Flipped Classroom: A Pedagogical Method

Introduction: One of the challenges facing medical sciences faculty members is the huge amount of materials in the field of medical education and limited class time. To overcome this challenge, different strategies such as flipped classroom could be used. The aim of this study was to review the concept of flipped classroom in medical education. Methods: In this review study, the SID, Magiran, PubMed and Eric databases were searched using the keywords flipped classroom, backwards classroom, reverse instruction and reverse teaching. Results: The results of the search yielded 222 articles, books, and theses related to flipped classroom. Based on the purpose of the study, 28 articles, 4 theses and 2 books were reviewed and selected. First the flipped classroom method was explained and then its advantages and disadvantages were described. Conclusion: Flipped classroom is a pedagogical method divided into two parts of direct individual instruction outside the classroom and group instruction inside the classroom. One of its advantages is its interactive nature while requiring more time and effort on the side of the teacher is among the disadvantages. The majority of research studies report satisfaction with this method; however, its impact on learning needs to be further examined with stronger research designs.