The Relationship Between Flipped Learning And Pupils’ Performance: A Reflection On Alternative Philosophical Underpinnings

Abstract

This research paper investigates the significance of the relationship between flipped learning and pupils’ academic performance in secondary schools in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq especially with a focus on alternative philosophical underpinnings. Undoubtedly, the significance of this study in the field of educational research bubbles over with controversies. Professional researchers/teachers’ disagreements about what happens in schools emanate from the difference in philosophical lenses employed in understanding phenomena, divergent visions regarding the purpose of schooling, and what constitutes an ideal society and cultural differences.  This research attempts to understand teachers’ perception of reality in classrooms and fathoms the relationship between flipped learning and pupil’s academic performance, engagement and achievement. The research methodology employed has focused on mixed methods that allow the data analysis to adopt an interpretive approach and attempted to address the research questions by developing a structured observation and a questionnaire to facilitate the data collection procedure. The findings show that alternative philosophical underpinnings bear profound effects on pupils’ learning: teachers and the epistemologies and ontologies employed to understand reality in classrooms significantly impact flipped learning and pupils’ academic performance. The results suggest that these implications share common critical statements found in the related literature reviews that also indicate reflections on alternative philosophical underpinnings.