Flipped learning in psychology education: a systematic review of instructional practices, benefits, implementation challenges, and future research directions

Abstract

This review synthesizes empirical findings on flipped classroom instruction in higher education psychology courses and identifies future research directions. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, 21 studies published between 2017 and 2024 were identified through Web of Science, Scopus, and citation searching. A narrative synthesis was conducted to examine study characteristics, instructional activities, benefits, and implementation challenges. The reviewed studies were mainly based on quantitative quasi-experimental designs. Pre-class video-based materials and in-class collaborative activities were the most frequently reported instructional practices. Seven categories of benefits were identified: academic achievement, engagement and interaction, affective responses, self-efficacy, self-regulated learning, higher-order thinking, and learning flexibility. Achievement gains varied across assessments, and positive learning experiences did not always imply a preference for flipped teaching. Insufficient student preparation and increased instructor workload were the two most frequently reported implementation challenges. The identified gaps suggest that future research should (a) incorporate instructor perspectives to better understand how flipped classroom approaches are designed and sustained in psychology education; (b) examine the role of pre-class accountability mechanisms and post-class consolidation activities in supporting effective flipped learning implementation; and (c) develop outcome measures that are aligned with the disciplinary goals of psychology education, including psychological literacy and evidence evaluation competency.