Effects of the flipped learning approach on students’ academic achievement in secondary schools in Kenya.

Abstract

In most secondary schools, the conventional approaches to learning are exclusively used for science education, though with mixed results. These conventional learning approaches do not arouse the learner's interest in science or improve learners' cognitive development. The rise in new pedagogical approaches has seen the adoption of flipped learning approaches take a focal point in improving cognitive development and achievement outcomes in science education in secondary schools and university levels alike. Thus, the study adopted the flipped learning approached and used the Solomon four non-equivalent control group to explore the possibility of using flipped classroom arrangement with the aid of a computer-based collaborative concept mapping to foster meaningful learning and creativity in Biology instruction in secondary schools in Kenya. In the study, 345 form-two students were enrolled and were randomly split as a whole class into the intervention (flipped learning approach) or control (conventional teaching method) groups who were taught separately. The study was located in eight extra county schools in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya drawn from because the school are well-equipped with computing facilities for learning. Both groups were taught the respiration concepts, with the experimental group (n = 167) being taught with the aid of computer-based concept mapping outside the normal class hours (5.00 pm - 6.00 pm) in the computer laboratory while the control group (n = 178) was taught within their respective class hours. The whole concept of respiration was taught in five lessons each lasting for one hour daily over a period of five days (300 minutes). Before the commencement of the experiment, the study carried out an initial examination of attitudes and test scores. The t-test results that the initial attitudes towards biology for the two groups were equivalent (t = -0.820, p > 0.05) while the initial biology score before the experiment were equivalent (t = -1.463, p > 0.05). The study used descriptive statistics and the independent t-test to test for any differences at 0.05 significance levels. The results indicate that there were significant gender differences in the scores for the study group (t = -2.740, p < 0.05) and experimental groups (t = -4.819, p < 0.05) after the experiment. In testing for the control, there were no significant differences in the scores for the control groups (t = -1.463, p > 0.05) before the experiment, but, there were significant differences in the scores for the experimental groups (t = -4.819, p < 0.05) after the experiment. However, there were significant differences in the scores for the control group (t = - 2.299, p < 0.05) after the experiment. Findings revealed that academic achievement was significantly higher in the intervention group than those in the conventional group. Based on the findings, the study concluded that computer-based collaborative concept mapping explains the gender and group differences in the post-test scores. This implies that flipped learning approach could improve students’ attitudes of students towards biology, thereby improving their academic achievement. The result is especially relevant to learning science in secondary and tertiary institutions in sub-Saharan Africa. The study recommends that teachers adopt the most realistic learning approaches that may positively influence attitudes and achievement in science education.