the role of coach or facilitator (Baker, 2000)

The flipped classroom model can be invaluable for teachers because it provides a way to repurpose classroom time by focusing on active learning, student engagement, and hybrid course design Therefore, class time is viewed as a workshop During workshops, students have opportunities to engage in active learning by asking about lecture content, applying their new knowledge, and interacting with their peers (EDUCASE, 2012) The FC model does not refer to a single model It can include online quizzes or activities, videos, etc

The FC model is regarded as a student-centered strategy It empowers students to become active learners, repositioning the teacher as a facilitator

According to Baker (2000) and Mehring (2016), the model can be effectively

implemented in EFL classrooms As Mehring (2016) states: „This process

opens up face to face class time, enabling teachers to interact with students by discussing points of confusion, providing real-life examples relevant to course content, challenging students to think more deeply about complex processes, and monitoring learning activities‟ (p.2)

It is my belief that the flipped classroom model can help EFL instructors focus on improving their students‟ communicative competence

In terms of boosting EFL students' communicative competence in English, it is possible to integrate CLT's characteristics in EFL countries This

is because students have more opportunities to interact and engage in learning the language during class time By using videos, based on pragmatics students

have exposure to authentic materials that can support active learning and usage of English

Since many Vietnamese students, especially those in rural areas, do not have a chance to listen to daily conversations between English speakers, technology is a means of exposure to the authenticity of the target language

Students can be provided with videos, movies, music, and even writing samples from English speakers easily Students can have access to material online and engage in discussions, using classroom time to complete activities and engage with the instructor (Mehring, 2016) This approach is learner-centered because the instructor is guided by the needs of their students In other words, students are active rather than passive in acquiring new knowledge

I strongly believe that the flipped classroom model is an appropriate approach for Vietnamese EFL teachers to facilitate communicative language teaching (CLT) because it can emphasize improving their students‟ English communicative competence This is significant because lack of communicative competence remains a challenge for many Vietnamese EFL students As a result, their ability to use their new language is compromised

The theories mentioned explain aspects of flipped learning and can account for its perceived success as an instructional methodology In this paper, I propose a possible theoretical framework that encapsulated the various aspects of the theories reviewed and how they are operationalized in flipped learning Indeed, though quantitative and qualitative data about the flipped classroom are limited, there is a consistent body of research that reports improvements in students‟ achievements as well as their perceptions of the learning environment, their engagement and their motivation while utilizing the flipped classroom I propose that the effectiveness of flipped learning as

an instructional methodology and flipped learning as a process could be explained and accounted for through the juxtaposition and the dynamic

interaction of different learning theories and models

Figure 2 provides a visualization of the information provided in this article and is a synthesis of the way in which the theory and frameworks connect to flipped learning based on previous studies and theoretical underpinnings In the middle of the image is the pyramid associated with Bloom‟s taxonomy This version of Bloom‟s taxonomy is a new version as developed by Anderson, et al (2001) Based on this version, the items listed

in the taxonomy refer to the following:

1 remembering – retrieving, recognizing, and recalling relevant knowledge from long-term memory;

2 understanding – constructing meaning from oral, written, and graphic messages through interpreting, exemplifying, classifying, summarizing, inferring, comparing, and explaining;

3 applying – carrying out or using a procedure through executing, or implementing; analyzing - breaking material into constituent parts, determining how the parts relate to one another and to an overall structure or purpose through differentiating, organizing, and attributing;

4 evaluating – making judgments based on criteria and standards through checking and critiquing; creating - putting elements together to form a coherent or functional whole;

5 reorganizing elements into a new pattern or structure through generating, planning, or producing (p 67-68)

Figure 2 Synthesis of the models and theories associated with Flipped

Learning

When viewing flipped learning through Bloom‟s taxonomy, the skills highlighted at the base of the triangle (remembering and understanding) occur outside of class without teacher supervision Students can watch videos as many times as needed to remember information and to understand concepts

The stimuli being the information that is needed to function in class appropriately; a reversal in the way students view learning and the actions of those participating in the learning environment and a change in the way students‟ approach a new learning environment learning (Skinner, 1974)

