FORMATION OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE OF FUTURE BIOLOGY TEACHERS BASED ON THE “FLIPPED CLASSROOM” TECHNOLOGY

The teaching and learning activities of any undergraduate curriculum will have a specific set of learning outcomes that should be successfully achieved by the students. The balance between the workload of a student and the available time to achieve the learning outcomes plays a major role in achieving these learning outcomes, as well as a good student satisfaction score and excellent final grades for that particular module (Whillier & Lystad, 2013). In a traditional educational experience, a teacher stands in front of the classroom, delivers a lecture to a group of students, who sit in rows, quietly listening to the lecture and taking notes. At the end of the lecture, students are given homework or an assignment to be completed outside of the classroom environment. This characterises the principle of “sage-on-the stage”, and is synonymous with the present day term of teacher-centered learning. This is also referred to as the transmittal model (King, 1993), which assumes that the students are passive note-takers, receivers of the content or accumulators of factoids (Morrison, 2014). Usually, the teacher does not have time to interact with the students individually during the class (Hamdan, McKnight, McKnight & Arfstorm, 2013), thus neglecting those students who do not understand the lecture. The traditional didactic way of teaching is primarily unidirectional and consists of limited interactions between the source of knowledge (teacher) and the passive recipients (students). One of the main challenges faced by lecturers is the overload of academic content that needs to be taught in a relatively short period of time. Equally, the main challenge faced by the students is loss of interest or motivation to learn within the stipulated period of time (Prober & Khan, 2013). The traditional way of teaching, therefore, discourages the students from active learning and critical thinking. There is also increasing pressure from accreditation institutions, which demand “an ability to communicate effectively”, “an ability to identify, formulate and solve problems”, and “an ability to function on multidisciplinary teams” (Bishop & Verleger, 2013). As such, there is a need to transform the current pedagogical strategies, in order to enhance active learning in a more effective way (Al Faris et al., 2013). Synthesis of research on the effectiveness of lectures shows that lectures are not very effective for teaching and developing values or personal development, and may only be effective for the sole goal of transmitting information (Bligh, 2000). Taking these points together, it is important to explore methods that have the potential to maximise the use of classroom time and transform the classroom into a platform for teacher-student interactions and critical thinking (Rui et al., 2017). Numerous factors have cumulatively led to several challenges for traditional teaching in health professional education (HPE), including the availability of digital technologies, digitally-empowered learners, the prolific expansion of courses, the amount of factual knowledge that has accumulated in the courses, prolific growth of health knowledge, advancement in healthcare disciplines, and investment into the scholarship of teaching and learning. To this end, newer delivery systems encompassing active learning in HPE have been developed. Studies have reported that active participation is an effective method to improve learning and understanding (Freeman et al., 2014; McCoy et al., 2015). Thus, to enhance interaction during their learning, there are educational strategies, which promote active learning in traditional lectures by engaging students in doing things and encouraging them to think about what they are doing. A classic example of active learning is a think–pair–share discussion, in which a student thinks individually for a moment about a question posed on the lecture, then pairs up with a classmate to discuss their ideas, and subsequently shares their answer with the entire class (King, 1993). There are various modifications which can be incorporated into traditional lectures that enable active learning in the classroom, for instance; (a) the feedback lecture, which consists of two mini lectures separated by a small-group study session built around a study guide, and (b) the guided lecture, in which students listen to a 20- to 30-min presentation without taking notes, followed by their writing for 5 min on what they remember, and spending the remainder of the class duration in small groups for clarification and elaboration on the study material (Ellis, 2010; Johnson, 2013). Moreover, there are other active learning pedagogies, which include visual-based instruction (Johnson et al., 2016), small group problem based learning, cooperative learning, debates, drama, role playing and simulation and peer teaching. One innovative approach in education delivery system is the “flipped classroom,” an educational technique that consists of two parts, interactive group learning activities inside the classroom and direct personal computer-based individual instruction outside the classroom (Bishop & Verleger, 2013). As such, work typically done as homework in the didactic model (e.g., problem solving, essay writing) is better undertaken in class with the guidance of the teacher. Listening to a lecture or watching videos is undertaken at home. Hence, the term flipped or inverted classroom is used (Herreid & Schiller, 2013). The essence of a flipped classroom is that the activities carried out during traditional class time and self-study time are reversed or “flipped” (Veeramani, Madhugiri & Chand, 2015). Approaches to undergraduate teaching have improved over the years as the scholarship