Sage or guide? Student perceptions of the role of the instructor in a flipped classroom

Higher education has begun to shift from a teacher-centred instructional approach to a student-centred learning approach; many instructors have embraced this change by developing flipped classrooms. In the flipped classroom, students complete pre-work prior to attending class; this pre-work is often in the form of a video recording, lecture recording or reading. Class time is then repurposed to focus on knowledge application and synthesis rather than delivery. As such, it is suggested that instructors become less sage- and more guide-like in their teaching approach. The impact of the flipped classroom has been mostly positive in research; however, it is unclear whether students actually note and/or value the change in the role of the instructor in the flipped classroom. This study sought to evaluate the perception of the ideal instructor according to students following their experience in a flipped classroom course. Data were collected on students’ perceptions of the instructor prior to, during, and following a flipped classroom experience. Overall, students valued the instructor’s role as a moderator rather than information-deliverer; however, the most important aspect of the flipped classroom, according to the students in this study, was the ability of the flipped classroom to foster greater interaction and learning between students.