An evaluation on the application of the flipped classroom model in teaching english at a university in hanoi

DECLARATION I hereby certify that the thesis entitled “An evaluation on the application of the flipped classroom model in teaching English at a university in Hanoi” is the result of my o

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES

*****************

TRẦN THỊ HẬU

AN EVALUATION ON THE APPLICATION OF THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM MODEL IN TEACHING ENGLISH AT A UNIVERSITY IN HANOI

Đánh giá hiệu quả ứng dụng mô hình lớp học đảo ngược trong giảng dạy

tiếng Anh tại một trường đại học ở Hà Nội

M.A MINOR THESIS (PROGRAM 1)

Field: English Teaching Methodology

Code: 8140231.01

Hanoi – 2020

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES

*****************

TRẦN THỊ HẬU

AN EVALUATION ON THE APPLICATION OF THE FLIPPED CLASSROOM MODEL IN TEACHING ENGLISH AT A UNIVERSITY IN HANOI

Đánh giá hiệu quả ứng dụng mô hình lớp học đảo ngược trong giảng dạy

tiếng Anh tại một trường đại học ở Hà Nội

M.A MINOR THESIS (PROGRAM 1)

Field : English Teaching Methodology Code : 8140231.01

Advisor : Prof Dr Hoàng Văn Vân

Hanoi – 2020

DECLARATION

I hereby certify that the thesis entitled

“An evaluation on the application of the flipped classroom model in teaching English at a university in Hanoi” is the result of my own research for the

Degree of Master of Arts, and this thesis has not been submitted for any degree at any other university or tertiary institution

Hanoi, 2020

Trần Thị Hậu

Approved by

ADVISOR

(Signature and full name)

Prof Dr Hoàng Văn Vân

Date:

help and guidance

I would also like to thank the teachers at Hanoi Industrial Garment and Textiles University who did their best to help me gather data from students‟ questionnaires

This thesis would not have been completed without the enthusiasm and the interest of the third year students in Garment Technology and Industrial Management major, who have participated in the survey

Finally, I own my deepest gratitude to my family for their great encouragement and support

ABSTRACT

This study attempts to evaluate the effect of a flipped classroom model in TOEIC teaching for third-year students at Hanoi Industrial Textile Garment University (HTU) The study employed the approach of experimental research to examine the effectiveness of using flipped classroom in teaching TOEIC at HTU The TOEIC course was trial taught for two co-horts: one employed flipped classroom model (teaching methodology) and the other used the traditional lecture-based classroom model As well, a comparison of the quantitative results of students‟ test scores was utilized to compare the academic achievement between the two teaching methodologies In addition, questionnaire-based survey was conducted

to explore students‟ perception and satisfaction in the flipped classroom learning environment Last but not least, case study interviews for both teachers and students involved in flipped classroom was carried out to understand their views on the implementation of flipped classroom in real teaching condition The findings from the study serve as an important fundament for HTU teachers to evaluate the efficacy

of flipped classroom in teaching TOEIC and how it needs to be implemented properly in reality

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii

ABSTRACT iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iv

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vi

LIST OF FIGURES viii

LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS ix

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Rationale of the study 1

1.2 Problem statement 2

1.3 Aim and objectives of the study, and research questions 3

1.4 Research hypothesis 3

1.5 Scope of the study 3

1.6 Significance of the study 4

1.7 Method of the study 4

1.8 Organization of the study 4

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 6

2.1 The flipped classroom 6

2.2 Differences between flipped classroom and traditional classroom 10

2.3 The role of teachers 12

2.4 Suggested steps of implementing a flipped classroom 13

2.5 Previous studies of the effect of flipped classroom on students‟ achievement 15

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 17

3.1 Research approach 17

3.1.1 Overview of experimental research 17

3.1.2 Rationale for the use of an experimental research 19

3.1.3 Steps of an experimental research 20

3.2 Research context 22

3.3 Research design and participants 23

3.3.1 Research Design 23

3.3.2 Participants of the study 25

3.4 The data collection instruments 26

3.4.1 Tests 26

3.4.2 Questionnaire 27

3.4.3 Interviews 29

3.5 Data collection procedure 29

3.5.1 Tests 29

3.5.2 Questionnaire 29

3.5.3 Interviews 29

3.6 Data analysis 30

3.6.1 Several key parameters in experimental research 30

3.6.2 Data analysis techniques 31

CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 35

4.1 The effect of flipped classroom on students' academic achievement 35

4.2 The students‟ perception of flipped classroom model 38

4.2.1 Access Scale Commentary 40

4.2.2 Interaction Scale Commentary 42

4.2.3 Response Scale Commentary 44

4.2.4 Result Scale Commentary 45

4.3 The interview perception of the participants in flipped classroom 48

4.3.1 The students‟ feedback 48

4.3.2 The teachers‟ feedback 51

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 54

5.1 Recapitulation 54

5.2 Conclusion 55

5.3 The limitation of the study 56

5.4 Recommendations 56

5.5 Suggestions for further research 57

REFERENCES 58 APPENDICES I

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

HTU : Hanoi Industrial Textile Garment University

HE : Higher Education FCM : Flipped Classroom Model WEBLEI : Web-based Learning Environment Instrument

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1 The conversion from traditional to flipped classroom 9

Figure 2.2: Bloom‟s revised taxonomy in the flipped classroom (2001) 11

Figure 2.3: Traditional vs Flipped Classroom 11

Figure 3.1: The WEBLEI scale (Chang &Fisher, 2003) 28

Table 4.5: Descriptive Statistics of all Questions of the WEBLEI 39

LIST OF TABLES AND CHARTS

Table 4.1 : The result of independent t-test on post-test scores of the groups 35

