Transforming Traditional Classrooms: An Experimental Study of the Effectiveness of Flipped Classroom Learning on Student Motivation in Secondary Schools of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Abstract

Aims: This study examined the impact of the flipped classroom approaches on students’ motivation in secondary schools. It emerged as a result of the growing concerns about how to address low student motivation levels in developing countries, including Tanzania, and how flipped classroom approaches could address this issue. Study Design: The study employed a quasi-experimental design where both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered from students in selected secondary schools; and computed accordingly. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in two secondary schools in two different Municipalities, Ilala and Ubungo, in Dar es Salaam; and it was conducted in two months-time. Methodology: The study involved eight classes, equally divided into experimental and control groups; where, three subjects, namely, English, Geography and Mathematics were involved. The experimental group engaged activities such as pre-class notes, interactive discussions, and active learning exercises, while the control group followed traditional teacher-centered instruction. Results: At pre-test time, the mean scores and standard deviations for both experimental and control groups showed similar trends. However, after intervention, the post-test results showed significant differences in motivation levels between experimental and control groups. For example, while the post-test mean scores for control group ranged from 2.53 to 2.79; the mean scores for the experimental group ranged from 3.90 to 4.44.  Moreover, MANOVA results revealed a significant main effect of TimePoint (F(1, 746) = 13.012, p = .000). Additionally, the study found that the approach had the most significant positive impact on Mathematics students, with notable improvements in items such as study planning (p = .021) and daily motivation (p = .021). However, the findings showed no relationship between TimePoint and gender, indicating that there are no significant motivational effects between males and females. Conclusion: The study recommends that educationists in Tanzania should consider adopting the flipped classroom model in addressing learning challenges, demotivation among secondary school students in particular.