Road to USA: Travelling Alone As a Muslim Woman with Hijab Amidst Fear of Islamophobia

One of the  things in my bucket list is to go for a road trip in the US from coast to coast. It never crossed my mind that I would be able to check that box in the list. It all started when the abstract my supervisor sent for presentation at a conference in Florida, USA was accepted. We were to co-present the paper. I got mixed feeling. I wanted to visit that great nation but at the same time I was scared of my safety travelling alone amidst the rise of Islamophobia. This was in 2016. I researched the internet quite extensively. Then, to my relief, my friends, the young Malay couple from Aussie also wanted to go for a road trip at about the same time as the conference. They invited me to join them and we shared the expenses. After some consideration, I agreed. We planned to go for the road trip after the conference. They were the ones who did the booking of all the BnB accommodations throughout our road trip that covered more than 11,000 miles.  They also studied the route that we were going to take including Route 66. I was elated. So, I would only travel alone from my entry airport in the US to the conference venue in Orlando, Florida.

The Conference

At first, I was not sure how to get to Florida from Malaysia. I preferred Malaysian Airlines System (MAS) mainly because of the halal food served on board. I did not know why but I chose to fly to Los Angeles and not to other cities like New York or Washington which are relatively nearer to Florida. For the connecting flight to Orlando, Florida, I booked DELTA flight. Then, I booked the hotel at the conference venue.

The next step was applying for US Visa. The process was quite tedious.I had to pay MYR688 at the nearest Standard Chartered Bank for the appointment at US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Then I was given a code number and the date and time of the appointment. On the appointment day, I went early in the morning. I took a flight from Penang the day before and stayed at a nearby hotel within a walking distance to the embassy. There was a long queue outside the embassy and I joined the queue. We and our personal belongings including shoes went through something like airport scanner before we were let into the embassy. For the interview, I was directed to a booth and the interviewer was at the other side of the counter covered with glass. There was a small hole in the glass for us to interact. He just asked me basic questions which I think they already had the answers. It was just a verification process I think like "where are you staying throughout your stay in the US?" and "who will be with you?". I just answered all the questions truthfully. I was approved for a 10-year visa to enter USA. It would be valid until 2026. I felt relieved because I could see other applicants whose applications  were rejected. I even saw one guy crying.

The application 

The US Visa

 En route to Los Angeles, I would transit for 8 hours in Narita, Tokyo, Japan. 8 hours would be excruciatingly  a long wait. Fortunately, I got to know about Narita Transit Program when I did my internet search. Free tour guides would take you to local attractions in Narita. I decided to go for it once I landed in Narita.  The flight from Kuala Lumpur to Narita, Tokyo was about 7 hours. I arrived in the morning. After refreshing myself, I looked for the Narita Transit Program counter. Most people there were very polite. When I approached the lady at the counter, she stood up and entertained all my questions politely. Bowing was a must.Two guides were available to take me around Narita that day, an elderly guy and a lady. These guides were retirees who volunteered to promote Narita and their service was free.

Tried on the kimono 😄

Sakura was blooming at Narita, Tokyo

The town was very clean. The heresay that one could find fish in their drains was true. Their civic-mindedness was first class. Once, we wanted to cross a street, two policemen on bikes stopped and let us passed. Then we bowed to them and they bowed back. The finesse in their behavior and mannerism made me feel ashamed with negative behaviors of some people in my home country.

It took me another day to reach LA. I landed around noon. Getting custom clearance was quite smooth even though the lady officer gave me a fierce look. I just kept my cool.  I had nothing to hide. I paid one airport porter to load and take my luggage to the next terminal for my connecting flight. Looked like a Spanish speaking guy probably from Mexico or Puerto Rico, I just couldn't tell. I tipped him and he was grateful. I waited for four hours for my connecting flight to Orlando, Florida. The flight was smooth. When we touched down in Orlando, I was standing at the aisle waiting in line to exit the plane. One teenage boy, American I presumed from the accent,  was behind me and he opened the overhead compartment to get his luggage. I had to duck my head a bit and he apologized profusely for it. The bag didn't even hit my head.  I was touched by the boy's polite gesture.

