Enhancing Digital Literacy and Science Understanding: The Impact of a Guided Inquiry-Based Flipped Classroom in Elementary Schools

This quasi-experimental study investigates the effectiveness of the guided inquiry-based flipped classroom model in enhancing elementary school students’ digital literacy and science understanding. The study employed a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control group design and involved 128 fourth-grade elementary school students. The guided inquiry-based flipped classroom model was proposed, validated by experts, and implemented in science learning. The results indicated that the model significantly improved elementary school students’ digital literacy and science understanding. Descriptive analysis revealed that the experimental group demonstrated higher average post-test scores for digital literacy and science comprehension compared to the control group. The Wilcoxon test results showed that the Asym.sig (2-tailed) value was <0.05, confirming that the guided inquiry-based flipped classroom learning model positively influenced students’ digital literacy and science comprehension. Similarly, the Mann-Whitney test results (Asym.sig <0.05) indicated significant differences between the experimental and control groups in digital literacy and science understanding. Broader implementation of this model is recommended for future research. Further studies should examine its effectiveness in other subjects beyond digital literacy and science comprehension, such as science literacy, science process skills, and digital skills.