The effects of peer teaching in flipped classrooms

Last registered on April 17, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
The effects of peer teaching in flipped classrooms
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0015803
Initial registration date
April 14, 2025

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
April 17, 2025, 7:19 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
Japan
Region
Shiga prefecture

Primary Investigator

Name
Yasukazu Ichino
Affiliation
Ritsumeikan University
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2025-04-14
End date
2025-08-31
Keywords
Education
Additional Keywords
flipped classrooms peer teaching
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This study is to empirically examine the mechanism of the peer teacing in a group-work discussion during class time on students' learning outcomes in a flipped classroom. The experiment is conducted in an undergraduate economics course. Specifically, we are going to investigate (1) whether group discussions have a peer effect and (2) the characteristics of group members and combinations of group members that have a large peer effect, and in particular, whether personality traits such as motivation to learn can have a peer effect.
Our research team has been studying the effects of flipped classrooms on learning outcomes in “Introduction to Economics,” a first-year course in the Faculty of Economics at Ritsumeikan University, from 2021 to 2024. Our research has revealed that (1) flipped classrooms have the effect of improving short-term learning outcomes as measured by quiz scores, (2) The effect of flipped classrooms on learning outcomes comes not only from the flexibility of prior learning, which allows students to watch the lecure videos before class and take the lecture at their own pace and time, but also from learning activities during class time, such as group problem solving, and (3) the presence of students who are highly motivated to learn in group work enhances the effectiveness of the flipped classroom.
From (2) alone, it is difficult to determine whether the discussion among group members in solving the exercises enhanced the learning outcomes, or it simply has come from the students forced to solve the exercises during class time. On the other hand, (3) suggests that group work in flipped classrooms has some kind of peer effect. However, it is not clear whether the peer effect came from the group discussions or from other factors (e.g., being inspired by the attitudes of the group members who were eager to learn). The motivation for this study was to clarify whether the peer effects of the group work in the flipped classroom were brought about by discussions among group members.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Ichino, Yasukazu. 2025. "The effects of peer teaching in flipped classrooms." AEA RCT Registry. April 17. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.15803-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
In the course of Introduction to Economics, students in one section are encouraged to talk each other during in their groups of six students to work on practice problems, while the students on other section are asked to work on practice problems individually.
Intervention (Hidden)
Intervention Start Date
2025-04-14
Intervention End Date
2025-07-14

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Quiz scores and final exam scores.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
There are two sections of a course (Introduction to Economics) participated to this experiment, section C and section D. Each section will have seven lessons for experiments. Lesson 1 is an introduction. From lessons 2, 3, and 4, section C students are encouraged to talk each other in their groups of six students when they work on practice problems (treatment), while section D students are asked to work on practice problems by themselves without taking to thier classmates (control). On the other hand, from section 5, 6, and 7, section C students are control group and Section D stundents are treatment group.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization of student assignment to the sections is done by a computer of the administrative office.
Randomization of student assignment to the groups for working on practice problems is done by a computer of the researcher.
Randomization Unit
students
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
400 students
Sample size: planned number of observations
2400 quiz scores
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
200 students control, 200students treatment
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Ritsumeikan University
IRB Approval Date
2025-04-30
IRB Approval Number
N/A
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials