Effect of Flipped Education on Students' Academic Achievement in Biology

ERCT Criteria Breakdown

• Level 1 Criteria

  • C

    Class-level RCT

    • The study is explicitly a quasi-experiment using intact classes with non-equivalent groups, not a randomised controlled trial assigning classes or schools to conditions.
    • "The study adopted a quasi-experimental design specifically, pre-test post-test non-equivalent control group design."
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "The study adopted a quasi experiment of the pre-test posttest non-equivalent control group design." (Abstract, p. 1) 2) "The study adopted a quasi-experimental design specifically, pre-test post-test non-equivalent control group design." (p. 6) 3) "The study involved the use of intact classes to ensure that the regular class period was not altered. A pre-test was employed to determine initial group equivalence and control for selection bias." (p. 7) 4) "The sample of the study comprised of one hundred and fifty five (155) SS11 students from four schools out of 69 public schools in the zone. Simple random sampling technique was used for this study." (p. 7) 5) "Two schools were used for experimental group ... and the other two schools were used for control group." (p. 8) Detailed Analysis: Criterion C requires that the study be a randomised controlled trial conducted at the class level (or stronger), with randomisation clearly described and properly implemented at the level of entire classes or schools. The paper repeatedly and explicitly describes its design as a quasi-experiment using a non-equivalent control group with intact classes. The phrase "simple random sampling" refers to the selection of the four schools from the population, not to random assignment of those schools or classes to the experimental and control conditions. The use of intact classes and a "non-equivalent control group" design confirms there was no random allocation to conditions; the authors instead relied on a pre-test to attempt to control for selection bias, which is the hallmark of a quasi-experiment rather than an RCT. The intervention is a whole-class flipped classroom method, not personal tutoring, so the tutoring exception does not apply. Criterion C is not met because the study is a quasi-experiment with non-equivalent intact classes and does not implement random assignment to conditions at the class or school level.
  • E

    Exam-based Assessment

    • Outcomes were measured with a researcher-developed Biology Achievement Test, not a widely recognised standardised exam.
    • "The Biology Achievement Test (BAT) comprised of a 30 multiple choice objective test items developed by the researcher from the content that was covered in the study."
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "A Biology Achievement Test (BAT) was the instrument used for data collection." (Abstract, p. 1) 2) "The instrument used for data collection was Biology Achievement Test (BAT). The Biology Achievement Test (BAT) comprised of a 30 multiple choice objective test items developed by the researcher from the content that was covered in the study." (p. 7) 3) "The instrument covered three main topics drawn from SS 2 first term scheme of work which are: botanical classification of plants, agricultural classification of plants, and classification of plants based on their life cycle." (p. 7) Detailed Analysis: Criterion E requires the use of a standardised, widely recognised exam-based assessment that was not created specifically for the study. The outcome instrument here is the Biology Achievement Test, a 30-item multiple-choice test that was explicitly "developed by the researcher from the content that was covered in the study." This is a custom-made instrument aligned directly to the intervention content, which is precisely the type of measure the criterion warns against, as it risks bias toward the intervention. There is no mention of a national, state or otherwise recognised standardised examination (such as a WAEC examination being used as the actual outcome measure). Criterion E is not met because the outcome was measured with a researcher-developed test rather than a recognised standardised exam.
  • T

