Research on the Flipped Classroom + Learning Community Approach and Its Effectiveness Evaluation—Taking College German Teaching as a Case Study

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This paper investigates the effectiveness of combining the flipped classroom with a learning community model. The introduction provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of the flipped classroom, setting the stage for the study's focus on a relatively unexplored area. This research is important because it fills a gap in the literature by examining the effectiveness of this combined instructional approach.

The use of a quasi-experimental design with a single-group methodology is suitable for this type of research. However, the absence of a control group limits the study's reliability. Including a control group could have strengthened the validity of the findings.

The results section presents detailed data analysis, offering insights into the performance and perceptions of learners. However, to enhance the study's impact, it is recommended to include a discussion section. This would allow for a thorough exploration of the study's relevance, justification of the findings with relevant sources, and a comparison with existing research.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

I sincerely appreciate the time and effort you have dedicated to thoroughly reviewing my manuscript and offering invaluable suggestions. In response to your insightful feedback, I have made the following revisions to the article:

1. Addressing the issue of the absence of a control group, it is indeed a limitation stemming from the constraints of objective conditions, resulting in a small sample size. Consequently, I have reframed the study as a case study and clearly labeled it in the title. Additionally, I have included a section titled "Limitations and Future Research" at the end of the article to acknowledge this limitation and propose potential directions for future studies.

2. Regarding your second suggestion, I have augmented the paper with a "Discussion" section. In this section, I have summarized the proposed teaching model and the findings related to its effectiveness. I have also established connections with relevant research in the field and expanded the References section accordingly. To facilitate your review, I have highlighted the newly added content.

3.  Furthermore, to better illustrate the impact of this instructional model on learners' perception development, I have enhanced the explanation with qualitative descriptions. Specifically, I have incorporated interview transcripts to provide nuanced insights into the intricate details of how this model fosters learners' perception development. Based on this result, I am able to better connect my discussions in the 'Discussion' section with previous issues related to the initial studies on flipped classrooms. Furthermore, I demonstrate that this model can effectively address these issues, as elaborated in the fifth section of this article, titled 'Discussion'.

Once again, I am deeply grateful for the time and attention you have invested in my work. Your detailed and professional guidance has been immensely beneficial to me. Thank you for your invaluable contributions.

 

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The paper aims to compare the flipped classroom with the proposed model in which the flipped classroom and learning community models are included. The main contribution is the presented model, which conceptualizes the autonomous learning milieu in flipped classrooms and the collaborative learning setting within learning communities. The strength of this article is the detailed introduction presentation of the constructive aspects of individual and collective knowledge within the framework of the presented flipped classroom.

I wanted to share some feedback on your manuscript. The topic is interesting and relevant, and the experimental design used to test the hypothesis is appropriate. However, there are a few areas where I think the manuscript could be improved.

Firstly, numerous repetitions in the text do not contribute new insights. For example, the constructivist approach and its principles are repeated in several places in the same context. It would be better to discuss a topic completely in one place rather than repeating the idea in different forms.

Additionally, the research sample is quite small, so it might be worth presenting the research as a case study and emphasizing the limitations of the research.

I also noticed that the basic parts of the research work are mixed up in the manuscript. For example, methods, instruments, applied statistical methods, and tests are incorporated into the results, which makes it difficult to follow the structure of the work. It is also not advisable to mix parametric and non-parametric tests. If not all cases are normally distributed and the sample is small, it is best to apply only non-parametric tests (Wilcoxon paired-samples test).

Furthermore, while the results contain tables, it is important to use APA style for their preparation.

Lastly, there is a lack of comparison of the obtained results with those of other authors in the discussion section. It would be helpful to connect the results with other studies and use more recent publications in addition to the older literature cited. 

 

Specific comments 

7-20 In the Abstract, it is necessary to briefly describe the introductory part by adding the most important results, not just vaguely mentioning them, but explaining how the results emphasize deep educational implications and significant impact on educational practices.

196 Figure 1 is interesting, but it is not reviewed enough and the links and categories of components are not highlighted, so I ask that the display be refined with components, links and interrelationships more clearly shown. In this form, the essential determinants of the model cannot be well observed.

468 – 486 and 542 – 557 It is necessary to avoid a detailed description of each result (especially if they are presented in a table) because this makes it difficult to follow and see the most important results. The most important similarities, differences or deviations should be highlighted, especially since these results are sufficiently summarized later.

487 and 558 It is necessary to decide on one way of displaying the results. Values with more than 3 decimal places don't show in the table. Tables should be presented following the APA presentation style.

