Effects of a Flipped Classroom on EFL Learners' L2 Grit, Language Learner Immunity, and Self-Efficacy: A Mixed-Methods Study
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Abstract
Introduction: Among the non-cognitive factors that influence second language (L2) learning, language learner immunity (LLI), L2 grit, and self-efficacy (SE) have each been linked to learning outcomes, but no previous study has examined all three constructs together within a flipped classroom environment. This mixed-methods study therefore examined the effects of flipped classroom instruction on Iranian EFL learners’ LLI, L2 grit, and SE, and explored how learners perceived these effects.
Methodology: Thirty male Iranian EFL learners (beginner level) from a private language institute were assigned to an experimental group (n = 15, flipped classroom) and a control group (n = 15, traditional classroom) over one academic term. The Language Learner Immunity Questionnaire, the Language-Domain-Specific Grit Scale (L2-Grit), and the English Self-Efficacy Questionnaire were administered before and after the intervention. Group equivalence at pretest and within- and between-group changes were examined using independent-samples and paired-samples t-tests. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six participants (three per group) before and after the intervention and were analyzed thematically.
Results: The two groups were statistically equivalent at pretest on all three measures. Learners in the flipped classroom showed significantly greater gains than the control group in L2 grit, t(28) = -3.57, p = .001, d = 1.30, and self-efficacy, t(28) = -2.28, p = .031, d = 0.83. LLI improved significantly within the experimental group, t(14) = -3.97, p = .001, but the between-group difference at posttest was not statistically significant, t(28) = -1.50, p = .145, d = 0.55. Six themes, including coping strategies, resilience, problem-solving strategies, self-determination, persistence, and self-perception, emerged from the interviews with experimental-group participants describing broader and more adaptive strategy use than control-group participants.
Conclusion: Flipped classroom instruction appears to support the development of L2 grit and self-efficacy more consistently than language learner immunity, although qualitative evidence suggested that flipped instruction also fostered psychological resources associated with immunity, such as coping and resilience. The findings carry implications for teachers, teacher trainers, and curriculum designers who wish to use flipped instruction to support learners’ non-cognitive development, and they point to the need for larger-scale studies that directly model the interrelationships among LLI, L2 grit, and self-efficacy.
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