Flipped For Critical Thinking: Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Novel Teaching Approach In Postgraduate Law Modules

Flipped classroom is a novel model that can help students develop their learning skills of critical thinking in postgraduate law program. The assumption is made that the flipped classroom benefits students by fully engaging in learning experience through team working and pre-designed class activities with tailor-made questions. The literature about flipped teaching reveals that the flipped model is still underutilized and underexplored in the higher education law teaching. This study thus aims to fill in this gap by developing a model that can provide a foundation for further research and practice for flipped learning in higher legal education. This study presents information about how this model promotes greater critical thinking. The proposed research and design model is a threefold dimension. Every dimension is at the right angles to other dimensions comparing flipped classroom effective rating with: i) different communicative learning stages, ii) engaging experiences, and iii) final grade). This model was implemented in a flipped classroom environment and evaluated based on Module Evaluation Questionnaires and final module grades.
Research was conducted using eleven-week-long postgraduate law modules of “international trade law”, “international human rights law” and “international criminal law”. The participants in the study were 65 postgraduate students who were attending the above three law modules at Coventry University in the academic year 2017/18 and 2018/19. Data was collected from students who completed module survey in each term and submitted summative assessment for their final module grade.
Result shows that over 90% post graduate law students found the flipped classroom model to be either effective or very effective to promote critical thinking. Students who perceived effectiveness of the flipped classroom had a significant association to their academic performance in the course as measured by their final grade. However, students who found the flipped classroom to be effective were more likely to be satisfied with their learning experience with their counterparts and interaction with lecturers