Investigating the impact of flipped learning on computer science students’ achievements, motivation, engagement, and learning autonomy in Saudi Arabia high schools

Abstract

Global Educational Technology is a rapidly changing field within this century, and an increasing number of organisations and private learning institutions are attempting to integrate technology into educational practices. Over the last decade, technology in educational settings within Saudi Arabia has started to attract enthusiastic attention from professionals who are attempting to implement higher levels of technology-based learning activities into teaching through blended learning, MOOCs, and flipped learning. The field of education in Saudi Arabia has an ambition that concurs with the Saudi 2030 Vision and two of the main aims of education, which are to integrate technology in education and encourage teachers to apply the student-centred approach, such as through flipped learning. This study applies a concurrent embedded mixed-method approach to examine the impact of flipped learning on Computer Science students’ achievements and identify the effects of flipped learning on their motivation, engagement and learning autonomy. This includes a quasi-experimental design with 74 first-year Computer Science high school students, and data collected through pre/post-tests, questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and focus groups by comparing flipped learning students’ achievements and experiences against those of non-flipped learning students. The findings suggest that flipped learning could impact positively upon students’ achievement, motivation, engagement and learning autonomy. The result of the pre-and post-test showed that there was an overall increase in the students’ scores in flipped learning compared to non-flipped learning. The qualitative findings show that the flipped learning also provides experiences both in and out of the classroom for Computer Science students, which were found to enhance their achievements. However, certain students would find flipped learning challenging at times, especially in relation to online discussion participation. In addition, students’ learning autonomy was shown to increase following a flipped learning environment. The qualitative findings demonstrated that the students in flipped learning hold a positive attitude toward their autonomous learning skills. Overall, it was concluded that flipped learning should be suggested as one of the possible pedagogical approaches to improve students’ learning experiences. However, the studies in the Saudi context remain limited, and require additional investigations into flipped learning, and particularly in Saudi female schools. The current study presents theoretical and practical implications arising from it, limitations, recommendations for improvement, and suggestions for future research.