of learning and teaching has provided evidence of what works to improve the outcomes. However, educational delivery approaches have shown little change in many disciplines and have remained the same for the majority of the sectors (Van Vliet, Winnips & Brouwer, 2015). The flipped class is flexible itself and can be tailored (Tetreault, 2013). Historically, the concept of flipped classroom started in early 1990s. General Sylvanus Thayer created a system at West Point in USA, where a set of learning materials was given to engineering students so that they obtained core content prior to attending class. The classroom space was then used for critical thinking and group problem solving (Musallam, 2011). Many credited the rejuvenation of this idea with the development of, and increased access to, educational technologies (Moffett, 2015). For instance, the School of Business at the University of Miami proposed an ‘inverted classroom,’ which had events that traditionally took place inside the classroom now taking place outside the classroom and vice versa (Lage, Platt & Treglia, 2000). In 2000, a conference paper entitled ‘The Classroom Flip’ was presented by J Wesley Baker and the phrase ‘flipping the classroom’ was coined. Baker described how flipping the classroom could allow the trainer to become the ‘guide on the side’ rather than the ‘sage on the stage’ (Baker, 2000). In a sense, this reversal also flips the Bloom's revised taxonomy because the lower level of cognitive work/knowledge acquisition is done by the students, while educators work interactively with the students to develop the higher forms of cognition (Figure 1). To date, this approach has attracted a large amount of attention in the HPE and a subsequent surge of literature. A comparison between the traditional learning and the flipped classroom in the Bloom's taxonomy [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com] Fundamentally, a flipped classroom encompasses two established elements of education, the recorded lecture (off campus learning) and active learning (on campus learning). Lectures are given as homework, as an aid to learning. Homework is important because it is a time where students can share their learning progress with their family, reflect on their learning, and review the material as well as the educator's feedback (Fulton, 2012). The key characteristics of a flipped classroom compared to a traditional classroom and other existing teaching methods are summarised in Table 1. It has been highlighted that the flipped classroom fits into the broader context of blended learning (Tetreault, 2013). Blended learning as defined by Staker is ‘a formal education program in which a student learns at least in part through online delivery of content and instruction with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace and at least in part at a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home’(Staker & Horn, 2012, p.3). The flipped classroom consists of a formal education program, and online learning as a mechanism of informal learning through educational video quizzes/games. The flipped classroom approach is connected between what the students learn online (e.g., video lecture) and what they learn face-to-face (e.g., in-class active case study), and vice versa, which is a common feature of blended learning (Tetreault, 2013). In principle, the flipped classroom assigns relatively low-level cognitive learning such as memorising and understanding, outside of the classroom and teaching in class is accomplished mostly through teacher-student interactions and cooperation between peers, thereby stimulating the students’ intellectual potential (Rui et al., 2017). The option to view video lectures (as an example) outside of classroom has beneficial effects for the learners as they can replay the videos as many times as needed to better understand the key concepts at their own pace. Furthermore, this allows each student to be able to comprehend the topics being covered to his/her satisfaction, whereas this might not be possible in the context of conventional teacher-centred teaching. This is an important pedagogical consideration for international students for whom English is their second language (Moraros, Islam, Yu, Banow & Schindelka, 2015). From the teacher's perspective, a flipped classroom setting makes it easier to engage students and empower them as active participants of their own learning. There are several theoretical constructs that are applicable for a flipped classroom. Two of these include: the technology acceptance model (TAM) (Davis, 1989) and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) (Venkatesh, Morris, Davis & Davis, 2003). These theoretical constructs provide a framework for the analysis and identification of relevant outcomes. We will outline how these two theories of flipped classroom learning can improve the learning outcomes such as student satisfaction and improved scores. TAM includes two theoretical constructs: (a) perceived usefulness and (b) perceived ease of use. These constructs are defined as "the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would enhance his or her job performance" and "the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would be free of effort", respectively (Davis, 1989, p320). The first theoretical construct relies on students’ prior knowledge, gained from the pre-class video lecture (for example), in enhancing their understanding (and overall learning performance) in the active in-class activities such as problem solving. The second theoretical construct is based on students' perceptions that if a flipped class room is more user friendly than the traditional teaching mode, then they would be more likely to accept it. The goal of the UTAUT model is to explain the intentions of a user to use a given information system and the