Nursing Students’ Experiences With the Flipped Classroom Approach in a Human Anatomy Course: A Qualitative Study

Introduction The flipped classroom is a blended teaching approach in which students receive content prior to attending face-to-face lessons. It typically comprises three phases: pre-class, in-class and post-class. Previous research has predominantly focused on the flipped classroom in general higher education, nursing education and anatomy education for medical students; however, its specific use in anatomy education among nursing students remains understudied. Objective This study aimed to explore and describe nursing students’ experiences with a flipped classroom in a human anatomy course. Methods The flipped classroom approach was used once a week for a second-semester human anatomy class for first-year undergraduate nursing students, while the other days adhered to the traditional approach. Subsequently, an exploratory, descriptive qualitative study was conducted, with constructivism as its theoretical foundation. A sample of 18 nursing students was selected through convenience sampling to participate in the study. Data were collected through individual interviews, using an interview guide. The data were transcribed verbatim and then manually thematically analysed, following six stages of the iterative process of analysing interview data. Results The three themes identified are: the flipped classroom promotes active learning, the flipped classroom is not the preferred method for learning human anatomy, and improving the flipped classroom approach. Conclusion Findings indicate both positive and negative experiences with the flipped classroom in human anatomy. These may help develop a step-by-step guide to teaching human anatomy using the flipped classroom approach. Future researchers might explore how the flipped classroom can be utilised to enhance the application of human anatomy in clinical practice among nursing students.