The Flipped Classroom Model in Infectious Disease Nursing: Implementation and Assessment of Educational Effectiveness
The Flipped Classroom Model in Infectious Disease Nursing: Implementation and Assessment of Educational Effectiveness
The goal of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate whether the flipped classroom (FC) teaching model improved academic performance and student engagement in an integrative Infectious Disease Nursing course, compared with traditional lecture-based instruction. The main questions it aimed to answer were:
Participants in the flipped classroom group (2024-2025 cohort):
This is a single-center, retrospective cohort study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the flipped classroom (FC) teaching model compared with traditional lecture-based instruction in an integrative Infectious Disease Nursing course.
The study was conducted at Shantou University Medical College, China. Undergraduate nursing students enrolled in the Infectious Disease Nursing course during the 2024-2025 academic year (the FC cohort, n = 18) were compared with historical controls who received lecture-based instruction during the 2023 academic year (the control cohort, n = 36). All participants were from the same instructional track and completed the same course requirements.
For the FC cohort, the instructional design consisted of weekly modules that required students to complete pre-class preparation activities, including reviewing recorded educational videos and assigned readings. In-class sessions were structured around student-led presentations and case-based group discussions to reinforce the pre-class content. The historical control cohort received conventional teacher-centered lectures covering the same course content during the 2023 academic year.
Data were extracted retrospectively from existing academic records and course evaluation databases. The primary outcome measure was final examination score, which consisted of multiple-choice questions and open-questions covering integrative Infectious Disease Nursing content. Secondary outcome measures included gain scores (calculated as final examination score minus the average prerequisite course score) and course feedback ratings on student interest and overall learning experience.
Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 30.0 and Python 3. Group differences in continuous variables were compared using independent-samples t-tests. Partial correlation analysis was conducted to examine the independent contributions of prerequisite course performances to Infectious Disease Nursing achievement. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), with gain score as a covariate, was used to evaluate the independent effect of the FC model after adjusting for prior academic achievement. All statistical tests were two-sided, with a significance level set at P < 0.05.
Because this study was retrospective in nature and involved analysis of existing educational records, no study intervention was assigned as part of the protocol. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and received ethical approval from the Ethics Committee of Shantou University Medical College (Approval No.: SUMC-2026-013).
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria: