Scrutinizing the Utility of Flipped and Online Instructions for Ameliorating EFL Learners’ Writing Ability

The present study made an endeavor to determine the degree to which online and flipped approaches to writing instruction affected the EFL learners’ writing ability. To this end, first, the researchers selected 75 intermediate-level female EFL learners in three intact classrooms of a private language institute in Urmia (Iran) as the participants. These classes were randomly selected from among the online, flipped, and in-person classes of the relevant institute and were assigned to the online, flipped, and control groups. Second, the researchers administered the writing pretest of the study to all of the groups. Third, they used Adobe Connect learning management system to provide the online and flipped groups with the pertinent writing instruction treatment in ten sessions. Nonetheless, they provided the control group with in-person writing instruction. Fourth they administered the immediate and delayed writing posttests of the study to all of the groups immediately after the termination of the treatment sessions and one month subsequent to the end of treatment respectively. Finally, they used SPSS 24 to perform the data analysis. Based on the obtained results, although both of the online and flipped approaches had immediate and delayed positive impacts on the participants’ writing ability, the flipped approach was more beneficial than the online. The results may provide EFL teacher educators, course developers, syllabus designers, and teachers with guiding principles regarding the uses of online and flipped courses in foreign language contexts.