I went for my luggage. I had a few heavy bags since I planned to go for a 3-week road trip after the conference. To use the trolley, one needed to insert coins and I did not have any US coin with me at that time. One white lady gave  the coin needed  but the machine didn't work. I thanked her anyway. One white guy said that the porter service there was quite expensive especially at night. It was around 10 pm at that time. I thanked him for the advice but I hired the porter anyway. I had too much luggage for me to handle alone. I finally checked into my room at around 11 pm. I was relieved that I made it to my destination safely. I had terrible jet lag that night. Luckily, my paper presentation was on the last day of the  conference. So, I could rest a bit.

The presentation went well. It just that it was frustrating when the hall was not full. There were about 20 people in the audience. It was the last day of the conference and many had left. We put in a lot of effort and traveled halfway across the world to be there. I was hoping for a lot more audience. After the presentation, I went back to my room and prepared to check out. I could not extend my stay in the hotel since it was fully booked the next day.  I needed to checked in into another nearby hotel while waiting for my Aussie friends to arrive on the next day. I was very happy to see them the next day. I checked out of the hotel and our road trip started. We traveled in a rented MPV.

The US Road Trip Route

I prepared this table to keep track of my journey. I included the time difference so that I know the time back home. The weather forecast was for me to be in a proper suitable attire on the particular day.  Our first stop was Hard Rock Cafe Orlando. I bought two fridge magnets there as memorable items of the trip. The first night was quite interesting. We did not stay at the usual Air BnB accommodation but we stayed in a trailer. I had never been in one. I got a bunk bed in an enclosed end of the trailer and my friends, a married couple with two young kids slept in the other bed in the trailer. The shower and toilet were small but sufficient. I could not sleep much actually even though the bed was quite comfy. I wondered who had slept in it before😷

Fridge magnets that I collected during the trip

The next day we went to Miami and Daytona Beach. Frankly, Malaysia has more beautiful beaches. We were in awe of the places in the US because of their Hollywood movies. We also went to Disneyland. I enjoyed the most at Animal Kingdom. It was like a mini Safari of Africa. Our next destination was South Carolina. We stayed at a real American home. It was nice. We did our laundry because most American home had washer and dryer. The next door neighbor was friendly. The elderly man smiled and waved at us when we were leaving.

We passed North Carolina and Virginia. At Virginia, we made a stop and stayed for two nights at Quantico. It is a US Marine base. We stayed at a Malaysian Army Colonel's house who further his study there. There was no hassle when we entered the base. I guess they could scan our vehicle and knew what in it. I was told by our host that there is a mosque right next to the church in the marine base. In fact, after the previous Friday payers, a US lady officer embraced Islam. I learned that there were quite a number of Muslims in the US Army. This changed my perception on the status of Islam in America. So, what we saw in the media is not all true and questionable.

Something really attracted my attention when we reached our Air BnB accommodation in Indianapolis, Indiana. I saw a sign outside a house next to our air BnB accommodation that moved me to tears.

Support for American Muslims amidst media frenzy on Islamophobia

This was during the pre-election before Donald Trump came into power. I prayed that the residents of the house would receive hidayah if they were not yet Muslims. Another incident that impacted me deeply was when we were in front of the White House in Washington DC. First, while touring around, we heard a loud recital of azan (a call for prayer). We went to the spot where the azan came from and saw a man bowing down in his prayer. He was promoting Islam (dakwah). There were policemen on guard but they just stood and watched.

A man promoting Islam (dakwah) in front of the White House

Another incident that attracted my attention was when we were in a Subway train in New York. I saw one white man reading Quran quietly. It was a common sight to see people reading in the train in western countries but seeing someone reading Quran really touched my heart.

We also visited Ground Zero. The names of the people who died at the World Trade Center (WTC) during the 9/11 attack were engraved on the tomb structure around the perimeter of a man-made pool which was the site of the  destroyed WTC. I noticed a number of Muslims' names among thousand of names engraved on the granite. I was told that every year on 9/11 at the exact time of the attack, the bell at the church next to Ground Zero would be rung. I actually went into the church to look at the exhibition about the 9/11 attack. No one harassed or said harsh things to me even though they knew I am a Muslim.

Names of the Victims of 9/11 Attack

Used to be the  foundation of the World Trade Center 

Our last stop was at Los Angeles. We visited the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Again I learned about something that moved me to tears. 2600 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks of the Hollywood Boulevard with the names of  the great Hollywood celebrities except for Muhammad Ali's which was on a wall. This is because the name Muhammad that is after the Prophet Muhammad's name should not be stepped or walked on. That is how much they respect Islam.