    Term Duration

    • The intervention covered only three topics from one term's scheme with outcomes measured immediately after instruction, and no interval of at least a full academic term from start to measurement is documented.
    • "The instrument covered three main topics drawn from SS 2 first term scheme of work."
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "Three lesson packages were used which were the same in terms of content to be taught, objectives and method of evaluation." (p. 8) 2) "The instrument covered three main topics drawn from SS 2 first term scheme of work which are: botanical classification of plants, agricultural classification of plants, and classification of plants based on their life cycle." (p. 7) 3) "Teachers administered pre-test and post-test before and after instructions respectively. Test items for the post-test were reshuffled to give it a different look." (p. 8) 4) "O1 = Pre-test Achievement; O2 = Post-test Achievement; O3 = Retention test." (p. 7) Detailed Analysis: Criterion T requires that outcomes be measured at least one full academic term (approximately 3-4 months) after the intervention begins, with quotes marking the intervention start date and the primary outcome measurement date. The paper provides no specific start or end dates for the intervention and no calendar interval. The intervention consisted of three lesson packages covering three topics drawn from the SS 2 first-term scheme of work, and the post-test was administered immediately after instruction ("post-test before and after instructions respectively"). Although a "retention test" (O3) is shown in the design symbol, no timing, date, or interval for it is reported, and no results for a retention measure are presented. There is therefore no documented evidence that outcomes were measured at least one full term after the intervention began. Criterion T is not met because the paper does not document an interval of at least one full academic term from intervention start to outcome measurement.
  • D

    Documented Control Group

    • The control group is identified by size and treatment (conventional method) but lacks documented demographic and baseline characteristics establishing comparability.
    • "Control Group (Taught with Conventional Method) 64 13.5313 3.06526"
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "Two schools were used for experimental group and were taught biology using Flipped Education (FE), and the other two schools were used for control group and were taught biology using conventional Method (CM)." (p. 8) 2) "While the conventional chalk and talk method proceeded normally with the teacher doing most of the teaching activities in the class and students were passive listeners." (p. 8) 3) "Control Group (Taught with Conventional Method) N = 64, Mean = 13.5313, SD = 3.06526" (Table 1, p. 9) 4) "A pre-test was employed to determine initial group equivalence and control for selection bias." (p. 7) Detailed Analysis: Criterion D requires the control group to be well-documented, including demographic information, baseline performance, and any treatments received. The paper documents that the control group consisted of students in two schools taught by the conventional chalk-and-talk method, and provides the control group size (N = 64) and its post-test mean and standard deviation. However, it provides no demographic breakdown of the control group (age, gender composition, socioeconomic background, etc.) and does not report the control group's actual baseline (pre-test) scores. While a pre-test was stated to have been administered to check initial equivalence, the separate baseline figures for the control group are not presented, so readers cannot assess whether the control group was genuinely comparable at baseline. Given the non-equivalent (non-randomised) design, this lack of documented baseline and demographic characteristics is a material gap. Criterion D is not met because the control group's demographic characteristics and baseline performance are not adequately documented.

• Level 2 Criteria

  • S

    School-level RCT

    • The study is a quasi-experiment that assigned intact schools to conditions without randomisation, so it does not constitute a school-level RCT.
    • "Two schools were used for experimental group ... and the other two schools were used for control group."
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "Two schools were assigned to experimental group and two schools were assigned to control group." (Abstract, p. 1) 2) "The study adopted a quasi-experimental design specifically, pre-test post-test non-equivalent control group design." (p. 6) 3) "The study involved the use of intact classes ... A pre-test was employed to determine initial group equivalence and control for selection bias." (p. 7) 4) "Simple random sampling technique was used for this study. The four schools were co-educational schools." (p. 7) Detailed Analysis: Criterion S requires a randomised controlled trial in which entire schools are randomly assigned to intervention or control conditions. Although the study operates at the school level (two schools experimental, two schools control), the design is explicitly a non-equivalent control group quasi-experiment. The "simple random sampling" mentioned applies to selecting the four schools from the population, not to randomly assigning the selected schools to conditions. The reliance on intact classes and a pre-test to address selection bias confirms there was no random allocation to treatment versus control. With only four schools and no described randomisation procedure for assignment, the school-level RCT requirement is not satisfied. Criterion S is not met because schools were not randomly assigned to conditions; the design is a quasi-experiment.
  • I

