Transforming a class from the Psychology degree into a flipped classroom

Abstract

The flipped classroom is a teaching methodology that changes the dynamic of the traditional class, as the students study the lesson before attending class (mainly through Information and Communication Technologies), and the time in class is used to clarify the contents and do meaningful activities with the teacher’s support. Recent studies show that positive results have been obtained using this methodology. However, the implementation of this methodology in the Psychology degree is scarce. The objective of this study was to use the flipped classroom methodology in a lesson on the subject of Psychopathology and compare its effectiveness with that of a traditional class. The sample was composed of 87 students (M = 23.02, SD = 7.88 years old, 73.1% women) majoring in Psychology at the University of Valencia. In the flipped classroom condition (n = 47), the lesson was explained through a video that students watched at home, and then the time in class was used to assess and clarify the lesson (using the Kahoot! platform) and do significant activities in small groups. In the traditional condition (n = 40), the teacher explained the lesson in class, and the contents were assessed and clarified through the Kahoot! platform, but the activities were done at home.  The students assessed the interest, usefulness, and difficulty of the components of each methodology using a Likert scale and two open questions. In addition, the acquired knowledge was assessed through the final exam. No significant differences between conditions were found in the acquired knowledge (assessed through the Kahoot! platform or the final exam). However, working on the meaningful activities in small groups with the teacher’s support decreased the perceived difficulty of these activities, and the students made positive comments about the flipped classroom methodology.