Motivation and cognitive load in the flipped classroom: definition, rationale and a call for research

TLDR

Flipped classrooms replace traditional lectures with active in‑class tasks and pre/post work, yet despite widespread popularity there is scant evidence of their effectiveness or a clear definition. The paper offers a comprehensive definition of the flipped classroom, proposes six testable propositions as a pedagogical rationale, and calls for focused research on its effectiveness. The authors argue that flipped approaches can enhance student motivation and alleviate cognitive load.

Abstract

Flipped classroom approaches remove the traditional transmissive lecture and replace it with active in-class tasks and pre-/post-class work. Despite the popularity of these approaches in the media, Google search, and casual hallway chats, there is very little evidence of effectiveness or consistency in understanding what a flipped classroom actually is. Although the flipped terminology is new, some of the approaches being labelled 'flipped' are actually much older. In this paper, we provide a catch-all definition for the flipped classroom, and attempt to retrofit it with a pedagogical rationale, which we articulate through six testable propositions. These propositions provide a potential agenda for research about flipped approaches and form the structure of our investigation. We construct a theoretical argument that flipped approaches might improve student motivation and help manage cognitive load. We conclude with a call for more specific types of research into the effectiveness of the flipped classroom approach.