subsequent behaviour of the user. The model is based on four primary constructs: 1) performance expectancy, 2) effort expectancy, 3) social influence, and 4) facilitating conditions (Venkatesh et al., 2003, p447). The first three constructs reflect the motivation of the users (i.e., students). The fourth construct reflects the characteristics of a flipped classroom setup when students engage with the pre-class materials that are uploaded on an e-learning portal. These material could be a video, an interactive presentation, a questionnaire or sometimes a recorded audio. With regard to these theoretical constructs, if students perceive that a flipped class room is user friendly and the academic environment facilitates their learning, then it will promote students' engagement, interactions and cooperation in learning, which will further improve their performance. There are potential advantages of a flipped classroom, including increased opportunities to provide individualised education to learners (Johnson, 2013; Kachka, 2012), increased student engagement with course material (Gross, Pietri, Anderson, Moyano-Camihort & Graham, 2015), and increased educator-student interaction, compared to a ‘performing’ lecture. The Kirkpatrick model of educational outcomes (Barry Issenberg, McGaghie, Petrusa, Lee Gordon & Scalese, 2005; Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 1994) comprises ‘learners’ reaction’ (to the educational experience); learning (modification of attitudes/perceptions and the acquisition of knowledge and skills); behaviour (self-reported changes in practice and observed changes in practice, including new leadership positions); and results (which refers to change at the level of the organisation) (Figure 2). For instance, regarding the 'results' outcome, the flipped classroom allows the teacher to gain advanced, real-time insight into how students learn and quickly identify and better address curriculum content that the students find most challenging. This insight can be used to better inform decisions with regard to effective curriculum organisation, structure and the delivery of future classes. Four levels of learning in Kirkpatrick's model [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com] The success of a flipped classroom approach relies on a number of assumptions. Stimulation of students’ interest in learning and guided self-study (Moraros et al., 2015), primarily depends on the opportunities to actively engage students in self-directed learning and encourage progressive improvement (Bergmann, Overmyer & Wilie, 2012; Moraros et al., 2015) in assessment performances. Thus, a flipped class will not support effective learning if students fail to engage with the assigned pre-class or in-class activities (Kachka, 2012), for reasons which might include poorly designed educational materials (e.g., long, poor audio quality) or students feeling ‘lost’ (Moffett, 2015). As such, a number of contextual and structural factors that can influence flipped classroom learning include resources (inputs to the program), activities (aspects of implementation), outputs (observable products of the completed activities) and outcomes (effects or impacts within various time frames) as depicted in the conceptual framework (Figure 3). Logic model of flipped class learning [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com] There are individual studies, which have evaluated flipped classroom in medical education, allied health education and health science education, using a pre-and post-test design or comparative designs to explore how learning outcomes are improved. Some studies showed positive outcomes with flipped classroom (Galway, Corbett, Takaro, Tairyan & Frank, 2014; Van Vliet et al., 2015), while others showed the opposite (Whillier & Lystad, 2015). For instance, a study on integrated flipped lectures with online teaching techniques assessed learning experiences and participation through active learning. The findings suggested that the students in the integrated flipped-online lectures had achieved an increase in active learning components compared to the group that were put in a didactic model (Galway et al., 2014). It is important to understand the factors that could have contributed to this difference. As an example, for balance of the safe learning environment (to be free from discomfort and fear) between the two groups of students, a comparability of the personality traits between the students in each group needs to be considered. On the other hand, another individual study, which assessed the effectiveness of flipped classroom in ophthalmology clerkship reported that the students in flipped classroom had more burden and pressure in preparing for the pre-class compared with the students in lecturer-based classroom group. Thus far, these published individual studies varied in design, sample size and outcome measures. It is unclear, if these findings would be generalised to other HPE. A non-Campbell systematic review of the flipped classroom reported how the flipped classroom has been applied in nursing education and the achieved outcomes associated with such teaching (Betihavas, Bridgman, Kornhaber & Cross, 2016). Due to the focus on a particular educational context (i.e., nursing or ophthalmology), the generalisability of their findings to other courses in undergraduate HPE is uncertain. Another non-Campbell collaborative systematic review, consisting of 82 studies reported on the effectiveness of flipped classroom in medical education where a pooled estimate of a subset of six experimental studies showed generally positive perceptions of the students to the flipped classroom. However, there were no significant changes in knowledge and skills (Cohen's d = −0.27 to 1.21, median: 0.08; Chen, Lui, & Martinelli, 2017). These systematic reviews, focused on