The Impact of Implementing the Flipped Classroom Strategy Supported by Artificial Intelligence Tools on Enhancing Research Skills Among Graduate Students at Al-Quds Open University

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of employing the flipped classroom strategy supported by artificial intelligence (AI) tools on improving scientific research skills among graduate students at Al-Quds Open University. The study adopted the experimental approach—specifically, a quasi-experimental design—which was deemed most suitable for this research. The study population consisted of all graduate students in administrative sciences, totaling (355) students. The study sample included (80) graduate students from the Faculty of Administrative Sciences at Al-Quds Open University, purposefully selected due to their enrollment in the course "Research Seminar in Master's Theses (6245)," which served as the subject of the study. The sample was divided into two groups: an experimental group (n = 40) that studied the course using the flipped classroom strategy supported by AI tools, and a control group (n = 40) that studied the same course using the traditional teaching method. The results of the scientific research skills test revealed statistically significant differences between the pre-test and post-test scores of the experimental group at the significance level (α ≤ 0.05). The mean score increased from 18.00 in the pre-test to 25.50 in the post-test. The overall effect size, according to Cohen's (1988) standards, was (1.420), indicating a large effect. At the level of sub-skills, a large effect was observed in "Documentation and Academic Writing" (1.649) and "Problem Identification and Question Formulation" (1.025). Meanwhile, a moderate effect was noted in skills such as "Literature Review and Previous Studies" (0.654), "Scientific Evaluation and Critique" (0.522), "Research Methodology Design" (0.455), and "Data Collection and Analysis" (0.405). These findings confirm a clear improvement in performance following the intervention, supporting the effectiveness of the instructional strategy. In light of the study’s findings, the researcher recommends the adoption of the flipped classroom strategy supported by artificial intelligence tools in the teaching of research methodology courses within graduate programs, due to its positive impact on enhancing students' research skills. The study further recommends the development of specialized training programs for faculty members to enable effective implementation of this strategy, alongside the incorporation of ethical considerations related to AI usage within institutional academic policies. Additionally, the study calls for expanding the application of this model to other disciplines and academic institutions, in order to generalize the findings and evaluate the model’s effectiveness across diverse educational contexts.