FLIPPED CLASSROOM, TEACHING-LEARNING OF LINEAR ALGEBRA IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ACTIVE AND TRADITIONAL METHODOLOGIES

Abstract

E The current study compares the impact of the Flipped Classroom (FC) model versus the traditional methodology in the learning of Linear Algebra in higher education. Based on the need to innovate teaching practices to address complex and abstract contents, two groups of 17 students each were formed: the first, immersed in an FC experience that requires autonomous review of theoretical contents outside the classroom; the second one was part of the conventional master class. To characterize the perception of the methodologies applied and their influence on academic performance, a 20-item Likert-type instrument was designed, validated by experts and with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.93, which made it possible to quantify the affinity of each methodology with active teaching practices. The dependent variable was the final semester grade in Linear Algebra, and the independent variable was the type of methodology applied. After verifying the non-normality of the data (Shapiro-Wilk p = 0.072), the Mann-Whitney U test was used (U = 36.5; Z = -3.721; p < .001), revealing significant differences: the IA group achieved a mean of 8.25 (SD = 0.47) versus 7.25 (SD = 0.68) for the traditional group. The effect size turned to be large (r = 0.64) and the probability of an FC student outperforming a traditional student reached 87%. In conclusion, the Flipped Classroom proved to be an effective strategy for significantly improving performance in Linear Algebra, highlighting the importance of teacher training and technological scaffolding for its successful implementation.