a particular area (either nursing education or medical education) had a limited number of included studies, considerable variation in study designs, a lack of methodological quality assessment of the included studies, and the quality of evidence reported by these systematic reviews is poor. A systematic review which combines the results of interventions, using flipped classroom compared with alternative learning or traditional learning, will help us to make recommendations for the development and implementation of successful flipped classroom amongst health professionals. The current review also aims to serve as a reference for decision makers to support evidence-based approaches to flipped classroom in HPE. The primary objective of this systematic review is to assess the effectiveness of flipped classroom intervention for undergraduate health professional students on academic performance and course satisfaction. The influence of context in the design, delivery and outcomes of the flipped classroom interventions in undergraduate health professional education; The barriers and facilitators of flipped classroom learning effectiveness for undergraduate health professional students. Specifically, this review is designed to answer the following research questions: What are the effects of flipped classroom learning on undergraduate health professional students' academic performance? What are the effects of flipped classroom learning on undergraduate health professional students' course satisfaction? Do any moderator variables affect the effectiveness of flipped classroom learning on academic performance outcomes? Moderators will include (if data are available), study design, student related factors such as the amount of out-of-class preparation time, classroom availability and limited high speed internet access for rural and remote students, quality of interactive tools, and faculty related factors such as faculty members' preference to a more didactic approach. Randomised designs, which include individual-level randomised trials, cluster-level randomised trials and natural experiments, where assignment to treatment or control conditions is functionally random. Non-randomised designs, which include at least one treatment group and at least one comparison group, matching designs, two-group pre-post designs, regression discontinuity designs. We do not include qualitative research. We included all undergraduate health professional students, regardless of the type of healthcare streams (e.g., medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy), duration of the learning activity (e.g., one or two semesters) or the country where the study is conducted. Any educational intervention that includes the flipped classroom as a teaching and learning activity in undergraduate programmes, regardless of the type of healthcare streams (e.g., medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy) will be considered. To be included, a study must explicitly indicate that the teaching/learning activities for undergraduate students included in the flipped classroom, reversed classroom or flipping class, aiming to improve student learning and/or student satisfaction. Standard lectures and subsequent tutorial formats will not be considered as flipped classroom. Studies on flipped classroom methods among undergraduate or postgraduate students who are not from the healthcare streams (e.g., engineering, economics, computer science) will be excluded. We explored the impact of flipped classroom learning in undergraduate health professional students on academic related outcomes. The primary outcome is academic performance measured by examination scores, final grades or other formal assessment methods at immediate post-test. The secondary outcome is student satisfaction measured at immediate post-test using a self report scale, which may include the training institution's own format of assessing student satisfaction. 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<p class="2">This paper aims to analyse the trends and contents of flipped classroom research based on 20 articles that report on flipped learning classroom initiatives from 2013–2015. The content analysis was used as a methodology to investigate methodologies, area of studies, technology tools or online platforms, the most frequently keywords used and works cited references, impacts for students’ learning, and flipped classroom challenges. The results of the analysis were interpreted using descriptive analysis, percentages, and frequencies. This analysis found that various fields were practiced in the flipped classroom approach, and some technology tools were used as the online platform for its practice. Analysis of the impacts showed that flipped classroom brought positive impacts toward students’ learning activities such as achievement, motivation, engagement, and interaction. Several issues in this discussion become implications that can be taken into consideration for future research. Some challenges found in applying flipped classroom are needed to be addressed by future researchers, such as suitability of the flipped classroom for poor quality of video lectures and untrained instructor. This study also becomes an implication for government or policymakers to determine the flipped classroom as a contemporary model to be implemented in teaching-learning activities for higher education, even K-12 students.</p>