Table 4.2: Test Scores of the Experimental and Control Group 36

Table 4.3: The result of student's achievement 37

Table 4.4: Overall result of student perception 39

Table 4.6: Result of Student Response to the Items of Access Scale 41

Table 4.7: Result of Student Response to the Items of Interaction Scale 42

Table 4.8: Result of Student Response to the Items of Response Scale 44

Table 4.9: Result of Student Response to the Items of Result Scale 46

Chart 4.1: Students‟ responses to Positive aspects of Flipped Classroom 49

Chart 4.2: Students‟ responses to the preferred features in FCM 50

Chart 4.3: Students‟ responses to the encountered problems in FCM 51

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

This chapter introduces the rationale, purpose, research questions, hypothesis, scope, significance, method of the study and organization of the study

1.1 Rationale of the study

Innovating teaching methods has been becoming a popular inevitable requirement in education in many countries in the world including Vietnam with the aim to create a comprehensive human-force with self-study skills For decades, English was traditionally taught in classrooms in which the teacher-centered methods were applied In details, the teacher gave lectures, while students gained knowledge inactively However, modern teaching methods in the world are now centered on learners, promoting cognitive ability, independent working ability, creativity, problem solving One of the current directions for teaching method innovation is the application of active teaching technology that have been effectively applied in advanced education all over the world

Technology in the twenty-first century puts instantaneous access to information, and the Internet can be handily accessed through numerous technology tools such as laptop, computer, and smartphone (Fu, 2013) Now more than ever, students spend much of their waking time on using some sort of technology tools; by using this technology, it is possible for them to interact with friends, instructors, and learning content everywhere, not only in the class but also outside the class through distance learning (Fisher, 2009) Also, many free learning materials have been provided on websites for learning activities Richter and McPherson (2012) argued that in today‟s digital age, every student can access many free Internet learning resources such as online video lectures and they can watch these free contents everywhere and at their convenience Even more, the use of the traditional learning approach which focuses on the instructor as the centre of knowledge is irrelevant in today‟s digital age (Wang & Heffernan, 2010) As a solution, traditional classroom activities such as lectures, labs, homework, and exams can be replaced by other modern interactive learning tools and

students can study everywhere outside the classroom (Staker & Horn, 2012) This positive impact of technology growth has influenced the development of instructional technology in education and replaced the use of the blackboard with online video lectures (Evans, 2011)

Among modern teaching methodologies, the flipped classroom (FC) has been highlighted as an emerging technology for higher education which is very important to use at college level (Johnson, Adams Becker, Estrada, & Freeman, 2014) The use of the flipped classroom as an alternative to the traditional learning environments has been increasingly attracting the attention of researchers and educators The advancement in technological tools such as interactive videos, interactive in-class activities, and video conference systems paves the way for the widespread use of flipped classrooms (Johnston, 2017) It is even asserted that the flipped classroom, which is used to create effective teaching environments at schools, is the best model for using technology in education (Hamdan, McKnight, McKnight & Arfstrom, 2013)

1.2 Problem statement

At Ha Noi Industrial Textile Garment University (HTU), since the academic year of 2017-2018, the Decision No.1505 QĐ-ĐHCNDMHN on Learning Outcomes for English Language Proficiency has been officially in effect requiring that all students must have a certified English language proficiency certificate for graduation (TOEIC score of at least 400 points, equivalent to B1 level in the CEFR-

V framework) Thus, a TOEIC course was designed for the third year students to enroll and take an achievement test For a long time, students had been taught based

on teacher-centered learning, entirely through lecturing method, tutorial sessions, and laboratory work with the „chalk and talk‟ approach in a traditional classroom Since 2019, the HTU lecturers have been producing modules for the subjects offered to students in order to change the way of teaching and learning, from lecturer-centered to student-centered learning that allows for a clear way to deliver the course schedule and engage students in class Thus, flipped classroom model

(FCM) was first introduced by Smartcom JSC‟s in teaching online TOEIC Many educators and students also agree that the flipped classroom is a valuable way of improving learner engagement and promoting a sense of responsibility for one‟s education However, there are few studies that use objective assessment of student‟s academic achievement to measure the impact of a flipped classroom approach After one year of experiment, this model has not been evaluated on its effeciency

Hence, the author conducted the study “Evaluation on the application of the flipped classroom in teaching English” for the third-year students at HTU

1.3 Aim and objectives of the study, and research questions

The overarching aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of the application

of the flipped classroom model in teaching English at HTU In addition, the study also attempts to explore students‟ and teachers‟ perceptions of the flipped classroom model To fulfill this overarching aim, two specific objectives are set as follows:

1 Exploring the effects of flipped classroom model (teaching methodology) on students‟ academic achievements

2 Exploring students‟ and teachers‟ perceptions of the flipped classroom model

These two objectives are translated into two corresponding research questions as follows:

1 What are the effects of flipped classroom model on students‟ academic achievements?

2 What are students‟ and teachers‟ perceptions of flipped classroom model?

1.5 Scope of the study

The author tried to find out the efficacy of using flipped classroom model in teaching TOEIC for the third year students at HTU The study was conducted on

students‟ volunteer from four classes of Garment Technology during the first semester of the school year 2019-2020 Only two teachers and 189 students participated in the pedagogy experiment to help the author evaluate the use of the flipped classroom basing on quantitative analysis of students‟ achivement and both students and teachers‟ perception from this model The study is not aimed at generalizing the result, but particularly examine the effect of flipped classroom for teaching TOEIC at HTU Because the judgement was only based on quantitative results from the collected data analysis, the author‟s evaluation may be subjective and not generalized in a wider research scope

1.6 Significance of the study

Firstly, the study serves as a reference for HTU administrators and English teaching staff who experienced the flipped classroom model to have overall insight of this model They will be made aware of both the pros and cons in the application of the model and thus promote the training quality and effectiveness of the program

Secondly, based on the results of the study, some changes or improvements

in the use of the model for teaching TOEIC may be made accordingly in order to serve best the goals of the English Department

