The Effect of a Flipped-Classroom-Enhanced Guided-Inquiry Curriculum on Attitudes and Course Satisfaction of First-Generation Underrepresented Minority Students in Chemistry Courses

A quasi-experimental intervention presurvey/postsurvey design study was conducted with undergraduate college students in general chemistry and organic chemistry courses to reduce large educational equity gaps in STEM fields that are experienced by Hispanic and other underrepresented minority (URM) students who live in California’s Central Valley. This study encompasses undergraduate student populations from two Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) in the San Joaquin Valley, specifically, a California State University campus and a local community college. A novel combination of two pedagogies was implemented into the course: flipped classroom and guided-inquiry group work (including POGIL and new activities inspired by POGIL). The study compared attitudinal change and change in satisfaction with the chemistry courses via a within group analysis. Findings showed that at the conclusion of the course following implementation of the flipped-classroom-enhanced guided-inquiry curriculum, attitude toward chemistry (for Hispanic and Latino students, M = 29.81, SD = 4.37; for non-Hispanic or Latino students, M = 29.42, SD = 4.71) and satisfaction with chemistry course (for Hispanic and Latino students, M = 12.17, SD = 5.97; for non-Hispanic or Latino students, M = 10.76, SD = 5.46) were higher for Hispanic and Latino students but not statistically significant. For satisfaction with chemistry course, an independent samples t test showed that there was no significant difference ( t (179) = −0.038, p ≥ 0.05) for satisfaction with chemistry course for first-generation (M = 11.56, SD = 5.63) and non-first-generation students (M = 11.59, SD = 5.98) at the conclusion of the course following implementation of the flipped-classroom-enhanced guided-inquiry curriculum. However, an independent samples t test indicated a statistically significant difference ( t (179) = 2.25, p ≤ 0.05) following implementation of the flipped-classroom-enhanced guided-inquiry curriculum in attitude toward chemistry for first-generation students (M = 30.22, SD = 4.81) and non-first-generation students (M = 28.71, SD = 3.74). These findings suggest that the flipped-classroom-enhanced guided-inquiry model in undergraduate college chemistry courses may potentially lead to a decrease in equity gaps and consequently lead to an increase in first-generation underrepresented minority students who enter STEM workforce careers.