The article is devoted to the actual problem of introducing STEM education in the training of future biology teachers. The article analyzes the role of STEM technologies in the development of research skills of future teachers. It is emphasized that traditional methods of training often do not provide a sufficient level of development of research competencies necessary for work in the modern educational system. The article discusses the basic concepts of STEM education and STEM technologies, as well as provides an overview of scientific research on this issue. The necessity of integrating STEM components into the curriculum for future biology teachers is substantiated and specific methods and techniques for implementing this approach are proposed. The main conclusion of the article is that STEM education is an effective tool for developing the research skills of future biology teachers. The introduction of STEM technologies contributes to the development of such competencies as critical thinking, creativity, ability to work with data, use modern technologies and organize students' research activities. Specific examples of the use of modern STEM technologies, such as biological simulators, 3D printers, online collaboration platforms, virtual and augmented reality, simulation modeling of biological processes, for the development of research skills in future biology teachers are presented. It is emphasized that the use of STEM technologies in the process of training future biology teachers contributes to the development of critical thinking, the formation of research skills, the development of creativity and the training of teachers who are able to use modern technologies in the educational process. For the effective development of future biology teachers' research skills, it is necessary to provide access to modern technologies and individualize the learning process. The use of specialized equipment and software allows students to acquire the practical skills necessary to conduct research. An individual approach helps to develop the creative abilities of each student and encourages them to work independently. Creating an atmosphere that supports curiosity and the desire to explore is a key factor in developing the research skills of future biology teachers.

Modern education increasingly emphasizes the development of critical thinking, creativity and research skills in students. The transition to a research-based approach to teaching requires new competencies and knowledge from teachers. That is why the article analyzes the process of preparing future teachers to organize students' research activities. The article highlights the main problems and prospects of training future teachers to organize students' research activities. It is revealed that the research approach in the training of future biology teachers is relevant and necessary for the implementation of modern educational concepts. The key theoretical foundations of the research approach are identified: constructivism, cognitive psychology, collaborative pedagogy, problem-based learning theory, research methodology, biology didactics, and educational psychology. The prerequisites for the introduction of research-based learning in the training of future biology teachers are analyzed: integration of research activities into the educational process, providing opportunities for conducting their own research, developing research competencies, creating a favorable research environment. The key aspects of evaluating the effectiveness of future teachers' training are highlighted: theoretical knowledge, practical skills, pedagogical competencies. Modern research in the field of training future biology teachers to organize research activities is analyzed. It has been found that for the effective organization of research activities it is necessary to provide access to the necessary equipment, information resources and create an atmosphere conducive to creativity and innovation. Future teachers should have the skills to motivate students, organize their work, and provide feedback. Teachers should also be ready to continuously learn and improve their knowledge and skills. Teachers also need to be prepared for continuous learning and improvement of their knowledge and skills. In the context of the research approach, training of future teachers involves not only mastering basic pedagogical knowledge, but also developing readiness for continuous learning and improving their knowledge and skills, which is key to the effective implementation of research activities in the educational process.

Higher education faces several challenges including both increased student diversity and the use of technologies. The flipped classroom approach has been proposed as a way to address some of these challenges. This study examined the effects of a flipped classroom trial conducted during a Master’s course at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Half of the course was taught in a traditional lecture style while the remaining half was replaced by flipped classrooms. Interviews and focus-group discussions were conducted with the students to gather information about their experiences of the flipped classroom. Questionnaires completed by the students, as well as an interview with the tutor, were used to gain further insights into the effects of the flipped classroom on learning processes, such as pre-class preparation and in-class activities. Findings highlight the success of this trial based on the positive feedback from both students and the tutor. In particular, the combination of personalised pre-class learning and peer-learning classroom activities facilitated deeper learning. Surprisingly, even though the overall experience was good, not all students agreed that the flipped classroom contributed to positive learning outcomes, which should be investigated further because such outcomes could differ depending on students’ general learning styles and preferences. Moreover, in order to facilitate flipped classrooms on a larger scale, considerable institutional support is required to enable their practical implementation and to provide flexible assessments. Our study thus sheds light on the feasibility of implementing flipped classroom teaching in higher education.

