The Flipped Classroom vs. the Traditional Classroom in Podiatric Medical Training: A Literature Review

Abstract

Context: The traditional classroom emphasizes passive learning by a student lectured to by a professor, while the flipped classroom inverts this methodology, requiring students do most of the learning at home and then applying what they learn in interactive classroom sessions. As medicine evolves and technology changes, education methods must change as well. The purpose of this literature review is to analyze the benefits of the flipped classroom versus the traditional classroom in Podiatric and Medical student education.

Methods: To address the topic of the flipped classroom versus the traditional classroom in Podiatric Medical education, a comprehensive search was conducted through PubMed using the keywords ‘flipped classroom’ and ‘medical education’. The search was limited to articles written between 2020 and 2025 yielding 525 initial hits, which were screened based on title and abstract. The inclusion criteria were articles written in the previously stated timeframe, articles published in English, and articles specifically discussing medical education. An additional search was conducted through Google Scholar utilizing the same keywords, inclusion and exclusion criteria. Exclusion criteria were articles that either did not directly compare the flipped classroom to the traditional classroom, or there was no quantifiable data within the articles to support the metrics. Thus, fifteen articles were utilized in this literature review. The articles were organized thematically, and data was extracted using a standardized form. A narrative synthesis was used to synthesize findings.

Results: 15 reviewed articles directly compared the flipped classroom to the traditional classroom, with nine of these articles demonstrating statistically significant increases in student performance with the flipped classroom. Nine out of these 15 articles also demonstrated increased student satisfaction with the flipped classroom as opposed to the traditional classroom.

Conclusions: Based on this literature review, the flipped classroom approach can yield increased medical student performance as well as increased student satisfaction in the classroom as compared to the traditional classroom approach. As medicine evolves and technology changes, the flipped classroom approach appears to be beneficial in improving critical thinking and problem solving in medical school students.