574 – 597 It is necessary to shorten the text and focus on the most important.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

I sincerely appreciate the time and effort you have dedicated to thoroughly reviewing my manuscript and offering invaluable suggestions. In response to your insightful feedback, I have made the following revisions to the article:

1. Addressing your suggestion that "numerous repetitions in the text do not contribute new insights," I have condensed the article by removing scattered descriptions of constructivism from the introduction and consolidating them within the theoretical foundation and characteristic depiction of this teaching model in the third section.
2. Regarding your second point, "the research sample is quite small, so it might be worth presenting the research as a case study and emphasizing the limitations of the research," I have redefined this study as a case study, indicated as such in the title, and included a sixth section titled "Limitation and Future Research," outlining the limitations of this work and directions for future endeavors.
3. In response to your meticulous observation that "the basic parts of the research work are mixed up in the manuscript... making it difficult to follow the structure," I have reorganized the fourth section. Specifically, I have segregated the statistical methods for data analysis into a distinct 4.3 Data Analysis section and pruned the 4.4 Results section to exclude elements unrelated to conclusion reporting, thereby enhancing the clarity of the paper's structure.
4. I am deeply grateful for your guidance and suggestions on statistical methods and table formatting. Your advice to "avoid mixing parametric and non-parametric tests" and to "use APA style for table preparation" has been invaluable. Following your recommendations, I have revised the relevant table formats in Section 4.4 and adjusted the statistical methods accordingly. For the analysis of overall academic performance and learners' perceptiondevelopment, where data follow a normal distribution, I have retained the paired t-test and reported the d-value, which effectively reflects the degree of change. However, in Table 4 and Table 6, due to the small sample size within each group (as low as 2 or 3 participants), the validity of applying statistical difference tests is compromised. Therefore, I have opted for a descriptive approach, using mean comparisons for a more intuitive understanding of the data. Furthermore, to better illustrate the impact of this instructional model on learners'perception development, I have enhanced the explanation with qualitative descriptions. Specifically, I have incorporated interview transcripts to provide nuanced insights into the intricate details of how this model fosters learners' perception development.
5. You mentioned, "Lastly, there is a lack of comparison of the obtained results with those of other authors in the discussion section. It would be helpful to connect the results with other studies and use more recent publications in addition to the older literature cited." Therefore, I have added a fifth section titled "Discussion." In this section, I summarize the proposed instructional model and the findings regarding its effectiveness, drawing connections to other relevant research. Additionally, I have expanded the References section, incorporating both older and more recent publications, and have highlighted the newly added entries for clarity.

Furthermore, I sincerely appreciate your additional, specific suggestions and guidance. Based on your meticulous and professional advice, I have made the following revisions:

1. "7-20 In the Abstract, it is necessary to briefly describe the introductory part by adding the most important results, not just vaguely mentioning them, but explaining how the results emphasize deep educational implications and significant impact on educational practices." I have elaborated in the abstract that the model, upon empirical validation of its effectiveness, has indeed facilitated the academic performance and perception development of most learners. This provides a viable solution to the issues encountered in traditional flipped classrooms and points to a sustainable direction for future research in this field. However, it is noteworthy that students in the lower achievement bracket did not benefit from this model, indicating the need for further refinement and development.
2. Addressing your second suggestion, "196 Figure 1 is interesting, but it is not reviewed enough and the links and categories of components are not highlighted, so I ask that the display be refined with components, links, and interrelationships more clearly shown." I have recreated the figure to ensure a clearer presentation of its components, links, and interrelationships.
3. As per your advice, "468 – 486 and 542 – 557 It is necessary to avoid a detailed description of each result (especially if they are presented in a table) because this makes it difficult to follow and see the most important results." I have rewritten these sections, omitting detailed reports and instead emphasizing the varying performance relationships among different learning communities as depicted in the tables.
4. Regarding your mention of "487 and 558 It is necessary to decide on one way of displaying the results. Values with more than 3 decimal places don't show in the table." I have standardized the data presentation across all tables, retaining two decimal places for numerical values, to enhance readability and clarity.
5. Following your suggestion, "574 – 597 It is necessary to shorten the text and focus on the most important." I have significantly revised this section, replacing it with sections titled "Discussion" and "Limitations and Future Research" to focus on the most crucial aspects.

Once again, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for your meticulous guidance and insightful suggestions, which have been incredibly beneficial to me.

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Thank you for considering my input and incorporating my suggestions.

I believe your article has been significantly improved and that its publication will contribute to flipped classroom learning development. I especially appreciate the summarization results highlighting the important problems and benefits of such learning. Additionally, you provided guidelines for future research and improvement of the application of FP+LC along with well-defined study limits.

I favour publishing the article in its current form after some minor details are improved. Please adjust Table 4 and Table 6 in APA style. Also, please add a short conclusion highlighting the most important considerations based on the results obtained, which are essential for flipped classroom improvement.

Best regards and best wishes for your future work.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer,

I sincerely appreciate your time once again in meticulously reviewing my manuscript and providing invaluable suggestions. In response to your insightful feedback, I have made the following revisions to the article:

1. I have included a Conclusion section, elaborating on the significance of the instructional model presented in this study for the field of flipped classroom research. This section aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the implications and contributions of the findings.

2. I have revised the formats of Table 4 and Table 6 to conform to the APA style . To facilitate your review, I have highlighted these newly modified sections within the text. I hope these changes meet the formatting requirements.

Once again, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for your meticulous and professional guidance throughout this process. Your insights have profound implications for my ongoing research endeavors, and I am truly thankful for your dedication and support.

Thank you very much.