EFFECTS OF FLIPPED CLASSROOM INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACH ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, RETENTION AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS HOME ECONOMICS, FEDERAL COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, ZARIA-NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of the Flipped Classroom (FC) instructional approach on the academic achievement, retention, and attitudes of Home Economics students at the Federal College of Education, Zaria, Nigeria. While Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is integral to modern education, its application in Nigerian tertiary institutions often lags, with many instructors still relying on traditional lecture methods that may not be optimal for practical subjects. This research aimed to determine if the FC model—where instructional content is delivered online for pre-class study, freeing in-class time for active, application-based learning—could offer a more effective alternative. A quasi-experimental, non-equivalent pre-test and post-test comparison group design was employed. A sample of 30 undergraduate students was purposively selected and assigned to either an experimental group (Flipped Classroom) or a control group (Conventional Lecture). Data were collected using the Home Economics Achievement Test (HEAT), Home Economics Retention Test (HERT), and Home Economics Attitude Scale (HEAS). The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent samples t-tests at a p<0.05 significance level. The findings revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups. The experimental group demonstrated significantly higher mean scores in academic achievement (t(28)=4.67,p<.001), knowledge retention (t(28)=3.98,p=.001), and positive attitude towards Home Economics (t(28)=5.21,p<.001) compared to the control group. The study concludes that the flipped classroom instructional approach is a significantly more effective pedagogical strategy than the conventional lecture method for improving student achievement, retention, and attitude in Home Economics. It is recommended that tertiary institutions encourage the adoption of this model and provide the necessary technological support and professional development for educators to implement it effectively.