Special Issue: COVID-19: Education Response to a Pandemic

Volume 9 – Issue 2 – 2021

An Educator’s Response to COVID-19: Preservice Teachers’ Perspectives
on Flipped Distance Education
Osman ÇilKırşehir Ahi Evran University
Turkey37

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Abstract
With the COVID-19 pandemic, students and instructors had to carry out lessons with distanceeducation practices, and this sudden change made it a necessity to reorganize educational
processes under the conditions of the pandemic. This study sought to make an undergraduate
course more effective by designing the distance education course based on the flipped learningmodel. In this qualitative study, a phenomenological approach was used, and 53 preservice
elementary school teachers’ views on the flipped distance education course were investigated.
Exploration of student errors during in-class activities, encouragement of active student
participation, and compatibility to individual student differences was listed as positive aspectsof the flipped distance education. On the other hand, the difficulties pre-service elementary
school teachers encountered in obtaining information, their concerns about attending the classor discussing the homework in front of their peers, and the issues experienced during in-classcommunication were identified as the negative features of this approach. Moreover, thepreservice elementary school teachers needed easily accessible information resources about thecourse content, a stable internet connection, appropriate technological equipment, andextension of the course time to effectively perform in the flipped distance education course. As
a result, the flipped teaching model emerged as an effective approach to increase the efficiency
of distance education courses, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.
Keywords: COVID-19, distance education, flipped education, preservice elementary school
teachers

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Introduction
The global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 triggered sudden and unexpected crises in many areas
such as health, economy, and education, and the decisions that had to be taken to limit the
spread of the virus and reduce its negative effects have affected the habitual way of life
globally. Countries have had to suspend face-to-face education to reduce the spread of the
COVID-19 virus and have tried to provide distance education opportunities to ensure
continuity in education (Can, 2020). Before the COVID-19 pandemic in many countries,
distance education was usually offered at the level of associate, bachelors, and master’s
programs (Akdemir, 2011); with the pandemic, efforts have been made to make the education
system conditions work effectively by using technological equipment on a global scale andproviding distance education opportunities for all age levels. This sudden transition towards
distance education forced instructors to prepare and offer distance education courses and ledthem to seek effective distance learning opportunities. With this study, an undergraduate coursethat was given face to face before COVID -19 was adapted to distance education with a flippedteaching model, and the opinions of preservice elementary school teachers (PSETs) about thiscourse were examined.
Literature Review
Studies on distance education reveal that students prefer to use written materials rather than
distance education course videos (Can, 2020). In this context, the oral presentation of
information directly by the instructor in distance education courses loses its efficiency, and thenecessity of creating an approach that puts the student in the center arises. Current educational
principles advocate knowledge creation with the cooperation of teachers and students (Singh,2014) and recommend increasing students’ motivation and performance towards the lesson byusing developing educational technologies and supporting their beliefs about autonomy (Smitet al., 2014). Traditional education approaches are limited in meeting the individual needs ofstudents (Özbay & Sarıca, 2019) and trigger a desire for change in distance education courses(Ferreri & O’Connor, 2013). As emphasized by Bishop and Verleger (2013) an educational
system where students can access the content individually and adjust their own study time andspeed has become more desirable. Considering these developments in education, it is not
surprising that the use of the flipped learning model, which supports active learning and helps
to create extra time for in-class activities (Haak et al., 2011) and gives students more control
over their own learning processes in outdoor activities (Kim et al., 2014), has increased inundergraduate programs (Hao, 2016).
The flipped learning model can simply be defined as the replacement of information provided
to students at home and at school (Lage et al., 2000). In other words, the flipped learning
approach was designed on the principle of students’ reaching the subject-related concepts
through extracurricular activities and applying homework or projects that include studentcentered practices in the classroom, rather than learning the concepts of the course throughclassroom presentations and doing their homework at home (Torun & Dargut, 2015). With theflipped learning model, the acquisition of knowledge is mostly transformed from a group action
into an individual action, while the process of applying knowledge to student-centeredactivities turns into a group action (Hayırsever & Orhan, 2018). In this approach, the role ofthe teacher is not to be a direct source of information, but to guide and support the students inorganizing their own learning processes (Lopes & Soares, 2018). In the courses where theflipped teaching approach is applied, while the basic level information is obtained outside of
the classroom by the students with online video presentations, in-class applications that make39

