Multidisciplinary Collaborative Journal
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ISSN:
3073
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1356
67
Artic
le
Implementing the Flipped Classroom Model in University
English Courses: Effects on Student Engagement and
Speaking Performance
Implementación del Modelo de Aula Invertida en Cursos Universitarios de
Inglés: Efectos sobre el Compromiso Estudiantil y el Desempeño Oral
Italo Rigoberto Carabajo Romero
1
*
1
Universidad Agraria del Ecuador
,
Ecuador
,
Milagro
;
https://orcid.org/0000
-
0002
-
9592
-
1659
*
Correspondenc
e:
icarabajo@uagraria.edu.ec
https://doi.org/10.70881/mcj/v4/n2/151
Abstract:
The flipped classroom model has emerged as an innovative pedagogical
strategy that redistributes instructional time by shifting content exposure to out
-
of
-
class settings and reserving in
-
class time for interactive practice activities. This quasi
-
experiment
al study aimed to evaluate the effects of implementing the flipped
classroom model on student engagement and A1
-
level English speaking performance
at the Language Center of the Universidad Agraria del Ecuador (UAE). Sixty students
participated, distributed
into an experimental group (n = 30) and a control group (n =
30). A CEFR
-
aligned oral pre
-
test and post
-
test, an analytical speaking rubric, and a
Likert
-
scale student engagement questionnaire were administered. Results showed
significant differences in f
avor of the experimental group in both speaking performance
(t(58) = 7.83, p < .001, d = 2.27) and student engagement (t(58) = 11.27, p < .001, d
= 2.90). It is concluded that the flipped classroom model is an effective strategy to
improve oral performance
and student engagement in university English courses in
the Ecuadorian context.
Keywords:
flipped classroom; student engagement; English speaking performance;
language teaching; university education
Resumen:
El modelo de aula invertida ha emergido como una estrategia
pedagógica innovadora que redistribuye el tiempo instruccional, trasladando la
exposición de contenidos al entorno externo al aula y reservando el tiempo presencial
para actividades interactivas d
e práctica. El presente estudio cuasi
-
experimental tuvo
como objetivo evaluar los efectos de la implementación del modelo de aula invertida
sobre el compromiso estudiantil y el desempeño oral en inglés de nivel A1 en el
Centro de Idiomas de la Universidad
Agraria del Ecuador. Participaron 60 estudiantes
distribuidos en un grupo experimental (n = 30) y un grupo control (n = 30). Se aplicaron
un pre
-
test y post
-
test de producción oral alineados al MCER, una rúbrica analítica de
speaking y un cuestionario de c
ompromiso estudiantil con escala Likert. Los
resultados mostraron diferencias significativas en favor del grupo experimental tanto
en el desempeño oral (t(58) = 7.83, p < .001, d = 2.27) como en el compromiso
estudiantil (t(58) = 11.27, p < .001, d = 2.90)
. Se concluye que el modelo de aula
invertida es una estrategia efectiva para mejorar el rendimiento oral y el
involucramiento estudiantil en inglés universitario en el contexto ecuatoriano.
Palabras clave:
aula invertida; compromiso estudiantil; desempe
ño oral en inglés;
enseñanza de idiomas; educación universitaria
Cita
tion
:
Carabajo Romero, I. R.
(2026). Implementación del
Modelo de Aula Invertida en
Cursos Universitarios de Inglés:
Efectos sobre el Compromiso
Estudiantil y el Desempeño
Oral.
Multidisciplinary
Collaborative Journal
,
4
(2)
, 67
-
78.
https://doi.org/10.70881/mcj/v
4/n2/151
Rec
eived
:
0
3
/
03
/202
6
Revis
ed
:
1
5
/0
4
/2026
Ac
cepted
:
20
/0
4
/2026
Publi
shed
:
28
/0
4
/2026
Copyright:
© 2026
by the
authors. This article is an open
access article distributed under
the terms and conditions of the
Creative Commons License,
Attribution
-
NonCommercial 4.0
International (CC BY
-
NC)
.
(
https://creativecommons.org/lice
nses/by
-
nc/4.0/
)
Multidisciplinary Collaborative Journal
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1. Introduction
The teaching of English as a Foreig
n Language (EFL) in Latin American
university settings faces structural challenges related to limited instructional time,
student heterogeneity, and scarce opportunities for authentic oral practice during
face
-
to
-
face sessions (Pratiwi et al., 2022). Again
st this backdrop, the flipped
classroom model has gained considerable academic attention as a pedagogical
alternative that reorganizes the space and time of learning, enabling students to
access instructional content outside the classroom
typically through
digital
resources
and use class time for collaborative activities of greater cognitive
complexity (Kilavuz, 2024).
The flipped classroom model, originally conceptualized by Bergmann and Sams
(2012) and theoretically grounded in Bloom's taxonomy and active
learning,
proposes that initial content exposure takes place autonomously, while the
classroom becomes a space for practice, feedback, and social knowledge
construction (Zhong, 2024). This approach has demonstrated consistent benefits
across various disci
plines and educational levels, including improvements in
academic performance, motivation, and self
-
regulated learning (Cigdem & Oncu,
2025; Omarchevska et al., 2025).
In the specific field of English language teaching, recent research reports that the
flipped classroom promotes the development of oral communicative competence,
increases willingness to communicate, and reduces linguistic anxiety
(Dariyemez, 2023; Li et al., 2025). Its positive impact on student engagement
understood as the cognitive, emo
tional, and behavioral involvement of learners
in the learning process
has also been documented in higher education settings
(Eltahir & Alsalhi, 2025; Chen et al., 2025). However, empirical evidence from
university English contexts in Ecuador and, more
broadly, in Latin America
remains scarce, limiting the possibility of making informed pedagogical decisions.
The Universidad Agraria del Ecuador (UAE), through its Language Center, offers
compulsory English courses to students across all degree programs, w
ith groups
beginning at the A1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference
(CEFR). These students generally present low levels of prior exposure to the
language and limited confidence in oral production, making student engagement
and speaking perfo
rmance critical variables for academic success in the subject
area.
Given this context, the present study addresses the following research question:
what are the effects of implementing the flipped classroom model on student
engagement and A1
-
level English
speaking performance at the UAE Language
Center? Accordingly, the main objective of this study is to evaluate these effects
through a quasi
-
experimental design with a control group and an experimental
group, applying standardized instruments before and af
ter the pedagogical
intervention.
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2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Research Design
The study adopted a quasi
-
experimental design with pre
-
test and post
-
test,
featuring non
-
equivalent control (CG) and experimental groups (EG), given that
participant assignmen
t was not random but based on pre
-
established class
groups (Irianti et al., 2024). This design is the most widely used in educational
research when working with intact groups in real university settings, as it
preserves the natural ecology of the classroom
and allows control of external
variables without disrupting institutional dynamics (Khodabandeh, 2025). The
approach was quantitative, aimed at objectively measuring the dependent
variables through standardized instruments.
2.2. Participants
The study pop
ulation consisted of students enrolled in A1
-
level English courses
at the UAE Language Center during the 2024
–
2025 academic cycle. The sample
was selected through non
-
probabilistic convenience sampling, comprising two
parallel groups at the same level and
schedule. The experimental group (EG)
consisted of 30 students who received instruction under the flipped classroom
model, while the control group (CG), also composed of 30 students, continued
with the traditional frontal teaching methodology. Inclusion cr
iteria were: formal
enrollment in the A1 level, access to a device with an internet connection for
consuming digital materials outside the classroom, and voluntary participation
confirmed through signed informed consent. Students with absenteeism
exceeding
20% during the intervention period were excluded.
2.3. Variables and Instruments
The independent variable corresponded to the flipped classroom model,
operationalized through a 12
-
week instructional sequence in which EG students
accessed weekly short inst
ructional videos (5
–
10 minutes) and digital reading
materials prior to each face
-
to
-
face session, while class time was entirely devoted
to communicative oral activities, role plays, and immediate corrective feedback.
The dependent variables were English sp
eaking performance and student
engagement.
To measure speaking performance, a CEFR
-
aligned pre
-
test and post
-
test of oral
production were designed for the A1 level, evaluating four dimensions through an
analytical rubric: pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary
, and comprehension, with a
total score of 20 points. The rubric was validated through expert judgment
(Aiken's V > 0.80) and piloted with a small group prior to formal administration.
To measure student engagement, the questionnaire developed by Fredricks
et
al. (2004) was adapted to the Ecuadorian university EFL context, comprising 20
items distributed across three dimensions: cognitive engagement (7 items),
emotional engagement (7 items), and behavioral engagement (6 items), using a
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five
-
point Likert sca
le (1 = strongly disagree; 5 = strongly agree). Instrument
reliability was verified using Cronbach's alpha coefficient (
α
> 0.80).
2.4. Procedure
The intervention was carried out in three phases. During the diagnostic phase
(weeks 1
–
2), the speaking pre
-
te
st and the initial engagement questionnaire were
administered to both groups to establish the baseline and verify initial equivalence
between the CG and EG. During the intervention phase (weeks 3
–
14), the EG
received instruction under the flipped classroom
model: each week, instructional
videos produced with tools such as ElevenLabs and interactive materials aligned
with the A1 syllabus were published on the virtual learning environment (Moodle),
while face
-
to
-
face sessions were fully dedicated to oral prac
tice through
structured communicative activities. The CG continued with traditional lecture
-
based classes following the same syllabus. During the evaluation phase (weeks
15
–
16), the speaking post
-
test and the final engagement questionnaire were
administere
d to both groups.
2.5. Data Analysis
Data were processed using SPSS version 26 and jamovi 2.4. Descriptive
statistics (mean, standard deviation, minimum, and maximum) were calculated
for both groups in the pre
-
test and post
-
test. The normality of the distr
ibution was
verified using the Shapiro
-
Wilk test (n < 50). For between
-
group comparisons, an
independent
-
samples t
-
test was employed, while a paired
-
samples t
-
test was
used for within
-
group comparisons (pre
–
post). The level of statistical significance
was
set at p < .05. Effect size was calculated using Cohen's d, interpreted as
small (d < 0.3), medium (0.3 ≤ d < 0.8), and large (d ≥ 0.8) following conventional
criteria (Cohen, 1988). Institutional authorization from UAE and informed consent
from all partic
ipants were obtained prior to the study.
3. Results
3.1. Initial Equivalence Between Groups
Pre
-
test results revealed no statistically significant differences between the CG
(M = 8.43, SD = 1.92) and the EG (M = 8.67, SD = 1.85) prior to the intervention
(
t(58) = 0.51, p = .61), confirming initial equivalence between both groups.
Similarly, the initial engagement questionnaire showed no significant differences
between the CG (M = 2.89, SD = 0.43) and the EG (M = 2.93, SD = 0.41) (t(58)
= 0.38, p = .70), ens
uring comparability of groups at the outset of the study. These
results are presented in Table 1.
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positive and large
-
magnitude impact on students' involvement in the English
learning process.
4. Discussion
4.1 Effects on English Speaking Performance
The
results of the present study demonstrate that the implementation of the
flipped classroom model produced a statistically significant and large
improvement in English speaking performance among A1
-
level students in the
experimental group (d = 2.27), compar
ed to those receiving traditional instruction.
This finding supports the growing body of evidence indicating that the flipped
classroom enhances communicative competence by maximizing opportunities for
in
-
class oral practice.
In line with Li et al. (2025),
the improvement observed can be attributed to the
reallocation of instructional time, which allows students to engage in interactive
speaking activities rather than passive content reception. Similarly, Dariyemez
(2023) reported that the flipped model fos
ters greater learner autonomy and
willingness to communicate
factors directly associated with improved speaking
performance. In this study, students in the experimental group benefited from
repeated exposure to communicative tasks, role plays, and immediat
e feedback,
which likely contributed to their substantial gains.
Additionally, the findings align with Khodabandeh (2025), who demonstrated that
combining flipped instruction with technological tools enhances oral proficiency.
However, an important contrib
ution of the present study is that significant
improvements were achieved using relatively accessible resources, such as short
instructional videos and a virtual learning environment (Moodle). This suggests
that the effectiveness of the flipped classroom l
ies primarily in its pedagogical
structure rather than in the sophistication of the technology employed.
4.2 Effects on Student Engagement
The flipped classroom model also had a significant and large impact on student
engagement (d = 2.90), with the experi
mental group outperforming the control
group across cognitive, emotional, and behavioral dimensions. These findings
confirm that the model not only improves academic outcomes but also enhances
students’ active involvement in the learning process.
Consisten
t with Eltahir and Alsalhi (2025), the results indicate that flipped learning
environments promote higher levels of motivation and engagement by
encouraging active participation and learner responsibility. The particularly strong
gains in cognitive engagem
ent observed in this study suggest that students
became more invested in understanding and applying content, likely due to the
requirement to prepare before class and actively participate during sessions.
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Furthermore, Chen et al. (2025)
highlighted that interactive and student
-
centered
environments characteristic of the flipped classroom significantly increase
engagement levels, a finding that is strongly supported by the present results.
Cigdem and Oncu (2025) also emphasized that studen
t readiness and
engagement are key predictors of success in flipped courses, reinforcing the
importance of well
-
designed pre
-
class materials, especially for beginner learners
such as those at the A1 level.
The high levels of emotional engagement observed may be explained by the
increased sense of autonomy and reduced anxiety associated with active
learning environments. As noted by Omarchevska et al. (2025) and Zhong
(2024), the flipped classroom facilitates
self
-
regulated learning, allowing students
to control the pace of content acquisition and arrive in class better prepared for
interaction. This shift likely contributed to a more positive and engaging learning
experience.
4.3 Integrated Interpretation of
Findings
Taken together, the results of this study suggest that the flipped classroom model
generates a synergistic effect on both speaking performance and student
engagement. The improvement in speaking ability appears to be closely linked to
increased en
gagement, as students who are more cognitively and emotionally
involved are more likely to participate actively in communicative tasks.
This relationship supports the theoretical perspective that engagement functions
as a mediating variable in language lea
rning outcomes. By promoting active
learning, autonomy, and interaction, the flipped classroom creates conditions that
are conducive to both linguistic development and sustained student involvement.
In this sense, the model addresses two critical challenge
s in EFL instruction:
limited opportunities for oral practice and low student engagement.
4.4 Limitations and Future Research
Despite its contributions, this study presents certain limitations. The sample size
(n = 60), while appropriate for the quasi
-
expe
rimental design, limits the
generalizability of the findings to other institutional contexts. Additionally, the
absence of longitudinal data prevents determining whether the observed
improvements are sustained over time.
Future research should consider lar
ger and more diverse samples, as well as
longitudinal designs to examine the long
-
term effects of the flipped classroom
model. Moreover, the inclusion of affective variables such as language anxiety,
self
-
efficacy, and technological readiness (Agusniati et
al., 2025; Yang et al.,
2025) would provide a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms
underlying the model’s effectiveness.
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5. Conclusions
The present study examined the effects of the flipped classroom model on
English speaking performance an
d student engagement among A1
-
level learners
at the Universidad Agraria del Ecuador. The findings provide strong empirical
evidence that the implementation of this pedagogical approach leads to
statistically significant and large improvements in both varia
bles when compared
to traditional instruction.
In terms of speaking performance, the results demonstrated that students
exposed to the flipped classroom model achieved substantially higher post
-
test
scores, with a large effect size. This improvement can be
attributed to the
increased opportunities for in
-
class communicative practice, which allowed
learners to actively use the language in meaningful contexts. By shifting content
delivery
جراخ
the classroom and dedicating face
-
to
-
face sessions to interactive
activities, the model effectively addressed one of the main limitations of EFL
instruction in university settings: the restricted time available for oral production.
Regarding student engagement, the flipped classroom also produced significant
gains across
cognitive, emotional, and behavioral dimensions. Students in the
experimental group showed higher levels of involvement, motivation, and
participation, suggesting that the model fosters a more active and student
-
centered learning environment. The requirem
ent to engage with instructional
materials prior to class, combined with collaborative in
-
class activities, appears
to enhance learners’ responsibility for their own learning and promotes deeper
cognitive processing.
Taken together, these findings highligh
t the potential of the flipped classroom
model as an effective strategy for improving both learning outcomes and student
engagement in university EFL contexts. Importantly, the results indicate that
these benefits can be achieved without the need for advan
ced technological
infrastructure, as the intervention relied on accessible tools such as short videos
and a virtual learning platform.
However, this study is not without limitations. The use of a relatively small, non
-
random sample restricts the generaliza
bility of the findings, and the absence of
longitudinal data prevents conclusions about the long
-
term sustainability of the
observed effects. Future research should address these limitations by
incorporating larger samples, randomized designs, and follow
-
u
p assessments.
Additionally, exploring the role of affective variables such as language anxiety
and self
-
efficacy could provide further insight into the mechanisms through which
the flipped classroom influences learning outcomes.
In conclusion, the flipped
classroom model represents a viable and impactful
pedagogical alternative for English language teaching in higher education,
particularly in contexts where increasing student engagement and maximizing
opportunities for oral communication are key instructi
onal priorities.
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Funding
:
This research received no external funding.
Acknowledgments
:
The authors thank the Universidad Agraria
del Ecuador for
its institutional support and extend their sincere gratitude to all participating
students and teachers, whose commitment and participation were fundamental
to the success of this research.
Data Availability Statement
:
Data are available u
pon request to the
corresponding authors:
icarabajo@uagraria.edu.ec
Conflicts of Interest
:
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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=
=
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