Flipping the Traditional Classroom: Assessing the Impact of an Innovative Curriculum for Language Learning

Curtis Shu-Sun Chu
National Chung Cheng University
Chiayi, Taiwan

Lifen Wang and Ching-Fen Wu
National Chiayi University
Chiayi, Taiwan

Since the movement to progressive education, innovative methods of teaching have been developed to reinvent the traditional classroom, including the notion of the flipped classroom, project-based learning (PBL) and a learning community. This study aimed to examine the results of an innovative curriculum based on these developments.

The curriculum was implemented in 14 first year English courses with over 600 participants in a university in Taiwan. Data were collected and analyzed with a mixed-method approach. Qualitative data were collected from a post-course student survey, and quantitative data were gathered from students’ English ability, the final and midterm examinations, and the Problem Solving Inventory (PSI). The findings were as follow. First, when statistical analysis was carried out by comparing the students who participated in the innovative curriculum with non-participants, significant differences between the groups were found in both the midterm and final examination scores. Overall, the students who took part in the curriculum achieved lower scores than the non-participants — the innovative curriculum may have had a negative impact on student performance in examinations. Second, the results of the pre-test and post-test on the PSI for participants revealed a decrease in their overall confidence in problem-solving. Yet, when the focus of the PBL in the curriculum was on problem-solving, students achieved a higher PSI score, meaning that they were more confident in their problem-solving ability. Finally, from the findings on 151 students surveyed, it was found that 93% of the participants agreed that the innovative curriculum benefitted their overall English ability, particularly their English speaking ability. Other benefits included acquiring or improving their multimedia skills, teamwork skills, and problem-solving skills.