Impact of flipped classroom in developing students' communication, critical thinking and teamwork skills

Abstract

Soft skills represent a broad set of non-technical, interpersonal, and cognitive competencies that play a crucial role in professional performance, particularly in the fields of education and healthcare. This study examines the impact of the flipped classroom model on the development of communication, critical thinking, and teamwork skills among students. A quasi-experimental study with a single-group pretest–posttest design was conducted to evaluate the effects of the flipped classroom model on the development of students’ soft skills. The study involved 39 radiology students from the Higher Institute of Nursing Professions and Health Techniques in Agadir, Morocco, and was conducted between January and March 2022. This study revealed that the flipped classroom significantly improved students’ communication skills (p < 0.001), critical thinking (p < 0.001), and teamwork (p < 0.001). No significant gender-based differences were observed in these skills before or after implementing the flipped classroom approach. In conclusion, the flipped classroom positively enhances students’ communication, critical thinking, and teamwork abilities. Further research, particularly experimental studies with larger samples across multiple institutions and involving students from other health disciplines such as medicine and pharmacy, would strengthen the reliability, validity, and generalizability of these findings.