Implementation of Flipped Classroom in Microeconomics Classes during the COVID-19 Lockdown at Chongqing University, China: A Case of Continuous Quality Education

Abstract

The lockdown during the Covid-19 lockdown prevented students from receiving quality face-to-face instruction in the traditional classroom. Given that the sustainability of quality education always is students’ right, innovation in the teaching context during the special time needs to be considered seriously. One feasible choice is the flipped classroom (FC). This was implemented during the Covid-19 lockdown in a Microeconomics course at Chongqing University, China. The teacher in the FC prepared online courses in advance, and uploaded them to Zhidao Apps, while students were instructed to access this online course through Zhidao Apps I n their own learning space and time before class. During the class, the teacher guided the students to apply knowledge. To examine the implementation of FC, a mixed method was carried out. The research questions focused on determining students’engagement, deep learning, and learning outcome and exploring students’ perceived experience of the FC. The findings were that the FC has the advantages of improving students’ engagement, deepening their understanding, and developing their self-learning ability. Students appreciated the active classroom atmosphere, the opportunity to watch videos, and their increased engagement. However, they also mentioned experiencing too many tasks, heavy learning pressure, and significant challenges in keeping up with the lesson.