    Independent Conduct

    • The same researcher designed the intervention, developed the outcome instrument, and conducted the study, with no independent or third-party evaluation.
    • "The Biology Achievement Test (BAT) comprised of a 30 multiple choice objective test items developed by the researcher from the content that was covered in the study."
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "The Biology Achievement Test (BAT) comprised of a 30 multiple choice objective test items developed by the researcher from the content that was covered in the study." (p. 7) 2) "The regular biology teachers were used throughout the study. Normal class period was used with the permission of the principals of all the schools." (p. 8) 3) "It's efficacy in enhancing students' achievement in biology in Ebonyi state has not been determined empirically." (p. 5) Detailed Analysis: Criterion I requires the study to be conducted independently from the person(s) who designed the intervention, for example by an external evaluation team. This is a single-author institutional research project in which the researcher designed the study, developed the outcome instrument, organised the flipped education materials, and analysed the data. While the regular biology teachers delivered the lessons, there is no statement of any independent or third-party evaluator with no involvement in the intervention's design. The researcher both created and evaluated the intervention. Criterion I is not met because there is no evidence of independent conduct; the same researcher designed and evaluated the study.
  • Y

    Year Duration

    • Because criterion T (Term Duration) is not met, the stronger Year Duration criterion is automatically not met, and no year-long tracking is documented.
    • "The instrument covered three main topics drawn from SS 2 first term scheme of work."
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "The instrument covered three main topics drawn from SS 2 first term scheme of work which are: botanical classification of plants, agricultural classification of plants, and classification of plants based on their life cycle." (p. 7) 2) "Three lesson packages were used which were the same in terms of content to be taught, objectives and method of evaluation." (p. 8) 3) "Teachers administered pre-test and post-test before and after instructions respectively." (p. 8) Detailed Analysis: Criterion Y requires outcomes to be measured at least 75% of one full academic year after the intervention begins. Per the prompt's instruction, if criterion T is not met then criterion Y is not met. Criterion T was not met because no interval of at least one academic term was documented. Furthermore, the intervention covered only three first-term topics with outcomes measured immediately after instruction, and no start/end dates or year-long tracking are reported. There is no evidence the study spanned anything approaching a full academic year. Criterion Y is not met because criterion T is not met and no year-long tracking interval is documented.
  • B

    Balanced Control Group

    • Both groups received normal class periods on the same content; the only difference was the instructional method itself, and the technology-enabled flipped delivery is integral to the intervention being tested.
    • "Three lesson packages were used which were the same in terms of content to be taught, objectives and method of evaluation. Method of instruction and instructional activities were the only differences between them."
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "The regular biology teachers were used throughout the study. Normal class period was used with the permission of the principals of all the schools." (p. 8) 2) "Three lesson packages were used which were the same in terms of content to be taught, objectives and method of evaluation. Method of instruction and instructional activities were the only differences between them." (p. 8) 3) "For the flipped classroom group, the students were given CD-ROM/flash drive/voice note containing pictures/lectures/video lessons (or note) on the biology topics a day before the class, to listen to/watch and read at home. And during class time, the students were engaged in in-class activities ... While the conventional chalk and talk method proceeded normally with the teacher doing most of the teaching activities." (p. 8) Detailed Analysis: Criterion B asks whether the intervention and control groups received comparable time, budget, and resources, unless any additional resources are integral to the treatment being tested. Here the study explicitly states that the same normal class period was used for both groups and that the three lesson packages were identical in content, objectives, and method of evaluation, with "method of instruction and instructional activities" as the only differences. The flipped group received digital materials (CD-ROM/flash drive/voice notes containing video lessons) to study at home before class. This additional technology and the pre-class home study are integral, defining components of the flipped education intervention being tested rather than separable confounding add-ons; the study's explicit purpose is to test the flipped method itself against business-as-usual conventional teaching. In-class time was held constant (normal class period) for both groups. Applying the decision tree: the in-class time and content are balanced, and the extra at-home digital resource is the treatment variable itself, so balance is satisfied. Criterion B is met because in-class time and content were held equal across groups and the additional digital home-study materials are an integral part of the flipped education intervention being tested.