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the student active and require high-level mental skills are used during the course (Kim et al.,2014). Thus, with the application of the flipped teaching approach, actions that require
relatively low cognitive skills such as listening, understanding, giving examples are transferredoutside the classroom, and time is created for the teacher-guided implementation of classroom
activities that require high-level skills such as applying, analyzing and evaluating (Hayırsever& Orhan, 2018).
Numerous studies in the literature explain the positive effects of the flipped learning model on
students and the educational process (Köse & Yüzüak, 2020; Özbay & Sarıca, 2019). The
literature on flipped learning reveals that the flipped teaching model increases the participation(Kaya, 2018) and positive attitudes of students towards courses (Tekin, 2018), creates an active
learning environment (Pierce & Fox, 2012), and it affects the educational process positively bysupporting student permanence (Turan & Göktaş, 2015). In addition, the flipped learningmodel positively affects student achievement (Güç, 2017; Kalafat, 2019; Kırmızıoğlu, 2018),
anxiety (Özdemir, 2016) and motivation (Abeysekera & Dawson, 2015) and develops problemsolving skills (Kim et al., 2014). O’Flaherty and Phillips (2015) stated that the flipped learningmodel offers students the opportunity to learn at their own pace, access educational materials
whenever they want, and use lesson time for more efficient activities. With flipped learning,
students gained more control over their own learning processes and achieved an individualized
learning experience. Also, the flipped learning model can support students’ communication
skills by encouraging collaborative learning with metacognitive activities carried out in theclassroom (Millard, 2012).
Some negative situations also arise during educational practices with the flipped teachingmodel. The acquisition of information about the courses outside the classroom and the
management of this process is mostly under the control of the students, making it difficult tounderstand to what extent the desired information is acquired or how the desired homework isdone (Aydın & Demirer, 2015). In fact, not fully understood content and not fully preparedhomework can reduce the efficiency of planned metacognitive activities in the course.
Accessing the information provided for out-of-class activities requires an internet connectionand electronic equipment such as computers and tablets, and students’ inability to have that
equipment can negatively affect the efficiency and flow of the course (Hayırsever & Orhan,2018). Lastly, in order for the flipped teaching system to be implemented effectively,
instructors need to prepare materials suitable for this teaching approach; this process takes a
lot of time and effort (Milman, 2012).
The flipped teaching model can easily be associated with distance education applications, as itdelegates some of the responsibility for acquiring knowledge to the student and carries theteaching out of the classroom. In general, distance education is defined as a process in which
instructors and students are physically in different environments (Akdemir, 2011). Thisapproach, which aims to eliminate the time and space limitations between the teacher and thelearner, uses technology effectively according to the requirements of education (Bozkurt, 2017)and offers flexible education opportunities for individuals of all ages (Ağaoğlu et al., 2002). In
other words, distance education is an educational approach in which space and time limitations
are minimized, educational materials are easily prepared using equipment such as computers,
tablets, and phones, and the instructor and learner can access the desired information at any
time by using internet access (Yamamoto & Altun, 2020). Distance education practices, likemany educational approaches, have positive and negative effects on educational processes. The
positive aspects of distance education applications can be listed as the sharing of information
globally without time limitation, rapid evaluations and feedback on student projects, and40

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providing access to courses for a large number of students at the same time, while potential
communication problems between teachers and students, problems students with limited
individual working skills experience, and high infrastructure costs that can be listed as negative
features (Dinçer, 2016).
MethodResearch Design
This qualitative study used phenomenological approach, which aims to investigate the opinionsof PSETs regarding the flipped distance education course. According to Yıldırım and Şimsek(2016), the phenomenological approach is based on investigating the events experienced bypeople in-depth with different perspectives. In this context, the positive and negative
experiences of pre-service teachers and the requirements to participate in the flipped distanceeducation course were examined.
Study GroupThe convenience sampling method, one of the purposeful sampling types, was used to create
the study group (Yıldırım & Şimşek, 2016). Participants of the study were selected among the
PSETs who enrolled in a flipped distance education course at the undergraduate level offeredin a teacher training institution in Turkey. Although the PSETs enrolled in this course tocomplete the program they registered for, participation in the study was voluntary. It was
carefully explained to the PSETs that their participation in the study would not affect theirgrades in the course in any way and 53 of 67 PSETs who enrolled in the course volunteered toparticipate in the study. The information about the PSETs who participated in the study was
only seen by the researcher, and all names in the study were presented as pseudonyms.
Flipped Distance Education Course
Within the scope of this study, the Mathematics Teaching-I course in the undergraduate
classroom teaching program was adapted based on the principles of a flipped teaching model
to conduct distance education courses more effectively. The relationship of this flipped
distance education course with traditional distance education and flipped education models arepresented in Table 1.
Table 1: The relationship between the adapted flipped course model and traditional
approaches
Traditional lesson model
Presentation of
information by theteacher