1.7 Method of the study

This study is conducted as an experimental research The learning environments of this study are a flipped classroom and a traditional classroom that have been implemented to investigate the impact of the flipped classroom model on students‟ academic achievement and to explore students‟ and teachers‟ perception from this model Classroom instruction is the independent variable across the traditional and the flipped models Students‟ and teachers‟ perception and students‟ academic achievement are a dependent variable

1.8 Organization of the study

This study consists of five chapters:

Chapter 1: Introduction: introduces the rationale, purpose, research

questions, hypothesis, scope, significance, method of the study and organization of the thesis

Chapter 2: Literature review: covers the overview of the literature which

includes relevant theoretical background and reviews of related studies

Chapter 3: Research methodology: includes an overview of the approach

and procedures used to conduct the study

Chapter 4: Results and Discussion: the data is analyzed in detail and a

thorough discussion of the findings will be made

Chapter 5: Conclusion: recapitulates the major findings of the study, represents further recommendations for the implementation of flipped classroom model and acknowledges the limitations of the study

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter reviews the literature on flipped classroom Several main issues that are included in the chapters are the theoretical background relating to flipped classroom, its history, nature and characteristic, the role of instructor in flipped classroom, the steps of implementing a flipped classroom

2.1 The flipped classroom

2.1.1 History of the flipped classroom

As early as 1982, Baker had the idea to use electronic means to cover rote material outside of class (Baker, 2000) However, it was not until 1995, with the advent of an online content management system, that Baker was able to place lecture notes online, extend classroom discussions and use online quizzes (Strayer, 2007) He realized during a lecture that the students were capable of retrieving the slides themselves, and encouraged them to do so Once he “gave away all the content for the class,” he realized he needed to make the class time more meaningful He developed an action plan centered on four verbs: clarify, expand, apply, and practice Student survey responses in the two flipped courses indicated positive student perception toward the classroom flip Representative student comments indicated that the learning was more personalized, the cooperative groups fostered critical thinking, and the online resources provided students with more control over their learning Baker presented the concept to conferences between 1996 and 1998, and began to refer to the method as “The Classroom Flip” (Baker, 2011)

At the same time, Lage, Platt, and Treglia (2000) designed and applied a similar procedure They referred to the concept as “The Inverted Classroom” and similarly held the expectation that students would view lectures in advance of class, and then spend class time clarifying difficult concepts and working in small groups They stated that “inverting the classroom means that events that have traditionally taken place inside the classroom now take place outside the classroom and vice versa The use of learning technologies, particularly multimedia, provide new opportunities for students to learn,” (p 32)

The modern use of online videos to supplement face-to-face instruction is often credited to Aaron Sams and Jonathan Bergmann (Pink, 2010) In 2007, they were both science teachers at Woodland Park High School in Colorado In this rural setting, students involved in sports or other activities missed a lot of class time Other schools in the district were a long bus ride away, requiring students to leave early for such activities Bergmann and Sams concerned how to give class materials

to those students and others who were out sick They discovered a solution in a technology magazine: software that could record a Powerpoint slide show with voice and notes The resulting video file could be easily shared In the spring of

2007, they began recording all their lectures and turned them into video presentations

The next year, they decided to use the technique for all their classes and called it “pre-broadcasting." Students would view the presentation before school In class, they would discuss it, experiment with the material and receive assistance from their teachers Because their videos were posted publically online, they began receiving emails from students and teachers all over the world Soon, they were travelling around Colorado doing professional development workshops on what they were calling the “pre-vodcasting” method Their workshops were met enthusiastically because what they were doing was so simple, yet had the potential

to reform education

After scouring the Internet, they found that no one else was doing this method The name was briefly changed to reverse instruction, but then, Dan Pink (2010) wrote about the method and called it the flipped classroom and the term has stuck (Bergmann & Sams, 2012a) In March of 2011, Salman Khan used the term

“flipping the classroom” in his TED talk (Khan, 2011) Since that point, interest in the flipped model has grown exponentially with new articles, press, and blogs on the flipped model appearing almost daily News travels quickly, and soon, Bergmann and Sams were being asked to do their workshops all over the world

2.1.2 What is a flipped classroom?

There are several ways of defining the concept flipped classroom according

to other authors‟ view as follows

(Strayer, 2012), flipped classroom, or inverted class is a collaborative teaching design that has been developed in many countries Flipped classroom is defined as a model of delivering instruction that shifts lectures from a class time activity to an at home activity and shifts “homework” from an at home activity to an in-class, critical thinking set of activities

According to Kandroudi & Bratitsis (2013), the "flipped classroom" is a model of blended learning, in which students learn by watching video lectures or other educational material at home, while the "homework” is done in the classroom with the teacher and students discussing and resolving queries This model totally reverses the process of teaching and learning in traditional classroom-based setting

In traditional teaching, students attend the "lecture" of the course and answer in tests at school, while they study the book and solve the exercises at home In contrast, in “flipped teaching” students study the next lesson at home on their own, usually through a video, which has been prepared by their teacher or other available material, and once they come in the classroom they apply their knowledge by solving problems and taking part in consolidation activities The teacher supports the students exactly where they need Its role is shifting from the traditional lecture

to guidance, support and personalization (Bishop & Verleger, 2013)

The Flipped Learning Network (2014), flipped classroom is a pedagogical approach in which direct instruction moves from the group learning space to the individual learning space, and the resulting group space is transformed into a dynamic, interactive learning environment where the educator guides students as they apply concepts and engage creatively in the subject matter

In short, there are a number of opinions and definitions of flipped classroom according to different scholars From the definitions above, what comes out clearly is that flipped classroom is an inversion of teaching process from

traditional lecture-based classroom in which teachers play a centered role to an active learning model where student-centered approach is focused with technological supports from the teachers

