Flipped Classroom Model for Undergraduate Teaching Using Mixed-methods Approach: A Pilot Project

Aim and background: Despite the vast heterogeneity of teaching methods, there remains a dilemma on what works best for teaching medical students.Flipped classroom teaching is a learner-oriented active teaching-learning methodology with a focus on inculcating different aspects of knowledge attainment in learners including application, analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of knowledge.This study aimed to assess the acceptability of the flipped classroom model for teaching undergraduate medical students.Materials and methods: This was a mixed method qualitative analysis conducted over 3 months utilizing anonymized prevalidated questionnaire for learners and focused group discussion (FGD) for facilitators.A total of 50 students were enrolled for the flipped classroom sessions and feedback was taken with a combination of open and closed-ended questions.Focused group discussion was carried out to discuss the merits and constraints of the teaching methodology.Results were compiled as frequency distribution and the qualitative data was analyzed using pre-formed codes to identify recurring themes and opinions.Results: The majority of students found flipped classrooms to be more interactive and easier to comprehend in comparison with traditional teaching methods.About 72% of students experienced higher confidence levels after the subject was taken up as a flipped classroom.Conclusion: Flipped classroom teaching is acceptable and finds high satisfaction levels amongst medical students.It involves an investment of extra time and energy by the facilitators, especially initially.Clinical significance: This pilot project helps to understand the need for innovating and integrating various teaching techniques for better academic outcomes as well as student satisfaction and promotes further research with a higher sample size to fortify these active teaching methods in the world of education.