Student Perceptions and Effectiveness of Video-Based Flipped Classroom for Improving Medical Physiology Teaching at...

Medical education has shifted from traditional teaching methods to interactive learning, emphasizing student engagement and critical thinking for enhanced problem-solving skills. There is a growing shift toward active learning strategies, such as the flipped classroom model, in the current medical education settings.

A quasi-experimental study was conducted in the Physiology course of basic sciences at Avalon University School of Medicine, Curacao, using a video-based flipped classroom (VBFC) model. Hundred short instructional videos were created and integrated into 65 Physiology sessions. Pre- and post-implementation surveys assessed students' perceptions and the effectiveness of VBFC. Grade comparison of students was analyzed using paired to evaluate learning outcomes between VBFC and traditional lecture formats.

The VBFC in physiology courses revealed promising results, improving student performance and engagement. Physiology scores, which were significantly lower than the overall course scores before introducing the VBFC approach (p = 0.0216), showed improvement and aligned with the overall scores following its implementation. Students demonstrated a positive attitude toward this method, indicating that video-based pre-class learning was effective. Survey responses consistently reflected agreement with the advantages of this approach. In particular, students expressed strong agreement regarding three key aspects: the appropriate length of each video, the quality and usefulness of the 1 to 5 follow-up questions accompanying each video, and the importance of sustaining this teaching method.

The flipped classroom model supported student engagement and promoted self-directed learning, potentially aiding in the understanding of subjects like physiology. Grounded in Piaget's cognitive development theory, this approach promotes abstract thinking, logical reasoning, and problem-solving skills. Despite limitations such as small sample size and study duration, the results suggest the flipped classroom model can significantly enhance medical students' outcomes in physiology.