An Experiential Learning Perspective on Students' Satisfaction Model in a Flipped Classroom Context

Introduction Currently, the Flipped Classroom Model (FCM), featuring especial emphasis on students' engagement and experience (Bergmann, Overmyer, & Wilie, 2011), is increasingly attracting educators' interest, resulting in the flipped classroom phenomenon (Blair, Maharaj, & Primus, 2015). Many colleges and universities are funding and developing FCM programs focused on comparative assessments of students' examination scores and/or attitudes (Tune, Sturek, & Basile, 2013; Schultz, Duffield, Rasmussen, & Wageman, 2014; Baepler, Walker, & Driessen, 2014; Kong, 2014). However, the results vary greatly, which aroused our curiosity about what factors drive effective flipped pedagogy, and how they can be efficiently implemented in further teaching practice. The learners' satisfaction model warrants keen interest in this new and exciting research field, because learners' perceived satisfaction has been proven to be a vital predictor of learning outcomes and behavioral intention to continue learning (Tsai, Lin, & Tsai, 2001; Liaw, 2008). In addition, student satisfaction has a close relationship with learners' active participation and team collaborative learning (Johnson, Top, & Yukselturk, 2011; Ku, Tseng, & Akarasriworn, 2013), which is of great significance in effectively implementing the flipped classroom pedagogy. However, the existing studies ignore the fact that learners' satisfaction should be especially discussed through the lens of learners' experiential learning, the main feature of FCM. Some researchers have also urged further studies on the activity-oriented nature of flipped learning when exploring the learner satisfaction model in FCM (Chen, Wang, & Chen, 2014). Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) is an applicable theoretical foundation to investigate learners' satisfaction in flipped settings. Based on the ELT, we proposed that personalized learning climate (flipped design) and relevant prior learning experience (angle from learners) have close relationship with learner satisfaction. For one thing, there exist no one-fits-all approach for students who have distinct learning capacities and styles; thus experiential learning especially addresses the importance of creating a personalized learning climate to meet individuals' special needs (Sims, 2002), and the flipped settings offering learners more flexible learning arrangements are expected to relate to learners' satisfaction. Secondly, learners' relevant prior learning experience may significantly predict their satisfaction in flipped settings. The ELT proposed that learners' relevant prior learning experience, such as information retrieval and online interaction, are available inputs for improving learners' personal or group effectiveness (Kohonen, Jaatinen, Kaikkonen, & Lehtovaara, 2014). Based on ELT, some researchers have also appealed for more opportunities for students to implement reflection and reconstruction of previous experience and new ideas (Oxley & Ilea, 2015), which is in accordance with the philosophy of flipped pedagogy. In order to further explore the mechanism of how these two factors predict students' satisfaction, the current research employed perceived quality and perceived value as two mediators in the proposed model. The former addresses the assessment of the course content, while the latter centers on learning efficiency which sheds light on whether the course contents are effectively organized and implemented. In a flipped context, personalized learning procedures and a wealth of blended learning experience are helpful for learners to comprehend the course contents and to master the techniques of learning, which is followed by improving learners' satisfaction. It has also been suggested by previous studies that perceived quality and perceived value act as significant mediators of learner satisfaction (Shi, 2010; Lee, 2010). The current survey empirically aims to construct a theoretical model which is reliable for predicting undergraduates' satisfaction in FCM context from the perspective of learners' experiential learning. …