Figure 2.1 The conversion from traditional to flipped classroom

(Image Courtesy of www.dontwasteyourtime.co.uk)

2.1.3 Characteristics of flipped classroom model

In the flipped class model, students watch lectures at home online Class time will be for collaborative activities that reinforce the learned concepts Students will

be more active in understanding and studying the theory, they can access the video

at any time, can stop the lecture, take notes and review if necessary E-Learning technology helps students better understand the theory from which they are ready to participate in group lessons, advanced exercises at class time This helps learning more effective, helping students become more confident

With the flipped classroom, the knowledge acquisition is directed by the teacher through the e-learning syllabus prepared by the teacher with the information that the students found by themselves, the student's task is to self-study this new knowledge and do homework at low level at home While in class, they are organized by teachers to interact and share each other High-level assignments are

also conducted in the classroom with the support of teachers and teammates This way of learning requires students to use a lot of mental activities, so it is called

"High-thinking”

2.2 Differences between flipped classroom and traditional classroom

The difference between flipped classroom and traditional classroom can also acknowledged basing on the theory of Bloom‟s revised taxonomy of cognitive domain (Zainuddin and Halili, 2016) In the traditional model, students attend classes to perceive lectures from teachers passively Students have no or little knowledge about the subject before they come to class In class, they get taught all the knowledge, and it is often the basic knowledge about a subject Students have to

do the more comprehensive knowledge at home, it is called “homework” According to Bloom's scale, this task is only at the lower levels ("Know" and

"Understand") For teachers, they play the role of directors and the teacher-centered learning process enables students to be inactive in learning and mastering knowledge

With the model of the flipped classroom, students have direct access to the knowledge under teachers‟ instruction and assignment through an online learning platform In the flipped class model, students watch lectures, video, slides or other online materials at home Class time will be for collaborative activities that reinforce the learned concepts This model gives students many opportunities to develop the ability to think critically and independently, as well as improving students learning process through collaborative interaction with peers In this model, teacher gives flexibility and freedom to the students so that they can learn from the activities that specifically designed to improve problem solving skills Marshall and DeCapua in Love (2015) stated that on flipped classroom learning, remembering and understanding cognitive level is moved outside the classroom, so that learning in the classroom focus on higher cognitive level of the taxonomy, such as applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating Students in flipped classroom learning have better performance and higher morale, as well as deeper understanding as Figure 2.2 illustrates the level of students‟ cognition in the flipped learning

Figure 2.2: Bloom’s revised taxonomy in the flipped classroom (2001)

In general, the difference between flipped classroom and traditional classroom can be summarized as follows:

Figure 2.3: Traditional vs Flipped Classroom

(Source:

https://designinginstructionwithk.com/2019/06/13/flipped-classroom-approach/)

2.3 The role of teachers

To fully understand how vital the role of the skilled, professional teacher is

in a flipped model, it is necessary to understand the differences in the role the teacher plays in each type of classroom: the traditional classroom and the flipped classroom The teacher in both situations is responsible for teaching and instructing the students, but the focus shifts from the teacher being the main source of information to the teacher being a guide to help students develop an understanding

of content

Firstly, it is necessary to consider the teacher‟s role in the traditional classroom In this setting, the teacher acts as the main source of information for the students The teacher is responsible to delivering instructional material to a classroom full of students with differing learning abilities and styles The teacher delivers one classroom learning activities during the allotted class time, answering questions, and giving examples in order for students to develop an understanding of the material

In contrast, researchers also identified the teacher‟s role in the flipped classroom In this setting, the teacher prepares a lecture that is recorded either by him

or herself or is obtained from another professional source Many teachers choose to load all their classroom content into a learning management system As long as students have access to the Internet, they then have access to the learning content Before fully implementing this model, the teacher teaches the students how to watch the videos, encouraging them to pause and replay the video as needed, take notes, and write down questions they have Sometimes, to ensure that students are taking part in their out of class learning experience, teachers require that a concise but comprehensive task be completed before coming to class the next day These tasks could include online quizzes, worksheets, writing assignments, or another chosen activity that is worth points in the student‟s overall course grade (Brame, 2012)

When the students return to class the next day, the teacher goes over the questions, misconceptions, and other issues the students raise from their notes on

the video, then introduces the class to the learning activities that s/he created for the day Students are given any needed instructions, then they begin working on the assigned tasks Because the “homework” has been shifted into the classroom environment, Goodwin and Miller (2013) stated that, “ increased student-teacher interactions give teachers more opportunities to provide feedback to the students” (p 79) As the teacher provides feedback and guides students through their critical thinking activities, s/he is available to help students who struggled with the concept

at home In a flipped classroom model, the role of the teacher “ becomes even more important just less visible” (Hirsch, 2014 p 2) Hirsch went on to note that teachers are more available to lead critical thinking discussions, provide one-on-one support to struggling students, or facilitating an extension activity with high-performing students The teachers also use assigned activities to facilitate students

in their development of learning, challenging them to create new meanings and think on a higher level

To sum up, it is clear that the role of teacher in flipped classroom was very important in supporting students to gain the learning objectives It reversed from the

“supplier” knowledge in traditional classroom setting to the instructor in flipped classroom Under the teachers‟ instruction, the student‟s knowledge acquisition ability was also switched from passive approach to active one

2.4 Suggested steps of implementing a flipped classroom

Baker (2000) states that the goals of the original flipped class were:

1 Find an approach that would make it possible for faculty to move from sage to guide

2 Reduce the amount of time spent in class on lecturing, opening up class time for the use of active learning strategies

3 Focus more on understanding and application than on recall of facts, while not sacrificing presentation of factual base

