The Flipped Classroom: A Critical Appraisal.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education Research
• Educational Technology
• Pedagogy

Background:

• The flipped classroom (FC) model is increasingly adopted in medical education.
• A critical appraisal of existing literature is needed to understand its impact.
• Identifying influential papers is crucial for guiding future research and practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a systematic review and critical appraisal of the medical education literature on the flipped classroom (FC) model.
• To identify and summarize the top 10 most influential FC papers.
• To inform current understanding of the FC's role in medical education.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across major academic databases (ERIC, PsychINFO, PubMed, Scopus).
• 296 English-language papers on FC were initially identified and screened using exclusion criteria.
• 54 papers were critically appraised by eight reviewers using standardized scoring systems for quantitative, qualitative, and review articles.

Main Results:

• 54 papers met the inclusion criteria for critical appraisal and review.
• The top 10 highest-scoring articles were identified, comprising five quantitative studies, two qualitative studies, and three review papers.
• These selected papers represent the current state of literature on the FC in medical education.

Conclusions:

• The reviewed literature provides insights into the benefits and drawbacks of the FC approach in medical education.
• The findings have practical implications for emergency medicine educators implementing FC models.
• The study identifies key areas and next steps for future research in FC education.