Understanding Saudi EFL Learners’ Perspectives on the Efficacy of the Flipped Learning Model: Problems and Prospects

Abstract

The study assesses Saudi EFL learners’ perspectives on the efficacy of the flipped learning model, problems and challenges, and opportunities and prospects in Saudi Arabia. 261 respondents from different levels of the undergraduate program at the College of Science and College of Business Administration, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, KSA, were selected using a random sampling method. A questionnaire, with the adoption of modified items from some previous studies, was designed to collect the data. As the research looks at how specific independent variables (gender, year of study, and parents’ professional profile) shape the dependent variable (perspective/perceptions), the data was evaluated quantitatively (utilizing descriptive statistics). The findings revealed that Saudi EFL learners considered flipped classrooms an excellent alternative mode of instruction. In addition, it was observed that this approach to learning encountered certain challenges, such as lack of motivation, learners' incapacity to maintain self-discipline, and unmonitored instruction. It was also revealed that flipped classrooms in Saudi Arabia had considerable prospects due to its young tech-savvy population and its well-advanced infrastructure for learning. One-way ANOVA analysis found no significant statistical difference among the respondents based on their demographic profile. The study implies that issues related to motivation, self-regulated learning, and the learners' failure to stay disciplined in flipped classrooms must be addressed to make it an effective alternative mode of instruction.