Measuring Student Engagement in a Flipped Athletic Training Classroom

Abstract

Context Active learning describes any instructional approach that fosters student engagement in the content and is believed to promote critical thinking more fully than do traditional lecture formats. Objective Investigate student engagement, specifically professional relevance and peer interaction, with active learning techniques used in a flipped classroom format. Design An exploratory study utilizing both quantitative and qualitative survey instruments. Setting Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education–accredited undergraduate entry-level athletic training program. Patients or Other Participants Seventeen students (11 females, 6 males) of at least sophomore level, enrolled in the lower extremity orthopaedic assessment course in the athletic training program. Main Outcome Measure(s) A mixed-method analysis was used. Quantitative questionnaires were analyzed with comparisons of medians and the Friedman test for nonparametric analysis. Qualitative questionnaires were coded using deductive and inductive reasoning and analyzed with emerging themes and shared coding procedures. Validity evidence is presented for quantitative data. Independent coding was used to confirm the trustworthiness of the qualitative data analysis. Results Participants reported a high level of course preparation, perceived content relevance, and value of peer interaction, all of which are indicators of student engagement. Four qualitative themes emerged: (1) content relevant to profession, (2) class activities fostering professional development, (3) becoming a reflective practitioner, and (4) pedagogical reflections. Conclusions A primary finding of our study was the high degree of perceived relevance of classroom content to professional practice. Participants indicated they learned as much as they taught in peer interactions and perceived both to be at essentially the same high level. Evidence supports the use of an active learning instructional format to engage students. Participants indicated a high level of support for the flipped classroom despite the greater effort required by the emphasis on student responsibility and the active learning nature of the course.