The link between flipped and active learning: a scoping review

Flipped learning in higher education is becoming increasingly widespread. Although the number of flipped learning articles has increased since 2011, systematic reviews of flipped learning have been criticized for lacking a theoretical framework. The aim in this article is to explore the link between flipped learning and active learning: specifically, which theoretical frameworks are described. A scoping review was adopted as the research methodology. The selected studies indicate that this link between flipped learning and active learning is rarely explicitly addressed or operationalized. Approximately 65% of the 435 full-text articles retrieved do not explicitly connect their research to theory or a conceptual framework. The remaining 155 studies included for analysis refer to a mix of pedagogical terms or approaches. The theoretical and conceptual underpinnings are generally only vaguely described, with a few exceptions. The results indicate an eclecticism and a reluctance to connect flipped learning with a specific conceptual framework.