Academic reading comprehension and students’ attitudes toward flipped classroom instruction among graduate students in Thailand.

Abstract

Academic reading comprehension is essential for graduate students; however, many learners experience difficulties in understanding complex academic texts. The flipped classroom approach has been proposed as a learner-centered instructional strategy that promotes active learning and learner autonomy. This study aimed 1) to compare graduate students’ academic reading comprehension before and after instruction using a flipped classroom approach, and 2) to investigate their attitudes toward the instructional method. The sample consisted of 36 graduate students enrolling in the first semester of the academic year 2025 at a government university, selected through cluster random sampling. A one-group pretest-posttest design was employed to examine changes in academic reading comprehension after an eight-week instructional intervention. The research instruments included eight lesson plans, an academic reading comprehension test, and an attitude questionnaire. The results showed that the mean posttest score (  = 24.42, SD = 1.66) was significantly higher than the mean pretest score (  = 14.36, SD = 3.80), t(35) = 18.76, p < .01. In addition, students expressed positive attitudes toward the flipped classroom approach (  = 4.30, SD = 0.87). The findings reveal the evidence that the flipped classroom approach at a graduate-level English language learning context can contribute to improvements in academic reading comprehension and promote positive learning attitudes among graduate students.