During the beginning of adopting a flipped learning environment, this is especially significant The middle levels of the pyramid – analyzing and applying – occur in class with the help of a teacher or peers and is more collaborative than the bottom levels The top levels – evaluating and creating – while can still be collaborative they are moving toward students‟ autonomy

They would still occur in class but as students master a concept, theoretically they should be able to complete tasks independently and accurately

Theoretically, at least, students can re-watch presentations as often as needed and at their own pace in order to master the first two levels The top four

levels will be mastered under the supervision of instructor with possible peer influence at varies times

Figure 3 Synthesis of learning processes in flipped learning

Figure 3 is an attempt to design a framework that has the potential to depict the dynamic nature of Flipped learning and to illustrate how the various learning theories can apply to different stages in the learning process

Much of this depends on the teacher, the students‟ needs and the content of the course being flipped In this framework, flipped learning is viewed as a flexible concept where there is a certain amount of fluidity in the way theories can be utilized

1.3 Elements of the Flipped Classroom Model

According to Lee (2015), there are six elements of the flipped classroom model: digital lectures, course management system (CMS), textbook and outside texts, group discussion and group work, mini lesson and differentiated pacing and timing The elements can be used in any combination to support students' learning

In the flipped classroom, the video before the class is a major part It should be available for students to access at anytime outside of class CMS allows teachers to create a repository for course syllabi, course announcements and assignments that students post and also streamlines discussion and communication with students Additionally, textbooks and outside texts can be used to supplement students' learning outside of the class

by providing additional resources for them to acquire knowledge

1.4 Advantages of FC Model

With the new approach, there are many benefits of applying flipped classroom Students are able to approach material and take it in at their own speed By covering lecture material at home and from a video-based platform, students can privately view the material This allows them to approach things

at their own pace without worry of peers noticing them moving slower or faster Furthermore, students are able to stop, pause, rewind and fast forward material so that they can examine things in their own way

In addition, by utilizing flipped classroom approach in teaching and learning process, teachers are able to get better insights on students‟

difficulties in instruction and their learning styles Teachers are also able to customize and update the course curriculum and provide for student at any time The classroom time will be used more effectively, efficiently and creatively Moreover, students can be more dynamically involved in the process of learning As the result, students will then really appreciate the approach, the class, the teacher‟s effort

1.5 Previous Studies

The following table provides examples of flipped learning and key findings as provided in previous scholarly works

Table 1 Definitions And Key Findings of Flipped learning

Title Author Definition Findings

Inverting the classroom: A gateway to creating an inclusive learning environment

Lage, Platt, and Treglia (2000)

“inverting the classroom means that events that have traditionally taken place inside the classroom now take place outside the classroom and vice versa”

(30-43)

1 Students generally prefer the inverted classroom

2 Students would prefer future classes in the inverted classroom format

Internet and the Inverted Classroom

Lage and Platt (2000)

“The classroom is designed

to mirror the resources or experiences that traditionally take place in a lecture

classroom, including online lectures and information about videotaped lectures”

(11)

Using the inverted classroom to teach software engineering

Gannod, Burge, and Helmick (2008)

“An inverted classroom is a teaching environment that mixes the use of technology with hands-on activities In

an inverted classroom, typical in-class lecture tie is replaced with laboratory and in-class activities Outside class time, lectures are delivered over some other medium such as video on-

● Students perceive that outcome of the course is met

● Students view that some level of learning occurred

demand”

(777-786)

Remixing chemistry class

Bergma and Sams (2008)

Students watch vodcasts or listen to podcasts and then complete activities in class (24-27)

Just as effective as traditional

classrooms quantitatively and perhaps more effective based on anecdotal results How learning

in an inverted classroom influences cooperation, innovation and task orientation

Strayer (2012)

“Relies on technology to introduce students to course content outside of the

classroom so that students can engage that content at a deeper level inside the classroom” (171-193)

The Flipped Classroom: A Survey of the Research

Bishop and Verleger (2013)

“We define the flipped classroom as an educational technique that consists of two parts: interactive group learning activities inside the classroom, and direct

computer-based individual instruction outside the classroom A graphic representation of this definition is shown in Figure