4 Provide students with more control over their own learning

5 Give students a greater sense of responsibility for their learning

6 Provide students with more opportunities to learn from their peers (p.9) The structure of a flipped class will vary with the personality of each teacher, but it typically includes a routine with a short assessment regarding the instruction viewed before class, a mini-lesson addressing remediation or difficult concepts needing to be retaught, and large blocks of times for project work The approach to structure that Baker (2000) outlined revolved around four verbs: clarify, expand, apply, and practice

Bergmann and Sams (2012) promotes the concept of flipped classroom model “which is traditionally done in class is now done at home, and that which is traditionally done as homework is now completed in class” Bergman and Sams (2012) define suggested steps for implementing flipped classroom as follows:

Step 1: Planning the lessons

At this stage, you as a teacher have to consider what topics you intend to teach and decide which topic needs videos as an instruction tool You can only do it

by looking in your syllabus and examine which lesson content is best presented by videos that students can acquire it without difficulties The stage of choosing lessons are vital for your process of teaching, because not any lesson has suitable content to flip the teaching Thus, choosing suitable topics applying flipped teaching

is a key to success of the teacher, that makes students feel balanced between the flipped classroom model and the traditional ones

Step 2: Making videos

After deciding to use videos, you have to choose a variety of software programmes for recording your videos The process of making videos is divided into three stages: recording, editing, and publishing on the Internet There are many free tools available on the Internet that you can find and use them easily You can make videos from available PowerPoint lecture slides by using screen capturing tools such as Obs Studio or Camtasia with good audio quality

Step 3: Training students

It is very important to train students how to watch videos effectively Some suggestions are as follows:

1) Students should turn off all communication devices which can distract their attention while viewing the video

2) Students can "pause" or "rewind" the video any time

3) You have to teach your students how to take notes, write any questions they have, and summarize their lessons

Step 4: Viewing the video

Students are asked to view the video at home before attending the class They are taught the ways to solve problem in the lessons and comprehend the content by themselves Students can prepare probable questions relating to uncertain contents for in-class discussions

Step 5: Conducting the flipped class

The class time is for teachers to organize interactive teaching activities such

as discussion, group working, games, etc to help students consolidate the key knowledge This will enhance students‟ motivation in discovering and mastering the knowledge because students participate into learning process actively; as a result, the learning objectives can be gained

2.5 Previous studies of the effect of flipped classroom on students’ achievement

Academic achievement is a representation of performance outcomes that indicate the level to which the student has attained specific learning goals (Ali et al., 2013) and demonstrates competence in extracurricular activities (Steinmayr et al., 2014) The implementation of flipped classroom has been common in many countries having modern education In recent years, several research studies have focused on the impacts of FC learning environments on students' academic achievements

The first article was by Alvarez (2012) who reported on the students at Clintondale High School in Clinton Township, Michigan In 2009, more than 50%

of freshmen students failed English The school determined that a flipped classroom would offer students more time to prepare for class A year after implementing the flipped classroom educators in the school saw the percentage of students failing fell,

compared with nearly a third the previous year The conclusions at Clintondale High School were that “the flip approach holds the golden key for students because educators can control and eliminate learning obstacles, and it allows teachers to give their best presentations and share resources” (Alvarez, 2012)

Jeremy Strayer (2012) conducted his own work with a flipped classroom The research took place in two different introductory statistics classrooms taught by Strayer at an unidentified U.S university The typical student in his class was a middle-class white American from the Mid-West He structured one classroom to

be a flipped and the other to be a traditional lecture-homework format He did not compare the grade results between the two classes When comparing responses between students in the flipped class and students in the traditional class, students in the flipped class preferred an environment with greater Innovation and Cooperation but there was no evidence of a difference in preferences for the other scales

In their mixed methods research, Zhonggen and Wang (2016) investigated the effectiveness of the FC Model on English writing courses The data of the study were collected through a scale of satisfaction, a Business English writing test, and a structured interview (Zhonggen & Wang 2016) As pre- and post-tests, they administered the scale of satisfaction and a Business English writing test (Zhonggen

& Wang 2016) The findings showed that members of the experimental group, who were taught using the FC Model, scored higher than the control group members, who were taught in a traditional learning environment (Zhonggen & Wang 2016)

In Vietnam, the academic literature is extremely limited on actual quantitative studies on the effectiveness of the flipped classroom A few of those, Nguyễn Văn Lợi (2014) synthesized researches about the model of flipped classrooms and discussed the strengths and weaknesses of this model, from which some implications would be put forward as to its implementation in universities and colleges in Vietnam The paper concluded the flipped classroom is actually an effective way to improve learning motivation for students; however, it had not enough evidence to prove the effectiveness of flipped classroom on students‟ academic achievement compared to other traditional campus-based model

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The focus of this chapter is to provide information about the experimental research project reported in this study The information includes the description of the methodology employed to collect and analyze data for the study

3.1 Research approach

3.1.1 Overview of experimental research

3.1.1.1 What is an experimental research?

This study was conducted as an experimental research The experimental research method is widely used in physical and social sciences, psychology, and education It is based on the comparison between two or more groups with a straightforward logic; however, it may be difficult to execute There are several ways of defining an experimental research as follows:

According to Nunan (1992), experimental research is carried out to explore the strength of relationship between variables

According to Lyman and Michael (2010) “In an experimental study, the researcher attempts to maintain control over all variables that may have an effect on the response variables”

Nguyễn Hùng Tiến (2009), experimental studies are conducted to explore the relationship between two variables: independent and dependent variable to prove the correlation between two variables and to measure the strength and weakness of this relationship

3.1.1.2 Category of experimental research

The types of experimental research design are determined by the way the researcher assigns subjects to different conditions and groups They are three types: pre-experimental, quasi-experimental, and true experimental research

- Pre-experimental research: In pre-experimental research design, either a

group or various dependent groups are observed for the effect of the application of

an independent variable which is presumed to cause change It is the simplest form

of experimental research design This research has enough specifications of pre and post-treatment, is conducted on the experimental group, and is treated with no control group

