Influence of a Flipped Classroom Approach on Achievement and Motivation in Grade 9 Chemistry: Evidence from a Resource-Limited Context

Abstract

This study examined the use of a flipped classroom instructional approach in teaching periodic trends in Grade 9 chemistry, with emphasis on students’ academic achievement and learning motivation. A quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design was employed involving learners from a resource-limited secondary school. Data were collected using a researcher-developed achievement test and a validated learning motivation questionnaire administered before and after the instructional intervention. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test, and Spearman’s rank-order correlation.
The results showed statistically significant improvements in students’ achievement following the implementation of the flipped classroom approach, as evidenced by higher posttest scores compared to pretest scores. Students’ learning motivation also demonstrated a statistically significant increase after the intervention. However, correlational analysis revealed no statistically significant relationship between achievement and motivation in both pre-intervention and post-intervention measures, indicating that changes in these variables were not linearly associated within the duration of the study. These findings suggest that instructional designs emphasizing pre-class engagement with content and structured in-class activities may be associated with improvements in learning outcomes and motivation.
Overall, the results highlight the potential of the flipped classroom approach as a learner-centered instructional option for teaching abstract chemistry concepts in resource-limited contexts, while underscoring the need for cautious interpretation due to the study’s design limitations. Future research is recommended to employ longer intervention periods, comparison groups, and additional learner-related variables to further examine the relationships among instructional design, motivation, and academic achievement.