1 We re- strict this definition to exclude designs

Results of this survey show that most studies conducted to date explore student perceptions and use single- group study designs

Reports of student perceptions of the flipped classroom are somewhat mixed, but are

that do not employ videos as

an outside of the classroom activity While a broad conception of the flipped classroom may be useful, definitions that be- come too broad suggest that assigning reading outside of class and having discussions in class constitutes the flipped classroom We reject these definitions.”

generally positive overall Students tend to prefer in-person lectures to video lectures, but prefer interactive classroom

activities to lectures Anecdotal evidence suggests that student

learning is improved for the flipped compared

to traditional classroom

However, there is very little work investigating student learning out- comes objectively

The Flipped Classroom in World History

Gaughan (2014)

The Flipped Classroom is one in which lectures are presented as homework outside of class in online videos so that class time is reserved for engaging directly with the materials

Action research paper that showed both students and teachers indicated that they had a positive reaction to flipped learning

Seamless flipped learning: a mobile technology-enhanced flipped classroom with effective learning strategies

Hwang, Lai, and Wang (2015)

“The flipped classroom is a pedagogical approach which moves the learning contents taught by teachers‟ direct instruction to the time before class in order to increase the chances for the students and teacher to interact

Therefore, teachers would have more time to guide the learning activities and solve students‟ problems in order

to promote the learning effects” (452)

Flipping the classroom for English language learners to foster active learning

Hung (2015)

Flip teaching can be conducted with many kinds

of instructional videos, and other forms of pre-class assignments, such as reading quizzes or worksheets, are often presented together to help students better prepare for in-class participation (p

82)

The main purpose for this study was

to describe instructional design for flipped learning in the classroom

While the paper did include a research component, it was exploratory The results were therefore not generalizable The paper is significant

in that the subject was language and not a STEM based subject

The use of flipped classrooms in higher

education: A scoping review

O‟Flaherty and

Phillips (2015)

Content in advance (generally the pre-recorded lecture), educator awareness

of students understanding, and higher-order learning during class time Outcomes

of implementing a successful flipped class approach should consider effective student learning that facilitates critical thinking, and importantly improves student

engagement, both within and outside the class

9 95)

This research was

an analysis of the current research in flipped learning to understand the meaning of flipped learning and

techniques used for flipped learning

As can be seen from this table, the research shows that flipped learning may yield positive results in terms of students‟ engagement (Farah, 2014;

Enfield, 2013), and differentiation of learning (Enfield, 2013) As Bishop and Verleger (2013) suggested, the studies mostly focused on perceptions and feedback from students and teachers To our knowledge, there has been little research that includes empirical data This is uncommon Indeed in a second-order meta-analysis, Tamim, Bernard, Borokhovski, Abrami, and Schmid‟s (2011) found that high caliber, detailed research evaluating the efficacy of

specific methodologies and approaches of blended learning to be rare For the purposes of this study, I mainly focus on the narrower definition of flipped learning, which includes recordings of either presentation software or lectures

In 2000, the inverted class approach was adopted to appeal female students‟ learning styles in an Economics Course at the Miami University

Students received the videos before class At the beginning of the class, the instructor questioned students for understanding, and if there were no questions, this implied students‟ assimilation of the concept, which allowed them to see „the economic principle in action” in class This study suggested that such a course might appeal better to female students who might be disadvantaged in the field of Economics

In the year 2008, Bergmann and Sams (2009) created podcasts of Chemistry courses for their students to watch before coming to class This liberated class time for more hands-on learning activities and the teacher provided one-to-one attention while students were more actively engaged

Surprisingly, the scores of students in the flipped gropus were lower than the previous year‟s results

In a study run on the effectiveness of flipping class instruction in a Physics class in Illinois, Zownorega (2013) found little difference in students‟

results no matter what the type of instructional interverted adopted and students performed at similar levels with the flipped and traditional models of instruction

In Vietnam, flipped learning approach has been applied in a number of disciplines but has received limited attention, especially in the field of EFL teaching In her research in 2016 , Bui Thi Minh Thu investigated students‟

perceptions towards flipped learning in one Vietnamese EFL tertiary setting

through online data collection Her study found out that fliped learning could

be possible model in the investigated Vietnames EFL higher education context, taking into consideration its benefits as perceived by the participating students

