The Effectiveness of a Flipped Classroom Approach Unit on Student Knowledge, Skill Development, and Perception of Collegiate Physical Education

Abstract

A key factor in emboldening collegiate students to become physically active and improve their health and wellbeing is to create effective pedagogy with an intellectually stimulating, engaging and, student centered focus. Recently, the science, mathematics, and engineering fields have acknowledged the Flipped Classroom Approach (FCA) as an effective pedagogical approach with its homogeneous attributes. The FCA is a students centered learning approach, which incorporates both online learning outside of the classroom as well as a variety of activity based learning styles for practical application in the classroom. Despite its pedagogical effectiveness there is no research to support its application at any level in physical education.

The current study explored the implementation of an FCA unit impact on the engagement of students and instructional delivery of collegiate physical education content. The five questions addressed the FCA instructional model, during a collegiate physical education unit, impact on 1) skill development, 2) content knowledge acquisition and retention, 3) collegiate students’ perceptions of the FCA, 4) the teacher perceptions of the FCA as it relates to pedagogical effectiveness, and 5) student self-efficacy and self-regulation in collegiate physical education.

The students and the teacher of two sections of a muscular strength, flexibility, and cardiorespiratory fitness course were investigated. The data collection methods utilized were one-on-one interviews, classroom observation, skills rubrics, surveys, knowledge and fitness tests, and pedometer measures. The paired sample t-test and case study analysis revealed students’ skills and knowledge improved over the course of the unit. The analysis also indicated that students’ self-efficacy and self-regulation were not significantly influenced by the unit. The students enjoyed the variety of exercise presented, the autonomy, the integration of content, and engagement that the unit offered. Equally as important, the students enjoyed the unit and felt engaged in the learning process. The teacher acknowledged the FCA as an effective pedagogical approach to implement in collegiate physical education courses.