Throughout our journey, we were not harassed or discriminated because of our skin color and faith. I was used to men opening doors for me and making way for me which I seldom experienced back home. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to visit USA and I know why it is a great nation. 

Travelling Alone to Australia as a Muslim Woman with Hijab Amidst Fear of Islamophobia

The first conference that I attended overseas was in Brisbane, Australia. I planned the trip months before going since I would be travelling alone. I researched online to get information about

• the airline company I should choose; 
• the time difference between Australia and Malaysia; 
• the visa requirement;
• the currency exchange;
• the accommodation;
• ground transportation from the hotel to the conference venue;
• where to go and what to see; etc.

After getting these infos, I figured that I also need to find a tour guide to take me around Brisbane. I also decided to go to Sydney for a tour. So, I searched the  FB and found a  young Malay couple who resided in Sydney. They seemed reliable and trustworthy. They had a baby. So, I was convinced that they were the right people for me to ask for help. When I contacted them, they were happy to help me find a tour guide in Brisbane. She was a postgraduate student from Malaysia. I felt relieved. After buying the return flight tickets for Penang- Singapore- Brisbane, I decided to tour Sydney. I chose Singapore Airlines for  Singapore-Brisbane flights. As for Brisbane-Sydney-Brisbane flights, I chose Tiger Airways.  I negotiated with the couple to be my tour guides around Sydney. They agreed with some fees of course. Even better, they offered for me to stay at their apartment. I was thankful. So, I planned my budget carefully and contacted the banks to activate my ATM cards and Credit Cards for the duration of my visit. I also chose the most affordable hotel within walking distance to the conference venue, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The flight from Penang to Singapore was smooth. Once in Singapore airport, I realized that there was none in my vicinity a Muslim woman with hijab.  Nobody really took notice of me but the fact that I didn't see anyone wearing hijab like me made me feel conscious about it. Everyone seemed rushing getting to the right gates for their flights. I waited for mine. On board the plane, again I did not notice anyone with hijab like me. I was seated in a four-seat row and I was in the third seat. The elderly white couple who sat next to me on my left were pleasant and friendly. They  smiled at me every time I looked at them. The lady sitting on my right was quiet and making herself comfortable with the pillow around her neck. After a few hours on board, I started to have terrible cramps on both legs. I felt so uncomfortable that I had to frequent the toilet. I felt sorry to disturb the sleepy lady with the pillow around her neck because she had to stand and let me out from my confining seat every time I needed to go to the toilet. After a few rounds to the toilet, the people sitting at my row seemed very understanding. I guessed they felt sorry that I was not well. It was a long 8-hour flight. Luckily, two hours before reaching our destination, I felt better. I started a conversation with the quiet lady sitting next to me. I asked her where she's from. To my relief, she said she was from Spain and going to the same conference and staying at the same hotel with me.

When I touched down in Brisbane,  I had to join a long queue at the immigration counter. Suddenly, I was approached by a lady immigration officer and was asked to follow her. Every eye in the long queue was on me. I was not panic but I felt uneasy. Was there something wrong? She took me to a separate counter and asked for my travel documents. She went into a small room at the the back of the counter. I waited at the counter feeling nervous. I did not do anything wrong or carry any prohibited substance in my luggage. I guessed she made a more detailed check with my passport. When she came back to the counter, she simply stamped my passport and let me go. I felt relieved.

After getting the  immigration clearance, I went to look for the Spanish lady. I was glad that actually  she waited for me with her student who also attended the conference.  We took a train and  then walked to the hotel together. My sense of direction was horrible and I was not good at reading maps. I was glad the Spanish lady was with me. I could not recall her name. This was five years ago in 2014.  After settling in our respective rooms, we went out to a nearby cafe for lunch. I could only eat vegetarian sandwiches as I was not sure about the halal status of the cafe. Too bad, I didn't see her after that. I truly grateful for her help when I had a bad time during the flight and she accompanied me from the airport to the hotel.

I could not contact the tour guide since I didn't buy the sim card for my hand phone at the airport. We communicated via FB messenger instead using the hotel WIFI. We met later in the afternoon. She took me to a telecommunication shop to buy a sim card. Only then I could contact my supervisor to arrange for a meeting since he was my co-presenter.  In the afternoon, I went to see my supervisor for a discussion and then, I went to register for the conference  and attended the keynote address. I was feeling overwhelmed by the whole experience. I was in my first year of PhD study and listening to a great scholar's presentation made me feel small. I started to feel nervous about presenting the next day. That night, I worked so hard and slept at 1 am. I felt jet lag a bit. After getting the powerpoint presentation slides done, I slept.