This article is an expansion of an existing research on the Flipped Classroom (FC) approach, adopted in five different primary schools in Cyprus and considering the experiences and perceptions of five teachers and 77 students (Loizou and Lee, 2020). It particularly expands in exploring the digital tools effectively used to teach primary school students through a FC. The FC approach is an innovative initiative which promotes blended learning methodology. It involves the use of digital technologies for developing and sharing flips/tutorials on the content traditionally taught through lecturing in class. Diverse technology tools have been used in FC research together with online learning platforms. The video tutorials, a basic form of a flip, are usually made by the educators with narration, text and enriched with various annotations and images. Many FC studies have added to the list of essential digital tools for FC implementation, especially the ones which showcase how flips can be developed. However, most of them have not indicated how can these be used for younger students, focusing mainly only in secondary or higher education. For example, how can the structure of a virtual learning environment can be simplified or how can administration of online documents in Drives be more suitable for young ages are scarcely explained. Hence, the significance of this study lies on the fact that research on the FC approach in primary education and the digital tools supporting it, has been so far kept to the minimum. Therefore, by collecting the experiences and perceptions of those involved in the process and assessing how the digital tools may or may not promote a positive learning experience could give an indication in how FC can be effectively implemented in primary education. A qualitative research methodology has been adopted by interviewing the five teachers and forming 11 different focus groups of students. Following the transcription, NVivo11 had been used for the thematic analysis. Research results have shown that the most effective digital tools can be categorized into software supporting: 1) Flips; 2) Activities in class; 3) Communication; 4) Entrance tickets; 5) Collaboration; and, 6) Assessment. These tools, recognized as simple and useful by students and teachers, have guided the creation of the ‟FC Technology tool” which incorporates examples for each category. Overall, a clear illustration of the kind of technology that could be used both at home and in-class for effective FC implementation in primary education is given in the study. Future studies should further evaluate how students can use these tools in forming their own flips and/or tutorials and be part of the pre and in-class session of FC learning classes.

Background: Registered nurses in clinical practice have been managing increased patient acuity and caring for patients with increased levels of disability more than ever before. It is imperative for nursing educators to structure curricula to assist nursing students in high-order decision-making skills for graduate nurses to think independently while recognizing and analyzing cues in clinical practice to improve patient outcomes. The evidence from nursing literature has shown active learning strategies, such as having a flipped classroom, aid in developing critical thinking. However, little is known about flipped classroom teaching methodology and its effects on the development of critical thinking skills from the perspective of nurse faculty. Aim: The purpose of this study was to explore how nursing faculty implement flipped classroom methodology and faculty perceptions of the challenges and catalysts to evaluate critical thinking development in the flipped classroom. Method: A qualitative descriptive approach was used to explore the experience of flipped classroom methodology and development of critical thinking skills through the lens of the nursing faculty member. The data were collected through one-to-one semistructured interviews. The primary investigator analyzed the data using thematic analysis. Results: Four main themes were identified: Ensuring content delivery meets content application; Time consideration; Student buy in, which can be a barrier to implementation; and Fostering critical thinking development in the classroom. Conclusion: Nursing faculty describe student buy-in, time to design coursework, and resource sharing among faculty where key elements to the successful implementation of a flipped classroom. Participants reported a positive effect on critical thinking within the flipped classroom learning environment, but lacked formal evaluation data to support this idea. Standardized assessment of critical thinking development is needed to support the use of the flipped classroom pedagogy in nursing curriculum.

The paper deals with the problem of future biology teachers’ vocational preparation process and shaping in them of those capacities that contribute to the conservation and enhancement of our planet’s biodiversity as a reflection of the leading sustainable development goals of society. Such personality traits are viewed through the prism of forming the future biology teachers’ professional and terminological competence. The main aspects and categories that characterize the professional and terminological competence of future biology teachers, including terminology, nomenclature, term, nomen and term element, have been explained. The criteria and stages of shaping the future biology teachers’ professional and terminological competence during the vocational training process have been fixed. Methods, techniques, technologies, guiding principles and forms of staged work on the forming of an active terminological dictionary of students have been described and specified. The content of the distant special course “Latin. Botanical Terminology”, which provides training for future teachers to study the professional subjects and to understand of international scientific terminology, has been presented. It is concluded that the proper level of formation of the future biology teachers’ professional and terminological competence will eventually ensure the qualitative preparation of pupils for life in a sustainable development era.