Research in the field of FC model on different subject matters and mostly at a university level has grown significantly in the past few years, yet few research studies have been found on the impact of this instruction method

on K-12 students Therefore, in my minor research, I will conduct a study to find out if FC model is useful for grade-11 students or not

1.6 Strategy to Conduct FC Model

The application of FC technique may follow the following steps:

 Step 1: Deciding which technology/app to use

To take part in the flipped classroom, students could use digital devices such as smart phones, laptop or computer Althoug there are a variety

of applications to use to flip the class; however, in my flipped classroom, there was an agreement between the teacher and the students that a closed Facebook group would be used because each participant had already used a Facebook account Besides, the teacher also used Google Forms and Quizlet to assign more practices to the students so that they could memorize the vocabulary they learned from videos

 Step 2: Making a list of words to teach

In the textbook 'Tieng Anh 11' for second semester, there are five topics as Global Warming, Further Education, World Heritage Sites, Cities of The Future, Healthy Lifestyles and Longevity Based on each unit in the teaching material, teacher chose vocabulary items in the textbook and the ones outside of the textbook that were related to the

topic of each unit and explained them to the students in the videos

Step 3: Making video

On a fixed day in a week, teacher filmed herself by livestreaming on Facebook The teacher and the students met once a week online The limit I decided on was a maximum video length of from 10 to 15 minutes This way students were not overloaded and could watch the video in the morning before school in case they forgot or did not access to technology at home In addition, the researcher could make use of available videos from other teachers if permitted and posted those videos on the study Facebook group In this way, the students could access the online lessons and videos whenever they wanted

Step 4: Make the students accountable for watching the videos

One of the main questions I got when applying the FC Model was how to make my students accountable for watching my videos Therefore, at the end of each video, I always had my students fill in quizzes which I designed using Google Forms and Quizlet This would be an effective way to check whether students understood the lessons or not

Step 5: In-class discussion

After watching videos and studying vocabulary at home beforehand, students got engaged in class activities such reading, speaking, writing and listening as required in textbook

in Hanoi

2.1 Rationale for Choosing Action Research

Nunan (1992) defined action research as a method which is focused and concerned with a particular situation in which seeking for the solutions to the problem is at the top of the research This will foster the teachers to adapt the existing ideas in their teaching environment

problem-To improve and develop teaching, research into classrooms is needed

As teachers, we need to know what is actually happening in our classrooms, what learners are thinking, why learners are reacting in the ways they do, what aspects of the classroom we should focus on to develop our teaching most effectively, how we should change in these aspects, and what the effects

of such a change are It is important to note that more than half of the items in this list concern describing and understanding the existing classroom situation rather than evaluating the implementation of a new approach If we do not truly understand our classroom situations first, our choices of new approaches

to implement are likely to be based on personal fancy and whimsy rather than

on what is most likely to have beneficial effects in the situation

Teachers wishing to conduct research into their own classrooms, however, are faced with a host of problems Not least among these are lack of

time, lack of expertise or skills in research, lack of support especially from within their own institution, and threats to their self-image as a teacher (Allwright, 1993; Burton and Mickan, 1993; Nunan, 1993) The problem of lack of research expertise or skills has a knock-on effect causing further problems Research designed and conducted by teachers new to research is likely to have low reliability (e.g the findings are not likely to be generalisable) and low validity (e.g the research may not actually produce findings which address the targeted research topic)

All of these problems may make teachers think twice before getting involved in research However, these problems apply to research in general rather than action research In focusing on action research, we need to shift our perceptions of the nature and purposes of research, and this shift in our perceptions reduces the importance that can be given to the problems discussed above

Action research, as we have seen, aims to develop the teaching situation and the teacher-researcher rather than generate new knowledge As such, reliability and generalizability are not really issues in action research

Action research aims to generate findings that are useful within a specific context rather than findings applicable across many different situations