• Level 3 Criteria

  • R

    Reproduced

    • There is no independent replication of this specific study; cited works are separate studies in different contexts, not reproductions of this trial.
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "Meanwhile, studies have shown that flipped education enhances students' achievement in engineering, medicine and few other disciplines (Adonu et al (2021), Chebotibi & Angeti (2022), Dorji & Dorji (2022), Asad, Chur & Moreno (2022), Anyaneme & Nwokolo (2022), sulieman & Akilu (2023)." (p. 5) 2) "It's efficacy in enhancing students' achievement in biology in Ebonyi state has not been determined empirically." (p. 5) Detailed Analysis: Criterion R requires that this specific study be independently replicated by a different research team in a different context and published in a peer-reviewed journal. The paper cites several prior studies on flipped education in various disciplines, but these are antecedent studies in other subjects and contexts, not replications of this particular Ebonyi State biology quasi-experiment. Indeed, the author states that the efficacy of flipped education in biology in Ebonyi State "has not been determined empirically," positioning this as a novel study. An internet search across Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and general web sources was conducted for independent reproductions of this specific 2026 Ukpai study; no replication of this particular trial by a different research team was found, consistent with the study's recency and novelty. Criterion R is not met because there is no independent replication of this specific study.
  • A

    All-subject Exams

    • Only biology was assessed, using a non-standardised researcher-made test, so criterion E fails and consequently the all-subject requirement also fails.
    • "A Biology Achievement Test (BAT) was the instrument used for data collection."
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "A Biology Achievement Test (BAT) was the instrument used for data collection." (Abstract, p. 1) 2) "The instrument covered three main topics drawn from SS 2 first term scheme of work which are: botanical classification of plants, agricultural classification of plants, and classification of plants based on their life cycle." (p. 7) Detailed Analysis: Criterion A requires that the study measure impact across all main subjects taught at that educational level, using standardised exam-based assessments, and explicitly depends on criterion E being met. Criterion E was not met because the outcome was a researcher-developed test rather than a standardised exam. Therefore criterion A automatically fails. In addition, the study measured only biology achievement (indeed only three biology topics) and did not assess any other core subjects taught at the senior secondary level. Criterion A is not met because criterion E is not met and only a single subject (biology) was assessed.
  • G

    Graduation Tracking

    • Because criterion Y is not met and the study measured outcomes immediately after instruction with no follow-up to graduation, graduation tracking is not satisfied.
    • "Teachers administered pre-test and post-test before and after instructions respectively."
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "Teachers administered pre-test and post-test before and after instructions respectively. Test items for the post-test were reshuffled to give it a different look." (p. 8) 2) "O2 = Post-test Achievement; O3 = Retention test." (p. 7) Detailed Analysis: Criterion G requires that participants be tracked through to graduation from their educational stage to assess long-term impacts, and per the prompt it depends on criterion Y being met. Criterion Y was not met, so criterion G automatically fails. Substantively, outcomes were collected with a post-test immediately after instruction; although a "retention test" (O3) appears in the design notation, no timing or results for it are reported, and there is no mention of any follow-up to the end of secondary schooling or graduation. An internet search for follow-up publications by the same author tracking this cohort through graduation returned no such study, consistent with the paper's recency. Criterion G is not met because criterion Y is not met and there is no tracking of participants through graduation.
  • P

    Pre-Registered

    • There is no mention of any pre-registration of the study protocol on any registry before data collection.
    • Relevant Quotes: 1) "AN INSITUTIONAL BASED RESEARCH (IBR) PROJECT SPONSORED BY TETFUND2026INTERVENTION YEAR" (p. 1) 2) "Three research questions and three null hypotheses guided the study." (Abstract, p. 1) Detailed Analysis: Criterion P requires that the full study protocol be pre-registered on a recognised registry before data collection begins, including a registration link or ID and a date demonstrably prior to data collection. The paper contains no reference to any pre-registration platform (such as ClinicalTrials.gov, ISRCTN, OSF, AEA, or PROSPERO), no registration ID, and no registration date. The only external reference is to TETFund sponsorship as an institutional-based research project, which is not a study pre-registration. As there is no registry reference in the paper, no registry database lookup was possible. Criterion P is not met because no pre-registration of the study protocol is mentioned.