A key factor in emboldening collegiate students to become physically active and improve their health and wellbeing is to create effective pedagogy with an intellectually stimulation, engaging and, student-centered focus. Recently, the science, mathematics, and engineering fields have acknowledged the Flipped Classroom Approach (FCA) as an effective pedagogical approach with these homogeneous attributes mentioned. The FCA is a student-centered learning approach, which incorporated both online learning outside of the classroom as well as a variety of activity based learning styles for practical application in the classroom. Despite its pedagogical effectiveness there is scant research to support its application at any level in physical education.
Method:
This research explored the implementation of a FCA unit’s impact on the engagement of students and instructional delivery of collegiate physical education content. The five variables examined were student skill development, knowledge acquisition and retention, self-efficacy and self-regulation, and both student and teacher perceptions of the FCA instructional model. The students and the teacher of two sections of a muscular strength, flexibility, and cardiorespiratory fitness course were investigated. The data collection methods involved were one-on-one interviews, classroom observation, skills rubrics, self-efficacy, self-regulation, and teaching methodology surveys, health knowledge and fitness tests, and pedometer measures.
Analysis/Results:
The paired sample t-test and case study analysis revealed students’ skills and knowledge improved from pretest to posttest over the course of the unit. While their self-efficacy and self-regulation were not significantly influenced by the unit there were gradual improvements in both areas. The students enjoyed the variety of exercise presented, the autonomy, the integration of content, and engagement that the unit offered. Equally as important, the students enjoyed the unit and felt engaged in the learning process. The teacher acknowledged that the FCA was an effective pedagogical approach to implement in the collegiate physical education course.
Conclusions:
The significance of this research is that it furthers the understanding of an effective pedagogical approach, which is practical and capable of enhancing student skills, knowledge, and engagement in physical activity. The FCA could also increase the competency of technology diffusion in physical education and health and wellness curriculums. Future research should continue to examine more closely the relationship between the FCA and students’ self-efficacy and self-regulation with prolong experiment or intervention.