- Quasi-experimental research: In this research design, there are enough

specifications of pre and post-treatment, is conducted on both experiment and control group and the participants are not randomly assigned to each group This is very common in educational research, where administrators are unwilling to allow the random selection of students for experimental samples

- True experimental research: The true experimental research design relies

on statistical analysis to approve or disprove a hypothesis It is the most accurate type of experimental design and may be carried out with or without a pretest on at least two randomly assigned dependent subjects The true experimental research design must contain a control group, a variable that can be manipulated by the researcher, and the distribution must be random

Nunan (1992) et (Lê Hùng Tiến, 2009)

3.1.1.3 Several characteristics of experimental research

They are several perameters used in experimental research as follows

Variables: are the interval scale uses equal-sized units of measurement &

shows distances between subjects‟ performances Experimental research contains dependent, independent and extraneous variables The dependent variables are the variables being treated or manipulated and are sometimes called the subject of the research The independent variables are the experimental treatment being exerted on the dependent variables Extraneous variables, on the other hand, are other factors affecting the experiment that may also contribute to the change

Setting: The setting is where the experiment is carried out Many

experiments are carried out in the laboratory, where control can be exerted on the extraneous variables, thereby eliminating them Other experiments are carried out in

a less controllable setting The choice of setting used in research depends on the nature of the experiment being carried out

Population: A subset of individuals from a given population

Sample: all cases, situations, individuals who share one or more

Interval scale: this scale places things into named categories

Nominal scale: Something that may vary, differ over time; Some differ over

time and among individuals (language proficiency, motivation, self-esteem etc.)

Nunan (1992)

3.1.2 Rationale for the use of an experimental research

Experimental research design can be majorly used in physical sciences, social sciences, education, and psychology The aim of experimental research is to predict phenomena Experimental research is helpful for society as it helps improve everyday life Dr Maheshwari (2017), experimental researchers test an idea (or practice or procedure) to determine its effect on an outcome Researchers decide on

an idea with which to “experiment”, assign individuals to experience it (and have some individuals experience something different), and then determine whether those who experienced the idea or practice performed better on some outcome than those who did not experience it

In education, in order to improve the training quality, educators are encouraged to carefully observe students‟ learning, innovate teaching methods and apply new technologies in teaching process For instance, educational researchers in many disciplines are faced with the task of exploring how students learn and are correspondingly addressing the issue of how to best help students do so More, educational researchers are interested in determining the effectiveness of some technology or pedagogical technique for use in the classroom Their ability to do so depends on the quality of the research methodologies used to investigate these treatments In these cases, if they want to have comprehensive evaluation on the effectiveness of new methods compared with the old ones, experimental research is necessary

This study matches well the features of an experimental research The inspiration for the research was the recognition and observation of a real problem in

the classes that my colleagues and I taught in the past few school years This research was conducted with a desire to examine the use of flipped classroom whether it is an effective measure in teaching TOEIC or not compared with traditional lecture-based classrooms With this view, this research meets the demand

of experimental research project

3.1.3 Steps of an experimental research

Here is a suggested sequence of logical steps for planning and conducting research by Nafiz Suva, University of Dhaka (2014)

Step 1: Select a Topic

This step is self-explanatory and usually not a problem, except for those who are “required” to do research as opposed to initiating it on their own The step simply involves identifying a general area that is of personal interest and then narrowing the focus to a researchable problem

Step 2: Identify the Research Problem

After deciding the topic of interest, the researcher tries to define the research problem This helps the researcher to focus on a narrower research area to be able to study it appropriately Defining the research problem helps to formulate a research hypothesis

Step 3: Conduct a Literature Search

With the research topic and problem identified, it is now time to conduct a more intensive literature search It is very important to determine what relevant studies have been performed; the designs, instruments, and procedures employed in those studies; and most critically, the findings This literature review helps researcher weather the topic is worth studying and it provides inside into ways in which the researcher can limit the scope to a needed area of inquiry

Step 4: State the Research Questions (or Hypotheses)

This step is probably the most critical part of the planning process The research questions or hypotheses provide the basis for planning all other parts of the study: design, materials, and data analysis In particular, this step will guide the

researcher‟s decision as to whether an experimental design or some other orientation is the best choice

Step 5: Construct the Research Design

The next consideration is whether an experimental design is feasible If not, the researcher will need to consider alternative approaches, recognizing that the original research question may not be answerable as a result

Step 6: Determine Methods

Methods of the study include (a) subjects, (b) materials and data collection instruments, and (c) procedures In determining these components, the researcher must continually use the research questions and/or hypotheses as reference points

A good place to start is with subjects or participants What kind and how many participants does the research design require?

Next consider materials and instrumentation When the needed resources are not obvious, a good strategy is to construct a listing of data collection instruments needed to answer each question (e.g., attitude survey, achievement test, observation form)

Step 7: Conduct the experiment

An experiment is typically carried out by manipulating a variable, called the independent variable, affecting the experimental group The effect that the researcher is interested in, the dependent variable, is measured Identifying and controlling non-experimental factors which researcher does not want to influence the effects is crucial to drawing a valid conclusion This is often done by controlling variables, if possible, or randomizing variables to minimize effects that can be traced back to third variables

Step 8: Data collection and analysis

When the experiment is imposed to a specific variable, related data should be collected and compiled in systematic way After analyzing compiled data, it should

be condensed to a usable form

Step 9: Present findings and conclusions

The aim of an analysis is to draw a conclusion together with other observation The researcher might generalize the results to a wider phenomenon, if there is no indication of confounding variables affecting the results If the researcher suspects that the effect stem from a different variable than the independent variable, further investigation is needed to gauge the validity of the results

