Effectiveness of the Flipped Classroom Model in Enhancing English Language Skills among High School Students: Evidence from the Gampaha Education Zone, Sri Lanka

Abstract

This study investigates how effectively the Flipped Classroom model enhances the overall English language proficiency of high school students in the Gampaha Education Zone of Sri Lanka. English language proficiency in this study refers to students’ competencies in reading, writing, listening, speaking, grammar, and vocabulary. It employs a quantitative research approach and utilizes a quasi-experimental methodology involving both an experimental group (n=348) and a control group (n=329). A pre-test administered prior to the intervention and a post-test conducted afterward assess the degree of language improvement. The intervention lasted approximately four months, and students in the experimental group were provided with instructional video materials as part of the flipped classroom approach before attending in-class learning activities. The results are based on paired sample t-tests and two-way mixed ANOVA. The analysis results indicate that the experimental group demonstrated a statistically significant increase in their post-test scores, with a mean difference of 6.09. Conversely, the control group exhibited a slight negative significant change in their post-test scores, showing a mean difference of -0.63. All interactions, group effects, and time effects are statistically significant according to ANOVA analysis, with p-values below 0.05 for all three factors. The research concludes that the flipped classroom approach has a significant and positive effect on the development of English language skills among high school students when compared to conventional classroom methods. This study addresses the lack of experimental research on school-level blended learning in Sri Lanka, focusing on the effectiveness of the flipped classroom model in enhancing students’ learning experiences. This finding provides evidence to support the integration of technology-enhanced, student-centered pedagogies in national education policy.