The Keynote Address

University of Queensland, Brisbane

The next morning, I woke up around 5 am and still feeling a bit jet lag. I rehearsed the script for my presentation. I was a bit anxious. What if, I went blank during the presentation. It would be a real embarrassment. I did not want to let my supervisor down since he believed in me enough to invite me to be his co-presenter.  My presentation was at 9.00 am that morning. Gosh! The room was full mostly with native speakers of English. But then, I realized they were interested to know about education development in Malaysia (my part) and Vietnam (my supervisor's part). I gathered my courage and mustered as much  confidence as I could. To both our relief, the presentation went well. We got positive feedback and constructive questions that added clarity to my study. We were approached by a few interested people in the audience asking for more information about the research.

I attended few other presentations between breaks. I noticed that halal food was also served. I could see that they took this matter seriously. There were other Muslims also attended from Malaysia, Indonesia and Turkey among others. The Organizing Committee also prepared a room as Musolla for the Muslims to pray. I felt touched by their gestures. This subtly indicated their position that not all Muslims are terrorists.

I was leaving for Sydney in the evening. My mistake was I paid in full for the three-day conference. My supervisor said that I could actually just pay for one day since I only attended the first day. I didn't know that. I did not think I would get a refund anyway and was rushing to catch my flight to Sydney. I safely arrived in Sydney at night. I had already contacted my tour guide to take me at the airport. I was walking passed the airport public lounge area when I heard a white lady who was sitting at one of the sofas said loudly "Holy Cow!" and looking shocked at my direction. I looked behind me and I saw two Muslim women covered in black from head to toe. I guessed that was what shocked the white lady. It was the first sign of Islamophobia that I had seen. Even though, she was shocked, swearing loudly like that was uncalled for.  I just kept walking but I felt sad and sorry to see my fellow Muslimahs being treated that way. They chose to cover themselves  because of their faith and we should respect that. It was so much better than women walking around half naked or even naked even with their clothes on. When I reached the airport parking lot, it was quite dark. Luckily, my tour guide spotted me and brought his MPV near me.

Throughout my four-day stay in Sydney was very pleasant. The young couple are now my friends.

Rewarding myself after months of hard work.

Flipped Classroom Via Whatsapp

Flipped Classroom Via Whatsapp

Norhayu binti Norany (PhD.)

IPG Kampus Sultan Abdul Halim

norhayu@ipsah.edu.my

ABSTRAK

Kertas kajian ini  menunjukkan potensi melaksanakan flipped classroom dengan menggunakan WhatsApp. Ini dilakukan sebagai alternatif untuk menangani masalah kekangan masa dalam menggantikan kuliah apabila para pelajar menghadiri pelbagai program yang dianjurkan oleh Institut semasa waktu kuliah. 28 orang pelajar TESL di Institut Pendidikan Guru terlibat dalam kajian ini. Tujuan kajian ialah untuk menilai kebolehlaksanaan flipped classroom dengan menggunakan WhatsApp sebagai alat pengajaran dan pembelajaran di samping menilai kelebihan dan kekurangan dalam perlaksanaannya. Kajian ini juga cuba untuk menukar imej WhatsApp daripada applikasi yang membuat pelajar hilang fokus dalam kuliah dan tutorial kepada alat yang boleh mengoptimakan pengajaran dan pembelajaran serta meningkatkan keterlibatan pelajar dalam aktiviti pembelajaran. Flipped classroom melalui WhatsApp ini dijalankan dalam pengajaran topik yang luas yang memerlukan 15 jam waktu pembelajaran bersemuka daripada 30 jam waktu pembelajaran bersemuka keseluruhan kursus. Peserta kajian diminta menulis maklumbalas tanpa menulis nama mereka tentang kelebihan dan kelemahan Flipped classroom melalui WhatsApp setelah mendapat pendedahan dan pengalaman menjalani kaedah ini untuk tiga kuliah (6 jam) dan tiga jam  tutorial. Analisa tematik berdasarkan maklumbalas bertulis tersebut dilakukan. Dapatan daripada maklumbalas tersebut ditrangulasikan dengan markah kuiz dan kerja kursus.  Kajian ini menunjukkan kelebihan WhatsApp sebagai saluran komunikasi dalam melaksanakan flipped classroom dan sebagai alat yang membantu pembelajaran pelajar. Kesimpulannya, kajian ini menunjukkan  kelebihan dan kelemahan dalam pelaksanaan flipped classroom melalui WhatsApp dan potensinya sebagai alat yang membantu meningkatkan pembelajaran.

