Exploring the Impact of Wpacq-Structured Flipped Learning on Problem-Solving, Self-Efficacy, and Perceived Cooperative Learning Practices in Programming Education

This research investigates how the WPACQ-based flipped classroom model—featuring components such as Watch, Peer-Summary, Assessment, Correction, and Question—can support the development of essential skills in programming education, namely problem-solving, programming self-efficacy, and perceived cooperative learning practices. A randomized controlled design with pretest and posttest assessments was employed in this study, which included 90 first-year programming students from a public university in Türkiye. While the experimental group engaged in a pedagogically structured flipped classroom guided by the WPACQ cycle, the control group received conventional lecture-based instruction. The MANCOVA results revealed that the flipped classroom participants significantly outperformed the control group in all measured outcomes, favoring the flipped condition, with moderate to large effect sizes, particularly for programming self-efficacy and problem-solving. These findings suggest that structured flipped models like WPACQ can enhance learning outcomes in programming education. This study adds to the existing body of knowledge by highlighting how the WPACQ-structured model fosters students’ strategic thinking, programming self-efficacy, and cooperative engagement, particularly in cognitively demanding contexts like introductory programming courses, which require high levels of abstraction and problem-solving. Implications for instructional design, curriculum development, and future research are discussed, offering practical guidance for educators and a foundation for future studies exploring scaffolding strategies in computer science education.