The Effect of Blended Learning and Flipped Classroom Approaches for a Research Method Course on Undergraduate Students in Preschool Education in China

At present, the overall scientific research ability of kindergarten teachers in China is relatively weak. The research method course is usually the most feared course by normal school students. The aim of this study based on objective, preparation, instructional video, review, test, activity, transfer, discussion/summary (O-PIRTATD/S) flipped classroom teaching is to explore the effectiveness of blended learning and improve the teaching of preschool education research method courses and the learning retention of preschool education students to cultivate their scientific research ability in the postpandemic era. This study used a quasi-experimental design, and 240 junior students from a private undergraduate preschool education major in Guangxi, China, were selected. For the research method course of preschool education, the experimental class adopts blended learning in consideration of O-PIRTATD/S flipped classroom teaching, whereas the control class adopts blended learning based on a traditional teaching method. Through the unequal group using pretest and post-test design, the 8-week quasi-experiment was carried out. The test questions were used to collect data. The learning performance was tested on the last week of the teaching experiment (Week 8), and the learning retention of the two groups was tested 8 weeks after the end of the teaching experiment (Week 16). In this way, the difference between the retention rate of the experimental group and control group was explored. The study found the experimental class had blended learning in consideration of O-PIRTATD/S flipped classroom teaching, and the knowledge retention was significantly higher than the control class with blended learning based on traditional teaching. 8 weeks after the course learning, the knowledge retention of the experimental class was still better than the control class. Blended learning contributes to improved learning retention based on the O-PIRTATD/S flipped classroom.