ABSTRACT

This paper showcases the potential of doing flipped classroom using WhatsApp platform. This was implemented as an option to address the problem of time constraint in replacing missed classes due to students attending other programs organised by the institute during class hours. 28 TESL student teachers in an institute of Teacher Education participated in this study.   The aim of the study is to evaluate the feasibility of implementing flipped classroom using WhatsApp as an educational tool by assessing its advantages and shortcomings. This study attempts to reverse the image of WhatsApp as one of the distractions in getting students to focus on learning, to an educational tool that optimises learning and enhances students’ engagement.  Flipped Classroom (FC) via WhatsApp (WA) was implemented in teaching a broad topic that requires 15 hours of face-to-face interactions in a subject that requires a total of 30 hours of face-to-face interactions. The participants were asked to provide anonymous written feedback on the advantages and drawbacks of flipped classroom via WhatsApp after experiencing it for three parts of lectures on the topic and three hours of tutorials. Thematic analysis based on the written feedback was conducted. This was triangulated with students’ performance in a pop quiz and coursework.  The study reveals that the novelty of this communication channel in conducting flipped classroom can support learning amongst student teachers involved.  At its conclusion, the paper outlines the advantages and drawbacks for doing flipped classroom using WhatsApp and its potential as an educational tool that enhances learning.

Keyword: Flipped Classroom, WhatsApp, 21^st. Century Learning

1.0       Introduction

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp have brought about significant changes to our lives especially in the way we communicate with others. It redefines our relationships with others and it helps in creating a global community without boundaries. Texting and sharing has become the way of life nowadays. WhatsApp is getting very popular. Starting with communicating with our close circle of friends and family in WhatApps groups, we are now in social and official groups formed at our workplaces. Work-related matters are discussed and communicated via WhatsApp. The main reason is probably because it is the most convenient way to communicate virtually; it allows users to send and receive location information, images, video, audio and text messages in real-time to individuals and groups of friends at no cost (Church & de Oliveira, 2013). All one needs is  internet connectivity. Affordable data plan enables many smart phone users to gain access to internet connectivity including students. This enables educators to interact with the students via WhatsApp. Information and resources such as learning materials can be shared via WhatsApp since PDF files, power point presentation with audio and word documents can be uploaded and shared with a group of students and lecturers. This study expands the idea of doing flipped classroom using WhatsApp and explores its potential as an educational tool.

1.1       The Aim of the Study

The aim of the study is to evaluate the feasibility of implementing flipped classroom using WhatsApp as an educational tool by assessing its advantages and drawbacks.

1.2       Research Questions:

1.    What are the advantages of doing Flipped Classroom via WhatsApp (FC via WA)?

2.    What are the drawbacks of doing FC via WA?

3.    Does FC via WA enhance students learning?

1.3       Literature Review

1.3.1   Introduction

Virtual classrooms have gradually taken precedent over face-to-face classroom learning. Our educational setting has been transformed. Teaching and learning process is done virtually involving real-time communication. It is not just limited within the four walls of the classrooms and within the allotted time in the formal timetable anymore. Lectures are delivered online using numerous available applications and Learning Management System (LMS). Studies have indicated that video lectures slightly outperform in-person lectures, with interactive online videos doing even better (Bishop & Verleger, 2013). That is the beauty of technology and it has become the new wonder of the world. Educators need to capitalize its beauty in order to stay relevant amidst the rapid technological advancements.

1.3.2   Flipped Classroom

Flipped classroom is done by inverting traditional teaching method that involves delivering instruction online outside of class and moving “homework” into the classroom.  Simply put, moving the more passive elements of learning (watching a lecture, reading a chapter, etc.) outside of the classroom, so that more time is available for interactive, hands-on learning. The theoretical foundation of flipped classroom lies in the broad literature on student-centred learning as in theories of Piaget 1967 and Vygotsky 1978 (Bishop & Verleger, 2013). There are different levels of cognitive abilities involved in doing flipped classroom based on the revised Bloom’s taxonomy. Activities that involve remembering and understanding that are the lowest levels of cognitive domain are practiced outside the class hour. Whereas the higher forms of cognitive work, including applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating are mobilized during interactive activities in the classroom (Krathwohl & Anderson, 2010 as cited in Zamzani Zainuddin & Siti Hajar Halil, 2016).

