Flipped Classroom & Cooperative Learning – Vygotskian Perspective (Study Notes)

Author: Deniz Gökçe Erbil (Karamanoglu Mehmetbey University, Turkey)
Article type: Review (Educational Psychology section, Frontiers in Psychology)
Citation: Erbil DG (2020) A Review of Flipped Classroom and Cooperative Learning Method Within the Context of Vygotsky Theory, Volume 11, Article 1157
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01157 | Published: 03 June 2020 | Received: 02 Mar 2020 | Accepted: 05 May 2020
Key terms: cooperative learning, flipped classroom, Vygotsky, ZPD, social interdependence, constructivism

Constructivism
- Dominant educational philosophy; major influencers: Piaget & Vygotsky
- Students actively construct knowledge; teacher facilitates
Active Learning
- Moment when teaching pauses & students work on a task (Andrews et al., 2011)
- Requires meaningful engagement & metacognition (Bonwell & Eison, 1991)
- Examples: cooperative, problem-based, project-based learning
Vygotsky’s Socio-Cultural Theory
- Learning is socially mediated; culture & language central
- Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): $ZPD = \text{Potential level with guidance} - \text{Independent level}$
- Roles: More Knowledgeable Other (MKO), use of cultural tools & signs, internalisation process
Social Interdependence Theory (Lewin → Deutsch → Johnson & Johnson)
- People’s outcomes affected by their own & others’ actions

Flipped Classroom (FC)
- Traditional lecture moved outside via online videos
- Class time repurposed for higher-order activities (projects, problem-solving, discussion)
- Rooted in student-centred, constructivist principles (Piaget 1968; Vygotsky 1978)
Cooperative Learning (CL)
- Students work in small, heterogeneous groups toward common goals (Johnson et al., 2007)
- Five essential elements:
1. Positive interdependence
2. Individual accountability
3. Face-to-face promotive interaction
4. Interpersonal & small-group skills
5. Group processing/evaluation
- Proven benefits: achievement, attitude, motivation (meta-analyses by Johnson et al., 2000; Hattie 2009; Kyndt et al., 2013)

Cultural Transmission
- Videos act as language-rich cultural tools delivering curricula, values, societal rules outside class (Proposition 1)
Language as Mediator
- Teacher-created videos = MKO guidance; extend teacher influence into extracurricular time
Enhanced ZPD Opportunities
- In-class active methods create peer/MKO interactions → maximise ZPD benefits (Proposition 2)
- Effectiveness contingent on quality of class activities, not merely video delivery

Moll’s (1990) 3 Keys aligned with CL elements:
1. Holistic Authentic Activities ↔ Positive interdependence & group processing
2. Social Interaction Need ↔ Face-to-face interaction & interpersonal skills
3. Individual Change Process ↔ Individual accountability within ZPD
Doolittle (1997) links:
- Positive interdependence ⇄ societal resource sharing & enculturation
- Group assessment keeps tasks within each learner’s ZPD – neither too easy nor too hard
Proposition 3: CL operationalises Vygotsky’s ZPD in classroom practice

Both FC & CL are active learning approaches under constructivism (Proposition 4)
Rationale for Integration
- Videos deliver baseline content; CL exploits classroom time for deep, social learning
- Empirical evidence (Foldnes 2016; Chen et al. 2015; Guo et al. 2018) → higher achievement, motivation, critical thinking, creativity
Suggested CL Techniques for FC (Proposition 5)
- Learning Together (Johnson & Johnson)
- Assign roles; prep role-specific videos; students combine expertise in class
- STAD (Student Teams–Achievement Divisions)
- Common video homework; in-class quizzes & group rewards; peers ensure everyone prepared
- Jigsaw (Aronson et al.)
- Topic split into parts; each student views “expert” video; in class, expert groups share then teach home groups, mirroring jigsaw metaphor
- Group Investigation / Group Research
- Teams select sub-topics, research, and present collaboratively
Implementation Tips
- Produce concise, captioned videos (≤10 min) per role/topic
- Provide pre-class guiding questions & quick checks (e.g., Google Forms)
- In class: allocate $\approx 60\%$ time to CL activity, $20\%$ to reflection/whole-class synthesis, $20\%$ to assessment & feedback
- Use digital collaboration tools (Pads, shared docs) as “cultural signs” supporting interaction

Flipped classroom alone: ↑ achievement (Bhagat et al. 2016); ↑ motivation (Huang & Hong 2016); ↑ critical thinking (van Vliet et al. 2015)
Cooperative learning alone: large effect sizes on success & social outcomes (Johnson et al., 2000; Hattie 2009)
Combined FC+CL studies (Chen 2015; Foldnes 2016; Munir 2018; Zhang 2018):
- Significant gains in scores, engagement, peer support, self-regulation
- Randomised-control evidence (Foldnes 2016) confirms causal impact

Empowers learner autonomy & democratizes classroom (students teach peers)
Addresses educational equity: lower-achieving students access MKO support via peers
Encourages 21st-century skills: communication, collaboration, digital literacy

Bridges Piaget’s cognitive constructivism (individual exploration) with Vygotsky’s social constructivism (collaborative knowledge building)
Aligns with Prince’s (2004) advocacy for active learning efficacy in STEM

Carefully design both pre-class (videos) & in-class (CL) components; neither alone ensures learning
Match CL technique to subject, objectives, group size
Collect data on mediator variables (motivation, cohesion, peer relations) alongside achievement
Explore diverse contexts (age groups, disciplines, cultures) using mixed-methods designs
Monitor cognitive load in videos; scaffold with interactive elements (embedded quizzes)

Johnson DW, Johnson RT & Holubec EJ (2007) The Nuts and Bolts of Cooperative Learning
Bergmann J & Sams A (2012) Flip Your Classroom
Vygotsky LS (1978) Mind in Society
Foldnes N (2016) “The flipped classroom and cooperative learning: evidence from a randomised experiment”

Zone of Proximal Development: $ZPD = L{guided} - L{independent}$
Class-time Allocation Example: $T{activity} = 0.60T{class},\; T{reflection} = 0.20T{class},\; T{assessment} = 0.20T{class}$

Combining Flipped Classroom with Cooperative Learning operationalises Vygotsky’s socio-cultural insights, delivering continuous cultural transmission, enriched social interaction, and optimal scaffolding within students’ ZPD—thereby maximising learning outcomes across cognitive, affective, and social domains.