Similarly, the basis for judging validity in action research is different from that used in research in general In general research, validity is measured by the extent to which the research actually investigates what it is supposed to investigate, and because of this, research design and data analysis procedures are crucial In action research, on the other hand, validity can be measured by the extent to which the research produces findings which are useful in developing the classroom situation In conducting action research, teachers can become emancipated (Gore and Zeichner, 1995), in that they become in

control of the whole process of research and investigation of their own teaching, rather than being the tool of an outside researcher Teachers, then, can become more autonomous, responsible and answerable through action research (Day, 1987), and so decisions concerning change can be taken by teachers themselves One outcome of this is that action research is likely to be relevant and immediately useful in understanding and developing the specific classroom context in which it was conducted, and so of benefit to learners

Another outcome is that the research becomes both an input into and a stimulus for teacher reflection (indeed, teacher reflection is one of the key tools in conducting action research), and reflection is a necessary component

of personal and professional development Conducting action research, then,

is one key way for us to develop ourselves as teachers

Looking back to my situation, after working with my students for a year, the teacher-researcher found out that the students were still weak in English communicative competence with low engagement in class activities and learning and teaching vocabulary take up much time in class, which results in the shortage of time for language practice Something must be done

to improve the situation and action research is needed

2.2 Procedure

The author of this study paper conducted her action research for her

thesis entitled “Using the flipped classroom model as a vocabulary teaching

aid for the new ‘Tiếng Anh 11’ to enhance EFL learning of students at a high school in Ha Noi” for 4 months (from January to April, 2018) on class

11A4 The action research adapted 7 primary steps proposed by Mc Bride &

Sckotak (1989)

(1) +(2) Identifying problem and collecting initial data

In this step, a pre-test (written & spoken form) on English vocabulary was administered to confirm the problem The primary aim of the instrument was to identify the students‟ real problems in vocabulary learning and their level of vocabulary competence

as intervention plans

Figure 4 Action research cycle

(Adopted and adapted from McBride & Sckotak, 1989)

(5) Implementing the action plan

In this period, the detailed plans of action were carried out Because students had four lessons a week, the author and the participants could meet each other four times a week Therefore, the author delivered the prepared materials in this period

(6) Collecting data to monitor changes (post-data)

The effects of the action were investigated through the collected data

The researcher had a meeting with those participating students to complete her data collection The session lasted about 600 minutes for speaking post-test (10-15 minutes for each student/40 students), 45 minutes for written post-test and 20 minutes for questionnaires

(7) Analysis and evaluation

The researcher interpreted the post-data and compared with the data‟s results to seek answers to the research questions As a result of the action research project, she identified the additional questions, which became the basis for the further cycle of research

pre-2.3 Research Setting

The study was conducted at a high school on the outskirts of Hanoi

There are 45 classes with the total number of more than 1,500 students, each consisting of 40-45 students In general, the English proficiency of the students is not very high, mostly due to their lack of vocabulary

The teaching staff is composed of 12 teachers of English and their ages vary from 30 to 50 The researcher is also a teacher of English at this high school She is 32 years old and has about nearly 10 years of teaching experience

Forty three grade-11 students, including 20 females and 23 males, of class 11A4 at Thach That High School were chosen to take part in the 16-

week research in the second term of 2017-2018 academic year These students were chosen on purpose as they are using the piloted textbook of the new ten-

year curriculum – Tiếng Anh 11 (English 10) - the teaching material used in

the research Thach That High School is the place where the writer of this study has directly been involved in teaching, so the participants are her students She probably better understood the participants due to the prior contact with them Besides, the class was quite cooperative and they enjoyed working in groups, pairs, or practical oriented activities These would be advantages for the researcher when applying a new technique in teaching and learning to be more successful

Those students have been learning English for more than 8 years

However, according to the test given by the researcher at the beginning of the first semester (academic year: 2017-2018), most of the students in this class are at A2 level The table below summarizes the background information of the participants, including gender, age and their English proficiency assessed

by the teacher

Total number of participants

Gender

Age

English proficiency Female Male A2 level B1 level B2 level

2.4 Textbook

There have been many changes in language learning in Vietnam for recent years, and the National Foreign Languages 2020 Project is the latest breakthrough to increase the quality of English language teaching and learning across all school levels in Vietnam One of the outstanding changes

is the movement from traditional teaching method to the communicative one

Going along with the renovation in teaching methodology is the requirement