Using the flipped model to foster Thai learners’ second language collocation knowledge

Abstract

In recent years, interest in flipped classrooms has gained popularity among numerous ELT scholars. This research, therefore, explored the effect of flipping a classroom on Thai learners’ English collocation knowledge, and compared this instructional design with traditional instruction. The study also examined the students’ attitudes towards the flipped model. The experimental research design comprised an experimental and a control group. The experimental group (N = 35) was exposed to the flipped instruction, in which learning contents were provided outside of class time through electronic means and class time was used for activities. In the control group, the students (N = 35) were taught by the traditional method, where lectures were mainly delivered during class and supplementary exercises were given outside of class time. Two types of collocations: lexical and grammatical were studied. Receptive and productive tests were developed to measure the impact of the two instructional methods on the students’ collocation competence. A questionnaire and an oral interview were also distributed to determine the experimental students’ perceptions towards the flipped model. The findings revealed that flipped instruction helped enhance the students’ collocation knowledge. Interestingly, in terms of the effects the results yielded no significant differences between the flipped and traditional approaches. Most flipped learners generally had a favourable perception of the flipped classroom. Taken together, the study offers insightful implications to the line of research on flipped classrooms in ELT contexts.