Investigating the effectiveness of augmented reality-enhanced instruction on EFL learners’ speaking in online flipped and face-to-face classes

Integrating improved technologies such as augmented reality (AR) within flipped classes has gained popularity among scholars. This study was carried out to examine the effect of AR-based instruction on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ speaking skills in online flipped and face-to-face classes. To this end, out of 65 students who had enrolled in the designated language program, 50 students were selected by the researcher based on their performance on the Cambridge English Placement test, and the selected participants were randomly assigned into the face-to-face or online flipped groups. For the treatment, both groups received the same AR application, teaching material, and teaching strategies. The only difference between the two groups was the learning context. After the treatment sessions, both the online flipped and face-to-face groups participated in a post-test. According to the results, although all participants’ speaking ability improved at the end of the course, the online flipped group showed a statistically significant difference in their speaking post-test. The obtained results in this study could pave the way for teachers and students to benefit from implementing flipped classes using AR technology.