A flipped classroom is a growing pedagogy in higher education. Many research studies on the flipped classroom have focused on student outcomes, with the results being positive or inconclusive. A few studies have analyzed confounding variables, such as student's previous achievement, or the impact of a flipped classroom on long-term retention and knowledge transfer. In the present study, students in a Doctor of Physical Therapy program in a traditional style lecture of gross anatomy (n = 105) were compared to similar students in a flipped classroom (n = 112). Overall, students in the flipped anatomy classroom had an increase in semester average grades (P = 0.01) and performance on higher-level analytical questions (P < 0.001). Long-term retention and knowledge transfer was analyzed in a subsequent semester's sequenced kinesiology course, with students from the flipped anatomy classroom performing at a higher level in kinesiology (P < 0.05). Student's pre-matriculation grade point average was also considered. Previously lower performing students, when in a flipped anatomy class, outperformed their traditional anatomy class counterparts in anatomy semester grades (P < 0.05), accuracy on higher-level analytical anatomy multiple-choice questions (P < 0.05) and performance in subsequent course of kinesiology (P < 0.05). This study suggests that the flipped classroom may benefit lower performing student's knowledge acquisition and transfer to a greater degree than higher performing students. Future studies should explore the underlying reasons for improvement in lower performing students.

Research studies are an important part of educational sciences curricula in Finland. However, these studies are challenging to conduct, given the teacher-led activities, lack of social presence, engagement, collaborative working with and time management of students, and large-entity writing process management comprising this environment. Here, our aim was to develop a program of master’s thesis seminar higher education pedagogy that employed a flipped classroom (FC) approach. While the FC approach has been investigated in several contexts of higher education, it has only been minimally explored in the master’s thesis seminar. Participating students’ views and mixed-methods were used. Based on the quantitative results, students considered guidance and satisfaction high, and difficulty low. Moreover, the FC approach was seen as well-suited to, and preferred by, the students, while not being significantly straining. Based on the qualitative and mixed-methods results, FC was seen as functional, goal-oriented, and flexible, and team spirit and supervisor’s presence were considered to be positive. However, negative experiences were also identified, such as the amount of peer feedback possibilities and time usage. The results, discussion, limitations, and implications are presented in terms of research-based development work on FC approach-grounded master’s thesis seminars in higher education.

Recent technical and infrastructural developments posit flipped (or inverted) classroom approaches ripe for exploration at all levels of formal education. Flipped classroom approaches have students use technology to access lectures and other instructional-oriented resources outside the classroom, in order to engage them in active learning during in-class time. Scholars and educators have reported a variety of outcomes of a flipped approach to teaching and learning; however, the lack of a summary from these empirical studies prevents stakeholders from having a clear view of the benefits and challenges of this teaching strategy. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a review of the flipped classroom approach in order to summarize the findings and guide future studies. Thirty-seven peer-reviewed articles were collected from a systematic literature search and analyzed based on a categorization of their main elements. The results of this survey show the direction of flipped classroom research during recent years and the most common technologies, subject domains, evaluation methods, and pedagogical designs; in addition, our study summarizes the benefits and challenges of adopting a flipped approach in the classroom. Suggestions for future research include: describing in detail the flipped approach, performing controlled experiments, and triangulating data from diverse sources. These future research efforts will allow us to better indicate which aspects and ingredients of a flipped classroom work better and under which circumstances and student groups. The findings will ultimately allow us to form best practices and a unified framework for guiding/assisting educators who want to adopt this teaching style.

