The Effectiveness of the Flipped Classroom from the Perspective of Medical Students: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Background: The rapid growth and pervasiveness of the Internet have led to the advance of online technologies and dramatic changes in teaching and learning methods. One of these methods is the Flipped Classroom. The present study reviews the studies on the effectiveness of the Flipped Classroom from the perspective of medical students. Materials and Methods: In this systematic review, a systemic search of online databases (Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CIVILICA, Magiran, SID, and Google Scholar search engine) was conducted for related studies in reliable Persian and English databases with no time limit up to January ۲۰۲۲. Two reviewers carried out the study selection. Results: Finally, seven studies with a sample size of ۴۴۰ medical students were included in the study. The results showed that ۹۰% of students believed that this educational method improves learning, ۸۰% believed that it increases their interest in learning and participation, and ۴۱.۸% believed that this method reduces stress in the classroom. The majority of students (۷۹.۱%) preferred flipped classroom teaching to the traditional method. This educational method also created satisfaction, self-regulated learning, more attractiveness, and better motivation in students' learning. In the flipped classroom, students were more willing to participate and engaged in much interaction, discussion, and critical thinking. Conclusion: Flipped classroom teaching improves learning, reduces classroom stress, and increases student satisfaction. Due to the high volume of educational content in medical science education and the limited opportunity in the classrooms, this educational method and other student-centered methods are recommended.