Teacher / Student [In Class]Student [Out of Class]

Listening to informationby the student

Reinforcing
knowledge throughhomework

Conducting
educational activities
around information
Flipped lesson model

Student [Out of Class]
Research about thecontent knowledge

Comprehension of thedesired information

Teacher / Student [In Class]Conducting
educational activities
about the information

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Reinforcing
knowledge throughactivities

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Flipped distance education course model (Weeks 1-7)
Teacher / Student [In Class]Presentationof basic
content
knowledge

Student [Out of Class]

Teacher / Student [In Class]

Examining
Research about Homework Reinforcing knowledge throughandthe content
preparation student homework
discussing the knowledge
homework
Flipped distance education course model (Weeks 9-14)
Student [Out of Class]

Research about thecontent knowledge

Teacher / Student [In Class]Preparation ofmathematics lesson
plans

Reinforcing the knowledge through the lessonplans prepared by the students

Data Gathering and Analysis
The risk of contamination of the COVID-19 virus was considered while conducting the study;
the entire data collection process was carried out using Google Forms to avoid posing atransmission risk. An online questionnaire was created, and volunteer participants were asked
to answer open-ended questions in the online questionnaire form. The questionnaire form
consisted of six open-ended questions such as ‘What are the problems you encountered during
the flipped distance education course?’, ‘Can you explain with examples what you need during
the flipped distance education course?’ Participant consent forms were also sent to volunteers
online, and only the data of the participants who completed the consent form in the study were
included.
The phenomenological approach was used to investigate the experiences of PSETs for theflipped distance education course, and the opinions expressed by the PSETs were analyzed
using the content analysis method. In the first stage, 15% of the obtained data was examined,
the main and sub-themes were determined, and the codebook was created by associating thethemes. Afterward, all of the data was analyzed in accordance with this content analysis
codebook. During the analysis of the data, the qualitative analysis principles suggested by
Lincoln and Guba (1985) were followed. The themes in the booklet have been reviewed andthe necessary changes have been made. For this purpose, new codes or themes that emerged
during data analysis were included in the codebook; the codes and themes that were initiallyadded but lost their meaning during data analysis were removed from the codebook (Lincoln& Guba, 1985). For instance, some themes regarding the differences between regular distanceeducation and flipped distance education were extracted from the codebook, since these themes
were very similar with positive effects of flipped distance education.
Findings
This study aims to examine the opinions of the PSETs about a flipped distance education
course. When the answers of the participants were examined, being able to correct student
mistakes in the lesson, ensuring active student participation, and supporting individual
differences were among the positive features of the flipped education. Difficulties encounteredin learning information individually, concerns about in-class performance or homework, andproblems of in-class communication draw attention as the negative features of this educational
approach. The PSETs also stated that they need easily accessible information and resources,
reliable internet infrastructure, technological equipment, and extension of the course time inorder to perform effective flipped distance education. The themes that emerged within thescope of the study are summarized in Table 2.

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Table 2: PSETs’ opinions about the flipped distance education course
Theme
Positive Effects

Negative Effects

Requirements

Sub-theme
Exploring student mistakes within the course
Active student participation
Promoting individual differences
Difficulties in learning information individually
Concerns about in-class performance or homework
Problems encountered in in-class communication
Information and resource needs
Internet infrastructure and technological equipment
Extension of the course time

PSETs
Rana, Hüma, Tarkan
Meltem, Nesrin,
Fatih Hüma, Efe
Salih,
Alpay, Tarkan, Asiye
Umut, Canan, Özkan
Melisa, Kemal, SunaÖzcan, Nesrin, Kadir
Fatma, Özcan, Sema
Umut, Sercan, Selin

