Motivation in a Flipped Classroom, a Case Study of Teaching Oral English in a Vocational College in Mainland China

Abstract

This action research explores the use of the flipped classroom approach in an English speaking class with 25 students at intermediate level in a vocational college in mainland China. It aims at motivating English learners and helping them develop communicative language skills more effectively and efficiently. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are adopted to analyze the data collected through interviews, teaching logs, as well as anonymous questionnaires and a summative assessment. Results show that the flipped classroom approach does stimulate students to invest more time and effort prior to instruction and during class learners do participate in communicative language exercises more enthusiastically. As a result, conceivable progress has been made in learners’ performance. Possible recommendations of incorporating periodic rotation within the class, adding certain teacher-led instruction, and informal evaluation with group members, are raised at the end of the paper to help further improve the teaching/learning outcome of the flipped classroom approach