Active learning would explain the positive effects of the flipped classroom

For many stakeholders in education, the flipped classroom is a model that would have positive impacts on student success and motivation. But does the success of the flipped classroom depend on the model itself or the implications behind it? A study looked into the question.

The reverse class, a pedagogical model that aims to have students carry out practical activities in class and assimilate the theoretical portion outside of class hours, is currently enjoying a certain popularity. For many stakeholders in education, at elementary and secondary level, this model would have positive impacts on student success and motivation. But does the success of the flipped classroom depend on the model itself or the implications behind it?

A study published in the latest issue of the journal Life Sciences Education became interested in this issue. In the opinion that scientific knowledge on the effectiveness of the flipped classroom remains limited, researchers from Brigham Young University, in the United States, and Potiguar University, in Brazil, wanted to verify whether this teaching model is as effective as you think.

They wanted to answer the following question: being a form of active learning, does the flipped classroom produce superior results in student achievement and the development of positive attitudes towards the learning process than other forms of learning? active learning? To answer this, two university groups of about fifty students were formed. Both groups attended the same biology course, the first in a flipped classroom format, the second in a more traditional format. The researchers ensured that students in both groups were subjected to equivalent forms of active learning, both outside and inside the classroom.

The researchers then analyzed various data, including student grades and pass rates, and measured attitudes. At the end of the analysis, no significant difference between the two groups emerged. Students who took the course in the flipped classroom format and those who took the course in the more traditional format had comparable results.

For the researchers, the results of this study are important because they tend to demonstrate that the positive impacts of the flipped classroom on student success and motivation do not come from the model itself, but rather from active learning that it does. 'he implies. The fact that the students in the group who did not follow the course in reverse class format but who were called upon to be involved in an equivalent way in their learning obtained similar results would be an argument.

According to the authors, this study highlights the importance of active learning. For them, the flipped classroom is relevant, but only represents one way to use active learning methods. It would therefore not be necessary to reverse the practical part and the theoretical part, but rather to make sure to find activities and scenarios in which the students must get involved. The title of the article, "The impacts of the flipped classroom may simply be the result of active learning", summarizes the conclusions.