Are flipped classrooms less stressful and more successful? An experimental study on college students

The flipped classroom model, which is a technology-supported model that employs active learning strategies, has been studied many times. However, the effect of the model on psychological variables has not been adequately questioned. In this context, this study aims to investigate the effects of flipped classroom model on the students’ assignment stress and academic achievement. For this purpose, a quasi-experimental study was designed; the pre- and post-test control group model was used. The study was conducted with the participation of 44 undergraduate pre-service teachers for 11-week period in Material Design and Use in Education course. Students' assignment stress was measured with a scale, while their academic achievement was evaluated by considering course success and material development scores. Also, students’ opinions were investigated in the process. The experimental group students followed the courses outside the class through interactive videos, and they completed the given assignments in-class with the group collaboration. On the other hand, the control group students followed the lessons in-class (face-to-face), and they completed the given assignments outside of the class with the group collaboration. Consequently, it was found that the assignment stress of the students in the experimental group decreased more than the students in the control group. In addition, the course success of the students in the experimental group increased more than the students in the control group. However, there was no significant difference between the material development scores of groups. Finally, a significant portion of the students’ who experienced the flipped classroom model, reported positive opinions about the model.