Recent technical and infrastructural developments posit flipped (or inverted) classroom approaches ripe for exploration. Flipped classroom approaches have students use technology to access the lecture and other instructional resources outside the classroom in order to engage them in active learning during in-class time. Scholars and educators have reported a variety of outcomes of a flipped approach to instruction; however, the lack of a summary from these empirical studies prevents stakeholders from having a clear view of the benefits and challenges of this style of instruction. The purpose of this article is to provide a review of the flipped classroom approach in order to summarize the findings, to guide future studies, and to reflect the major achievements in the area of Computer Science (CS) education. 32 peer-reviewed articles were collected from a systematic literature search and analyzed based on a categorization of their main elements. The results of this survey show the direction of flipped classroom research during recent years and summarize the benefits and challenges of adopting a flipped approach in the classroom. Suggestions for future research include: describing in-detail the flipped approach; performing controlled experiments; and triangulating data from diverse sources. These future research efforts will reveal which aspects of a flipped classroom work better and under which circumstances and student groups. The findings will ultimately allow us to form best practices and a unified framework for guiding/assisting educators who want to adopt this teaching style.

Memorization is a crucial factor in effective learning and achieving educational goals. Recent research has suggested that short video sequences viewed by students before class can aid in acquiring and retaining basic concepts, thereby improving memorization and positively impacting the learning process in the flipped classroom approach. However, frequent use of digital tools among adolescents has been found to negatively impact cognitive functions such as memorization. It is worth noting that the traditional use of paper-based materials has been found to have a positive impact on memorization, particularly among learners who are easily distracted by digital devices or experience eye strain from prolonged screen use. Printed materials can offer a more tactile experience, allowing learners to physically highlight and annotate text, which can aid in the encoding and retrieval of information. This study aimed to assess the role of digital tools in the flipped classroom approach and determine if they could be substituted by paper-based materials. To achieve this, a comparative study was conducted between 35 students using digital tools in their flipped classroom (FCDS) and 31 students using paper-based materials (FCPS). The study involved administering pre-tests and post-tests to both groups to evaluate their ability to retrieve basic concepts and assess the effectiveness of their learning in life and earth sciences. The results indicate that learners were able to retrieve knowledge effectively regardless of the medium used and that the positive effect of the FCDS on recall during learning is comparable to that of the FCPS. Keywords: digital tools, flipped classroom, memorization, learning process, life, earth

For ecology faculty members not directly involved in pedagogical research, it can be daunting to decide among the many new tools and approaches available to improve teaching and learning. Problem-based learning (Edens 2000), blended learning (Garrison and Kanuka 2004), case-based teaching (Herreid et al. 2011), active learning (Bean 2011), MOOCs (Daniel 2012), and flipping the classroom (Bergmann and Sams 2008, Bergmann and Sams 2012, Fulton 2012, Tucker 2012, Bishop and Verleger 2013, Herreid and Schiller 2013) are just a few of the new methods being evaluated and implemented in educational theory and practice. Flipping the classroom is the process of moving traditional lecture content teaching to videos watched by students outside the class, while simultaneously moving activities such as homework and group projects into the classroom (Bergmann and Sams 2008, 2012). At our university, replacement of traditional introductory biology lectures with recorded “talking head” videos in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s was an abysmal failure, one that damaged the reputation of our department long after the practice was abandoned. How does “flipping the classroom” differ from this? In what context might it make sense to move content delivery outside the classroom, while moving homework and group exercises into the traditional lecture period?

Modern dynamic changes in all spheres of life, including education, necessitate updating and improving the training of future biology teachers. One of the priority areas of this training is the formation of research competencies that will allow them to work successfully in the conditions of the New Ukrainian School, introducing innovative teaching methods and technologies. The article identifies and substantiates the pedagogical conditions for preparing future biology teachers to use research activities in teaching biology, namely Formation of a positive attitude towards research activities (creation of a favorable psychological climate in the educational process that promotes the development of interest in research activities). Implementation of STEM-oriented teaching technologies in professional disciplines in the educational process (this will ensure the formation of integrated knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for research activities in future teachers). Use of research-oriented learning in the process of teaching students (tasks are aimed at forming practical knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for further professional activity). Creation of conditions for independent research activities of future biology teachers. (provides future biology teachers with the opportunity to independently formulate research problems, develop research plans, conduct experiments, process and interpret research results). Development of a set of methodological recommendations for the formation of research skills in students (providing for the relationship between the educational material of professional disciplines and the requirements of professional activity, aimed at the systematic formation of research skills that meet the requirements of professional activity). The implementation of a set of pedagogical conditions will contribute to the systematic and effective formation of research skills in future biology teachers, which will ensure their readiness for successful professional activity in the conditions of the New Ukrainian School.