Purpose This study aims to investigate how a technology-enhanced flipped classroom (TEFC) model can support multicultural inclusion for Indian international medical students studying Marxist-Leninist political theory in English at a Vietnamese medical university. It examines learning outcomes while also analysing persistent linguistic, cultural and participatory barriers. Design/methodology/approach A convergent mixed-methods, quasi-experimental design was implemented with 420 Indian undergraduate medical students at Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy. Intact administrative classes were allocated to an experimental group receiving the TEFC intervention and a comparison group receiving conventional lecture-based instruction. Quantitative data were collected through a validated 24-item questionnaire measuring digital learning activities, cognitive load barriers, self-regulated learning, classroom learning interaction, critical thinking ability and technology/learning analytics acceptance. Qualitative open-ended reflections and LMS analytics were analysed separately and integrated during interpretation. Findings Baseline tests indicated no significant demographic or academic differences between the two groups. Post-intervention comparisons favoured the experimental group across digital learning activity, self-regulated learning, classroom interaction, critical thinking and technology acceptance, while perceived cognitive load barriers were lower. Regression analysis showed that digital learning activities and classroom learning interaction were the strongest predictors of technology/learning analytics acceptance. Qualitative findings nevertheless showed that accent asymmetry, culturally unfamiliar political concepts and uneven participation continued to constrain inclusion. Research limitations/implications The study was conducted at a single institution over one 16-week semester. The quasi-experimental design, self-reported scales and student perceptions do not by themselves establish long-term causal effects. Future work should use longitudinal, multi-site and performance-based designs. Practical implications The findings suggest that flipped learning can be used as an inclusion-oriented design when it combines captioned micro-lectures, structured pre-class preparation, culturally bridged cases, low-stakes formative checks and deliberate facilitation of accent-aware and gender-inclusive participation. Originality/value The paper contributes to multicultural education by analysing flipped classroom technology in a tri-ethnic and tri-linguistic non-Anglophone setting involving Vietnamese lecturers, Indian students and English medium instruction in a compulsory political theory course.
Tai et al. (Fri,) studied this question.