The idea of flipping classroom was first initiated by two teachers, Jonathan Bergman and Aaron Sams at Woodland Park High School in Woodland, Colorado in 2007. Flipped classroom was initiated when they discovered software to record power point presentations. They recorded and posted their live lectures online for students who missed classes. They were then invited to speak about their new method in the country and the online lectures started gaining popularity. Teachers began using online videos and video podcasts after that to teach students outside class, reserving class time for interactive activities, collaborative work and concept mastery exercises (https://www.knewton.com/infographics/flipped-classroom/).

Studies have indicated that the use of FC effectively promotes students’ achievement by comparing the students’ pre-test and post-test scores (Davies et al., 2013; Enfield, 2013; Kong, 2014; Talley & Scherer, 2013 as cited in Zamzani Zainuddin & Siti Hajar Halil, 2016).

In term of students’ achievement, it was also found that FC is more effective than traditional classroom (Beapler et al., 2014; Hung, 2015; McGivney-Burelle & Xue, 2013 as cited in Zamzani Zainuddin & Siti Hajar Halil, 2016). The students have more power over the way and process by which they study and learn. During lecture, taking down notes while listening to the teacher is not an easy task. When watching videos at their own time, the students can pause and write down notes, rewind and re-watch whenever they need to and this promotes effective learning (McGivney-Burelle & Xue, 2013). Moreover, flipped classroom fosters students’ motivation to learn (Davies et al, 2013; Kim et al., 2014; McLaughlin et al; 2014) and it improves students’ self-efficacy for independent learning (Enfield, 2013). It also increases the students’ self-perceived knowledge (Galway et al., 2014).

Fulton (2012) states that students learn at their own pace in the flipped classroom. They do “homework” in class and this gives the teachers better insight into student difficulties and learning styles. In addition, the teachers can easily customize and update the curriculum and provide it to the students 24/7. The classroom time can be used more effectively and creatively. It was reported that the teachers using the method see increased levels of student achievement, interest, and engagement. Moreover, the learning theory supports the new approaches and the use of technology is flexible and appropriate for 21st century learning.

Herreid and Schiller (2013) surveyed 15,000+ teachers on the implementation of flipped classroom by STEM case study teachers. They found that two hundred case teachers teach in a flipped classroom. In addition to the advantages of flipped classroom stated by Fulton (2012), the teachers found that there is more time to spend with students on authentic research and students get more time working with scientific equipment that is only available in the classroom.  Another reason is the students who miss class for debate/sports/etc. can watch the lectures on the go. Moreover, the method promotes thinking inside and outside of the classroom. Last but not least, the students are more actively involved in the learning process and they really like it.

Zamzani Zainuddin & Siti Hajar Halil (2016) provide some examples of different online platforms used in flipping classroom such as screencast (Love et. al, 2014); blog (Roach, 2014); WebQuest (Hung, 2015); interactive television (Missildine et al., 2013); YouTube, Google Docs and Google Hangout (Kim et al., 2014).

1.3.3   Whatsapp

Yeboah & Ewur (2014) in their survey involving 500 tertiary students in Ghana and interviewed 50 of them found that WA consumes a lot of students study time. Inability to balance online and academic preparation activities lead to procrastination and lack of focus during lecture. It also adversely affects the students spelling and sentence construction.

It is a major distraction to students since it was discovered by Church & de Oliveira (2013) that WhatsApp messages are exchanged more often than traditional SMS and they are more conversational in nature. The WA messages are used to communicate within social circles and are used more often for group-based communication.

On a more positive note, Rambe & Chipunza (2013) found that the students involved in their study “conceived WhatApps as a lever for bridging access to peer-generated resources” (p331). The use of WA heightens on-task behaviour and promotes meaningful context-free learning. Off campus students’ have the  freedom to access academic content anytime, anywhere regardless of location.

Trenkov (n.d) proves key advantages of WA in his study.Using WA reduces the need for face-to-face meetings. It builds a deeper trust between students and instructor. It also provides a larger scope of feedback. It offers minute-by-minute level feedback (with no lag time). In addition, it helps motivate students better on an on-going bases and it promotes the continuity of communications even after the course is completed.