3.2 Research context

This study was conducted at Hanoi Industrial Textile Garment University (HTU) which was initially founded as Professional Garment Techniques School on January 19th, 1967 under the supervision of Ministry of Domestic Trade After many upgrades and changes of its names, on April 4th 2015, the National Prime Minister issued Decision No 769/QĐ-TTg on establishing Hanoi Industrial Textile Garment University

Facilities at HTU are invested synchronously and modernly to meet training requirements including multi-purposed lecture halls, electronic library centers, computer labs, multimedia rooms for teaching and studying English, Fashion Design, Sewing Practice, etc

About 5,000- 6,000 students have been trained in main majors of Garment Technology, Fashion Design, Electrics and Mechanics, Industrial Management The students of approximately 19-23 years old have learned English as a compulsory subject for 9-10 years, but their language competence was not at the same level For some students, the things they had learned at the secondary school seem to be completely new Their vocabulary was not large enough to understand and talk a short and simple passage Since the academic year of 2017-2018, the Decision No.1505 QĐ-ĐHCNDMHN on Learning Outcomes for English language proficiency was officially in effect requiring that all students must have a certified English language proficiency certificate for graduation (TOEIC score of at least 400 points, equivalent to B1 level in the CEFR-V framework) Thus, TOEIC course was designed for the third year students to enroll and take an achievement test

English teaching staff comprises only 10 out of approximately 300 lecturers at HTU teaching English in variety of training majors for the whole school from general English to English for specific purposes (Esp) Most of them have a M.A degree or higher and have at least 10 years of working experience and 1-2 years of training in garment enterprises

For decades, English was taught in traditional lecture-based classrooms in which the teacher-centered methods were applied at HTU The teacher gave information, while students gained knowledge passively However, modern educational trends are requiring advancement from both teachers and students, in which how to put teaching and learning centered on learners, promoting cognitive ability, independent ability, creativity, problem solving and discovery are highly concentrated Thus, on December 30, 2012, Ha Noi Industrial Garment and Textiles University (HTU) issued the Decision No 854/QD-CDC on "Higher Self-Study Training for Students" Program With the policy of improving students' self-learning, the school encourages teachers to actively innovate teaching methods With the support of Smartcom Jsc, in the school year of 2017-2018, the leaders at HTU and the English faculty decided to apply flipped classroom model for the third year students The introduction of the model is considered as an innovation in the ways of teaching and learning English at HTU

3.3 Research design and participants

3.3.1 Research Design

The method in this study was quasi-experimental research The learning environment of this study is a flipped classroom and traditional classroom that has been implemented to determine students‟ achievements and student and lecturer perspectives Classroom instruction was the independent variable with two levels, traditional and flipped Student and lecturer‟s perception and student‟s academic achievement is a dependent variable

The study conducted an pedagogy experiment for 189 students of sample The TOEIC 400 course introduced by Smartcom Joint Stock Company had 10

lessons in 30 periods relating to some topics commonly used in TOEIC tests such as office, working day, going on business, meetings and conference, etc The TOEIC course was unrandomly assigned to two different groups of learning: traditional lecture-based classroom (control group) and flipped classroom (experimental group) There were 100 students (74 females and 26 males) participating in the experimental group and 89 students (72 females and 17 males) enrolled in the control group Each group was divided into two classes to ensure ideally small class scale and each teacher acted for two classes, one in traditional setting and another in flipped setting In this study, the week of teaching and the syllabus were the same between the two groups There were two periods per week, and each lasted for two hours with two hours of student self-learning time after class time At the beginning

of the course, all participants took a pre-test (diagnostic test) in TOEIC format within two hours The test score was used to examine students‟ preliminary level before the course

In the regular classroom, the teacher distributed all materials for students, conducted her lesson plans traditionally from assigning the students TOEIC mini-tests, asking them to do and then reviewing vocabulary and grammar issues in the lesson In the case of the traditional classroom, the lecturer will give PowerPoint lecture slides on how to solve the problem of the question from the module example For post class homework, students will do tutorial questions from the module after class activity without the presence of lecturer or peers During the next class, they will give a presentation and discussion on prepared topics in class For assessment on each topic there are a quiz and a test that require students to do at home

For the flipped classroom, the students were required to watch a video lecture at home before each class period The course materials were provided through an online learning platform by Smartcom JSC at website www.pro.smartcom.vn Based on Mason et al (2013), these pre-class study videos often last for about 15-20 minutes, but the length of some others can vary within 30 minutes All lecture PowerPoint slides relating to the content of each lesson were

narrated in videos by the teachers and recorded by screen capturing applications such as Obs Studio, Camtasia,…) Instructional videos will show students how to solve the problem of the question from the module example of each topic For assessment on each topic, there are a quiz and a test that require students to do online During the class time, the students were required to participate in various active learning activities, such as problem solving and discussion on tutorial questions from the module, assignments and presentations There was no post-class homework assignment for each class activity (Long et al., 2014) In this setting, teachers will play role of the facilitator to help students to gain knowledge and master skills throughout each topic It is clear that the role of teacher was reversed from the “supplier” knowledge in traditional classroom setting to the instructor in flipped classroom The student‟s perception was also switched from passive approach to active one in mastering knowledge and skills

3.3.2 Participants of the study

3.3.2.1 Lecturers

Two English lecturers of English Faculty at HTU were assigned to take part

in teaching English of B1 level All are qualified teachers who graduated from teacher training universities in Vietnam and Master Degree in aboard They have been teaching English for at least 10 years and very enthusiastic about their teaching career Before the experiment, both teachers were introduced the flipped classroom and trained the implementation

3.3.2.2 Students

The participants are 189 students (146 females and 43 males) from four third-year classes of the Faculty of Garment Technology getting involved in a TOEIC course According to the HTU‟ Regulation on Learning Outcomes for English language Proficiency as a graduation certification, all students must pass an achievement test in format of TOEIC testing with score of at least 400 points (B1 level in reference to the CEFR framework) These students in the age category of 21-23 years come from different cities and provinces and they were qualified a

course of A1 and A2 level in two previous consecutive academic years Thus, it is said that students have rather similar English level and it is very advantageous to measure students‟ progress after the treatment

