IMPLEMENTING THE FLIPPED COMPUTER SCIENCE LEARNING APPROACH TO FOSTER LEARNING AUTONOMY SKILLS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY WITHIN COMPULSORY EDUCATION

Abstract

Over the last decade, a major innovation within technology use in order to transform students’ learning has developed in higher education world-wide. One key technology adaptation that has attracted much attention, because of its facilitation of the practice of the active learning, is ‘flipped learning’ which aims to enhance students’ engagement and promote self-directed learning. Flipped learning has been introduced into various disciplines and at educational levels, with a number of promising educational gains in terms of improved student learning experiences. However, despite an encouraging body of research, the high school level has not yet been explicitly researched in terms of how flipped learning may enhance learning autonomy skills. In parallel, there is a pressing need in education to cultivate students’ autonomous learning in and out of school, a need that has become all too apparent during the Covid-19 pandemic. This paper aimed to investigate how a flipped learning environment could enhance Computer Science students’ learning autonomy in a high school. It discusses findings from a qualitative study investigating the learning autonomy of students in flipped and non-flipped learning contexts, to understand differences between students’ autonomous learning in these two learning environments. Data were gathered via 18 semi-structured interviewers and two focus groups that were then analysed using a thematic analysis approach. The findings from flipped learning participants and non-flipped learning participants showed that the students in the flipped learning conditions hold a more positive attitude toward their learning autonomy compared to students in the non-flipped learning context. Furthermore, the students in the flipped learning environment showed an awareness of being autonomous learners compared with non-flipped learning students who depended heavily upon the teacher for their learning and motivation. The study showed how flipped learning can promote student motivation to learn independently by providing learning practices that allow the students to practice their autonomy learning skill over time, which then develop into habits of mind. The study suggested that the computer teacher could implement the flipped learning approach with the aim of enhancing the students’ learning autonomy skills through the learning processes, including pre-classroom activities and in-classroom activities.