Does Flipped Classroom Approach Impact on Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety of First-year Chinese Urban-rural Pre-service Teachers?

Abstract

The present study mainly investigated the impact of the flipped classroom approach (FC) on foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) among first-year pre-service teachers at a Chinese university. Additionally, it examined whether the effect of (flipped or traditional) teaching approach on the language anxiety differed based on the participants' (urban or rural) educational background. To achieve these objectives, a quasi-experimental design was employed. Two classes, consisting of 60 pre-service teachers (30 from urban and 30 from rural schools) in each class, were randomly assigned to an experimental group exposed to the FC and a control group using the traditional teaching approach (TT). Both approaches were implemented in an English course over a 12-week semester. Data were collected using a Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) and analyzed with two-way ANOVA. The results revealed that the FC had a positive impact on the FLCA among the pre-service teachers. Furthermore, the relation between teaching approach and language anxiety of the pre-service teachers was not significantly influenced by their educational backgrounds. Consequently, the study recommended that the FC be utilized to ameliorate the language anxiety of the first-year Chinese urban and rural pre-service English teachers. Accordingly, the study provided suggestions for teacher educators, pre-service teachers, and educational institutions and authorities for potentially more effective use of the FC in the specific context. Lastly, it discussed research limitations and avenues for future studies.