3.4 The data collection instruments

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of flipped classroom model, the study was designed using a mixed-method approach including three instruments: tests, questionnaire and interview

3.4.1 Tests

In this study, the researcher used tests to collect data Brown (2004) stated that “test is as a method which is used to measure competence, knowledge, intelligence, and ability of talent which is possessed by individual or group to collect data” Thus, tests are used to determine the impact of the flipped classroom approach on student‟s achievement compared to the traditional teaching model (the first research question)

Three kinds of testing: diagnostic testing (pre-test), progress testing test) and achievement testing (post-test) would be taken to measure students‟ achievement in progress These were conducted to compare the test scores between the students of flipped classroom and those of traditional classroom at the beginning, in the middle and end of the course

(mid-Arthur Hughes (2003), a diagnostic test is designed to identity learner's strengths and weaknesses Diagnostic testing typically happens at the start of a new phase of education, like when students will start learning a new unit The test covers topics students will be taught in the upcoming lessons

Arthur Hughes also defined that a progress test is intended to measure the progress that students are making It contributes to formative assessment; this type

of testing is used to gauge student learning during the lesson

An achievement test is to evaluate a learner's understanding of a specific course or study programme The achievement test is admistered at the end of a course and its purpose is to establish how successful individual students, groups of

students, or the courses themselves have been in achieving objectives The content

of these tests must be related to the courses with which they are concerned

The researcher used multiple choice tests in the study for three reasons: first, the technique of scoring is easy; second, it was impossible for students to avoid the grammar point being evaluated; third, this is sensitive measure of achievement multiple-choice language test; it allows teachers to diagnose the students‟ problems

In the study, full TOEIC tests with 200 multiple-choice items for Listening and Reading skill were used to take the three tests The tests were chosen from series of ETS TOEIC textbooks The validity of all items could be assured and validated by

US Educational Testing Service (known as ETS, the official administrator of TOEIC testing system) Therefore, the validity and reliability of the test could be trusted

3.4.2 Questionnaire

In order to ensure the reliability and validity of this research, a based survey was conducted to determine students‟ perception the flipped learning environment (the second research question)

questionnaire-Questionnaires are common instruments to collect data in educational research in general and ELT research in particular According to McDonough & McDonough (1997:170), questionnaires have some advantages as follows: the knowledge needed is controlled by the questions, questionnaires can be used on a small scale, data can be gathered in several different time slots and self-completion questionnaires allow access to outside contexts

The questionnaire in this study was adapted from Web-Based Learning Environment Instrument (WEBLEI) by Chang & Fisher, 1998, 2003 It was used to gather data quantitatively on students‟ perceptions of their web-based learning environment The author revised a little the content of some items to make it suitable with flipped learning course in the study

The WEBLEI measures students‟ perceptions across four scales with 32 items: Emancipatory activities (looking at convenience, efficiency and autonomy,

also known as ACCESS, the item of 1-8); Co-participatory activities (looking at flexibility, reflection, quality, interaction, collaboration and feedback, known as INTERACTION, the item of 9-16); Qualia (looking at success, confidence, accomplishments and interest, known as RESPONSE, the item of 17-24); and Information structure and design (looking at how well the course and learning materials are structured and designed, known as RESULT, the item of 25-32) The four scales are scored using a five-point Likert scale, coded as 1 (Strongly Disagree), 2 (Disagree), 3 (Neither Disagree nor Agree), 4 (Agree) and 5 (Strongly Agree) (Chang &Fisher, 2003) According to Chang and Fisher (1998), for students

to use this medium, they have to successfully access the Internet Firstly, the Access scale establishes the extent to which variables associated with accessing this medium meet students‟ expectations Once the students have logged in successfully, they should be able to interact productively with their peers and their teachers Secondly, the Interaction scale explores the extent to which this is achieved from students‟ point of view Thirdly, the Response scale gives an indication of how they felt about using a web-based medium and finally, the Results scale gives an idea of whether they accomplished any of the learning objectives by using the learning resources accessed through this medium

Figure 3.1: The WEBLEI scale (Chang &Fisher, 2003)

3.4.3 Interviews

The interviews aimed to collect additional information about the teachers and lecturers‟ perception with the flipped classroom environment Interviews allow for the greatest depth and detail of information compared to other methods (Cooper & Schindler (1998), while Marshall and Rossman (1985) noted that interviewing was

a better method of obtaining validated data

3.5 Data collection procedure

3.5.1 Tests

The three tests in the study were taken at the beginning of the course test), after five weeks of the treatment (mid-test) and at the end of the course (post-test) Each test was graded by Zipgrade marking application This is an effective tool to grade multiple-choice tests by scanning students‟ answer sheets, the mark would be automatically visualized basing on the input answer key The TOEIC raw score is determined by the number of correct items that student earned and final mark is the total of converted score for Listening and Reading section (in reference

(pre-to TOEIC Score Conversion Table 2019, ETS) An excel spreadsheet was created (pre-to present each student‟s score of three tests in columns for analysis

3.5.2 Questionnaire

The survey questionnaire was designed by Google form application and sent

to students via e-mail, Facebook or Zalo account Before sharing the link to the students, the researcher directly explained the purpose, relevance and the importance of the study, as well as answered all the questions that the students had The participants would complete the online survey and the data of respondents was automatically collected in form of online Google spreadsheet

3.5.3 Interviews

In this study, open-ended questions were used to inquire about the students‟ experience with a flipped classroom Open-ended questions were used because they encourage respondents to answer freely (Zikmund, 2003), respond in their own words (Crano & Brewer, 2002) Five students were selected to be interviewed and