Flipped primary EFL classrooms: impact, feasibility, and potential

Abstract

AbstractDue to it being generally regarded as an effective pedagogic approach, the flipped classroom has been widely applied in various disciplines in higher education in many places around the world, but has rarely been used in primary English education. This research investigated teacher and student perceptions of the impact, feasibility, and potential of the flipped EFL classroom by conducting a one-year project among 277 students and eight teachers in a primary school in Hong Kong. Teacher and student reflection, roundtable discussion minutes, and trainer observation and logs were employed as means of continual data collection. The results showed that the flipped classroom improved the teacher–student relationship and teaching and learning performance, and increased teacher and student motivation and confidence. This study demonstrates the high feasibility of using the flipped classroom for primary English education and its great potential for providing students with personalized learning, developing their self-regulated learning and active learning skills.