The Impact of Flipped Learning on Fifth Graders’ Oral Production

Abstract

This study has its roots into the necessity to teach English with a different methodology that might better encourage students to learn a foreign language. We were aware of the problem of learning a language, putting aside the practice or isolatedly teaching each ability, therefore, we decided to research on how the teaching process could be better carried out, by taking into consideration several learning paces and complying with the National Competence Standards in Foreign Languages, (MEN, 2006). After researching, we found that Flipped Learning was thoroughly inclusive in terms of learning paces so, it is a methodology in compliance with the standards. The first chapter mentions how it was decided to test students’ abilities through an international exam and the result was that speaking was the ability to focus our attention on. Thus, with the help of the chosen methodology, Flipped Learning, it was possible to provide learners with several opportunities to speak and practice in class. Besides, we were also able to be quite aware of the process of each student in real time. Regarding our goal, it was set the objective to determine if Flipped Learning methodology could ease student’s learning of a language and even though, there were some limitations such as the lack of technological devices at students’ homes or students being tired because of a long shift. It is important to highlight that a meaningful change was noticed with all the students at the end of the implementation. The meaning that this study has in the literature review and the previous studies is that a recent and technological methodology from the United States was carried out with children from a public school, so the study is reachable and applicable in any context and can be used not only in our professional lives but also by any English teacher worldwide. The second chapter will include information in regards to the methodology, a qualitative approach was chosen under the Action Research Design and the participants were fifth graders from a public school in Bogotá. Then, the data collection instruments are described and how they were implemented on every class. Regarding the final chapter, it can be said that a main characteristic of this study is that each aspect of the data was deeply analyzed with the help of grounded theory and several assumptions regarding the learners, the process, the methodology and the teaching process were found. Moreover, three main characteristics emerged from the analysis and were connected to each theoretical construct. The final part will show the conclusions by explaining how was finally answered the main inquiry and each objective.

This study has its roots into the necessity to teach English with a different methodology that might better encourage students to learn a foreign language. We were aware of the problem of learning a language, putting aside the practice or isolatedly teaching each ability, therefore, we decided to research on how the teaching process could be better carried out, by taking into consideration several learning paces and complying with the National Competence Standards in Foreign Languages, (MEN, 2006). After researching, we found that Flipped Learning was thoroughly inclusive in terms of learning paces so, it is a methodology in compliance with the standards. The first chapter mentions how it was decided to test students’ abilities through an international exam and the result was that speaking was the ability to focus our attention on. Thus, with the help of the chosen methodology, Flipped Learning, it was possible to provide learners with several opportunities to speak and practice in class. Besides, we were also able to be quite aware of the process of each student in real time. Regarding our goal, it was set the objective to determine if Flipped Learning methodology could ease student’s learning of a language and even though, there were some limitations such as the lack of technological devices at students’ homes or students being tired because of a long shift. It is important to highlight that a meaningful change was noticed with all the students at the end of the implementation. The meaning that this study has in the literature review and the previous studies is that a recent and technological methodology from the United States was carried out with children from a public school, so the study is reachable and applicable in any context and can be used not only in our professional lives but also by any English teacher worldwide. The second chapter will include information in regards to the methodology, a qualitative approach was chosen under the Action Research Design and the participants were fifth graders from a public school in Bogotá. Then, the data collection instruments are described and how they were implemented on every class. Regarding the final chapter, it can be said that a main characteristic of this study is that each aspect of the data was deeply analyzed with the help of grounded theory and several assumptions regarding the learners, the process, the methodology and the teaching process were found. Moreover, three main characteristics emerged from the analysis and were connected to each theoretical construct. The final part will show the conclusions by explaining how was finally answered the main inquiry and each objective.