Bere (2013) conducted a study to validate the use of WA involving South African University students. The students gave positive feedback stating that WA is an easy and convenient tool to communicate with their teachers and classmates. It provides a platform for fun, intimate and authentic learning. It also spurs fruitful discussion on relevant issues in an informal setting.

In a nutshell, the use of WA as a useful educational tool can set off its drawback in distracting students from their studies.

1.4       Methodology

This study is qualitative in nature. 28 TESL student teachers in an Institute of Teacher Education participated in this study. Flipped Classroom (FC) via WhatsApp (WA) was implemented in teaching a broad topic that requires 15 hours of face-to-face interactions in a subject that requires a total of 30 hours of face-to-face interactions.

1.5       Procedures

A lecturer uploaded the power point slides of lectures with audio (the lecturer explanations and examples).  The duration of one video is between 10 to 15 minutes. The students accessed the lecture power point slides and posed questions in real time. The students could either typed the questions or recorded the questions orally.The content of lectures and related materials were shared via Whatsapp. Supplementary materials such as real live examples in the form of videos and research articles on the topic were also shared. To ensure effective implementation of FC via WA, classroom tasks that are highly related to the materials shared via WA were given and students performance was assessed based on the tasks given.

1.6       Data Collection and Data Analysis

The participants were asked to provide anonymous written feedback on the advantages and drawbacks of flipped classroom via WhatsApp after experiencing it for three parts of lectures and tutorials on the topic. Thematic analysis based on the written feedback was conducted. This was triangulated with the students’ performance in a pop quiz and a coursework.

1.7       Findings and Discussion

1.7.1   Thematic Analysis of the Anonymous Written Feedback

Most students that are 90% of them gave favourable feedback to FC via WA. There are eight themes identified as the following:

Theme 1: More time for interactive activities in class

Most students responded that doing FC via WA saves time as they could access the lecture materials during their own free time. This allows more time for interactive activities in class such as discussing the topics by asking relevant questions. Below are the verbatim responses given by the students:

1.    “Fc via WA saves time since materials and lecture slides delivered earlier”

2.    “It provides more time to practice, apply and ask questions in class”

3.    “The lecturer can carry out the activities straight away in class”

4.    “It provides more time for enrichment activities”

5.    “The class time can be used to discuss what students don’t understand”

6.    “The face-to-face time with lecturers can be spent for discussing and asking questions rather than just listening to lectures”

Theme 2: Learning is interesting, fun and engaging

Most students stated that doing FC via WA makes learning more interesting, fun and engaging since the class is more interactive and students could actively participate in class discussion rather than passively listening to lectures. These are shown in their verbatim responses as the following:

1.    “interesting and more interactive in class”

2.    “engage students in discussion; enhance students communication skills in WA”

3.    “fun and interesting”

4.    “FC is interesting and new”

Theme 3: Enhance Learning

It is also reflected in the students’ responses that doing FC via WA can enhance their learning by helping them to understand the topic better because they can access the materials before class. Moreover, it makes them become autonomous learners and promotes collaboration among them since classroom activities involved a great extent of communication and group work. Below are their responses in the written feedback on the implementation of FC via WA:

1.    “enhance students learning – share info via WA”

2.    “promotes student-centred learning and collaboration”

3.    “good way to learn”

4.    “helps enhance understanding on the topic because materials are shared before the class”

5.    “help students to have clear picture about lesson”

Theme 4: Preparation before coming to class

Most students like the idea of doing FC via WA because they could come prepared to class by reading the lecture materials earlier as reflected in their verbatim responses below.

1.    “have knowledge about the lesson  before class”

2.    “students can prepare before going to class”

3.    “FC is good. it prepares students before class”

4.    “students are prepared before coming to class”

Unfortunately, in real practice, there were a few students came unprepared since they did not access the materials before the class. This made them clueless about the relevance of the classroom activities conducted. Therefore, they did not gain much from the activities. Students who came prepared were frustrated when some group members had no idea what was going on in the group discussion and could not contribute much because they had not accessed the lecture or tutorial materials earlier.

1.    “Lack of focus when not monitored (in accessing the lecture materials via WA)”

2.    “students may not access the lecture materials uploaded in WA before coming to class”

3.    “some students did not access the materials before class”

4.    “Students don’t do pre-class tasks will come to class knowing nothing”

5.    “relies on before class preparation and trust (some students may not come prepared to class)”

6.    “some people seldom check phones so they miss a lot and come to class unprepared”

7.    “some students may not access the lecture materials before class”

8.    “some students did not read the materials before class”

Theme 5: Accessible Anytime, Anywhere

Many students think that doing FC via WA is very convenient because they can access the materials anytime, anywhere as shown in their responses below:

1.    “the lecture materials are accessible anytime anywhere”

2.    “reduces pressure since students can access the materials anytime anywhere at their comfort”

3.    “can learn anywhere and anytime”

4.    “easy access and flexible (anytime, anywhere)”

5.    “students can access materials anytime”

6.    “I can access lecture materials at my own comfort”

Theme 6: Students Preference to FC

Most students said that they prefer doing FC rather than going through the conventional classroom (CC). They hope there is more FCs in the future. These are reflected in their feedback below:

1.    “FC is way more effective than Conventional Classroom”

2.    “prefer FC to CC in future”

3.    “successful this first time”

4.    “FC is effective to some extent”

However, one student states that “some students prefer face to face interactions for better guidance and explanations” and another student pointed that if “done continuously it (FC) may lose its sizzle”.

Theme 7: Whatsapp as a good educational tool

The students also gave positive responses about using WA in doing FC as the following:

1.    “can ask questions  through WA”

2.    “systematic as media, videos & materials uploaded onto the same medium”

3.    “get input online and can ask questions via WA”

Theme 8:  Internet Access/Connectivity

The main problem in doing FC via WA is the cost of the internet access and its strength. The internet access in the campus poses major problem because of the erratic connectivity. Due to this, the students are subscribing to other internet providers using their own money.

1.    “usage of internet data (cost); not all students can afford it”

2.    “foresee may face problem to access materials via WA due to technological issue”

3.    “problem of internet access among students”

1.7.2   The Pop Quiz

The students’ anonymous written feedback was triangulated with their performance in a pop quiz conducted in class. The quiz consists of 20 multiple-choice questions that are highly related to the materials shared via WA. The rationale for administering the quiz is to assess students’ understanding and to check whether they really accessed and read the materials before class. The marks are not included in the overall course grading process. The results showed that 69% of them passed and 31% failed.

Table 1: Pop Quiz

Grade	Percentage
A	11
B	12
C	19
D	27
F	31
Total	100

Figure 1: Pop Quiz

1.7.3   The Coursework

For the coursework, students were required to produce an academic writing about the selected strategies taught in the topic by referring to various sources. The marks were included in the overall grading process of the course. The students did well in accomplishing the task. 46% of the students scored A and another 46% got B. Only 7% got C and none of them failed.

Table 2: Coursework

Grade	Percentage
A	46
B	46
C	7
Total	100

Figure 2: Coursework

1.8       Discussion

In this study, implementing FC via WA proves to be beneficial to the students as reflected in the favourable feedbacks given and the students’ performance in the pop quiz and coursework. However, it involves a great amount of preparation on the part of the lecturer. The lecture slides need to be recorded with audio and uploaded to WA. Supplementary materials such as videos and articles were also provided to ensure students’ good understanding of the topic.  The classroom tasks need to be highly related to the materials uploaded as a way to ensure that the students read and listen to them before class. The lecturer also needs to strategize ways to ensure students active participation in the classroom by planning and doing fun, challenging and engaging tasks.

Doing flipped classroom increases students’ workload. They need to access the materials before class and do some mental work in comprehending the materials. These require them to sacrifice some of their free time. Hence, flipped classroom works best for highly motivated students with good metacognitive skills. If they do not possess high self-motivation, they will not do the needful preparations before the class and this adversely affects the effectiveness of doing FC via WA.

Another obstacle in fully implementing FC via WA in conducting the course is the requirement mandated by the ISO. The course requires 30 hours of face-to-face interactions and this need to be fulfilled to meet the ISO requirements. The allowance for non face-to face interaction is 50% of the whole interaction hours. This requirement must be strictly adhered to, as the course implementation will be audited at the end of the semester.

1.9       Conclusion

In conclusion, FC via WA is beneficial in enhancing students learning despite a few drawbacks in implementing it. It is convenient and it helps to foster students’ higher order thinking skills. It promotes autonomous learning and collaboration among students. It is 21^st century learning where learning is no longer confined to the four walls of a classroom and within limited classroom timetable. Teachers’ role has also been shifted from being the sole authority figure in the classroom to a catalyst in knowledge acquisition.

References

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