Students’ Perspectives on the Application of Flipped Learning in Learning the Development of Education in Malaysia: Philosophy and Policies

Abstract

This study investigates undergraduate teacher-education students’ perspectives on a seven week flipped learning implementation in the university course Development of Education in Malaysia: Philosophy and Policies at a Malaysian public university. Fifteen Semester 1 students engaged with pre class digital materials (YouTube micro lectures, readings), collaborative online spaces (Padlet, Google Classroom, MyGuru), and in class activities (debates, policy analyses, simulation tasks, and case-based problem solving). Post intervention semi structured interviews were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) reflexive thematic analysis. Six themes surfaced: (1) Preparatory autonomy as cognitive priming; (2) Dialogic engagement translating policy and philosophy into lived practice; (3) Temporal and digital strains in self regulation; (4) Instructor as curator coach; (5) Peer knowledge co construction and epistemic humility; and (6) Policy literacy for teacher identity formation. Students reported enhanced understanding of historical trajectories and rationales of national education reforms, improved critical discussion skills, and a clearer sense of professional purpose, while also highlighting issues of workload, access, and assessment alignment. The study contributes contextual evidence for flipped pedagogy in non STEM, policy philosophy subjects within Malaysian higher education and offers design principles for sustainable adoption.