Positive Effects
The PSETs often expressed their positive opinions about the flipped distance education course.
They stated that the subject was understood more effectively because they had the opportunity
to talk about student errors in flipped distance education courses, the information learned waslong-lasting because they were active during assignments or in-class discussions, and theability to freely access lecture video presentations supports the individual learning differences.
In the following quotation, Rana states that feedback on students’ mistakes is one of theadvantages of a flipped distance education course.
The theoretical part of the course is learned by the student outside the school,
so students have the opportunity to practice in the lesson. Since theimplementation part is carried out in the classroom, the teacher can help
them in the areas that he sees wrong, need to be corrected, and the students
have difficulty.
Similarly, Hüma noted that the examination of the homework they produced by the PSETs in
the flipped teaching lesson helped them realize their mistakes.
The fact that we are active in the lessons through the web has positively
affected us by enabling us to talk about our questions. Since not only teachers
but also students examine and discuss the homework, we can see ourshortcomings and recognize and correct the problems.
In another example, Tarkan explains the positive effect of teaching the lesson through the plans
the students created in the following quote:
Particularly in the application part, attending the lesson with the application
made by the student and explaining the mistakes made in the applications
makes it easier to understand.
PSETs were stated that the increase in student participation was another positive effect of the
flipped distance education courses on education. In the following example, Meltem explains
how focusing on the homework prepared by students in in-class practices affects their attitude
towards the lesson with the following sentences:
I definitely focus more on the math lesson than the other lessons. Since I knowthat I have homework and duty at the end. I listen carefully to the teacher and43

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try not to miss what is being told. While doing my homework, I sort of repeat
the lessons we taught that week, so the topics are well understood for me.
In another example, Nesrin expresses how her preparation for flipped distance education
courses affected her with the following sentences:
Considering that a lesson is 40 minutes, the information we can learn islimited. However, in flipped education, we learn the subject because we
examine and investigate extensively; and we learn the important parts of thesubject during the lesson. I think the information is more permanent because
we have an active learning time.
In the next example, Fatih describes the role of the prospective teachers in the flipped distanceeducation courses with the following quote:In this learning method, the student is active. Thus, it makes learning morepermanent. It offers students the opportunity to practice. Students who learn
the subject beforehand reinforce the subject by practicing. Thus, the subject
is learned both theoretically and practically.
Participants also stated that they have more control over the learning process with the flippededucational practices and being able to manage this process to their individual differences isan advantage. In the following quotation, Salih explains how being able to reach presentations
on the subject whenever they need helps students who have individual differences:
Students try to learn the same subjects in the same period of time in otherclassroom methods. While some students can get information faster, somestudents may need more time. In this case, problems arise due to individual
speed. But in the flipped education, students can stop, rewind, and re-watch
the videos prepared on the topic at any time. By planning the subject
according to his/her learning time, the student learns more easily.
Hüma explains the advantages of recording lecture presentations and being able to watch themat any time, with the following sentences:
Course topics in flipped learning are pre-recorded and presented to us
digitally. Thus, we can study and learn subjects at our own pace with ourlearning style. In a system with such flexibility, knowledge becomes morepermanent because we learn more with our efforts.
Efe also explained how students’ individual differences were supported through flipped
distance education with the following sentences:
In the flipped teaching method, individual differences are more prominent.
Some students may not understand the subject when the teacher tells in
traditional narration, but since the subject described in the flipped teaching
method has been recorded before, students can watch the video again where
they do not understand. It is also easy in terms of being portable. It is always
at hand. Students can reach the lessons 24/7.

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Negative Effects
Students and educators described various problems in the flipped distance education course, as
in many courses given by distance education. The difficulties they encountered while searching
and finding the information in the course by themselves, the anxiety caused by showing the
prepared homework to the whole class, and the in-class communication problems identified as
negative situations that emerged in the flipped distance education courses. For example, Alpay
points out his concerns about delegating the responsibility of the learning process in thefollowing quote:I think that leaving the students alone while learning the subject and asking
them to understand will decrease the efficiency of learning. It can be difficult
for students to learn the lesson on their own and to participate in classwork
as they learn. Since the student is responsible for the learning activities, thecomplete learning of the lesson may not take place.
Similarly, Tarkan states that he has difficulty understanding which concepts are important in
the following sentences:
It is a really difficult process to research and to learn a new subject.
Understanding takes time as well as effort. Although the practices in thecourse are very useful for learning, it seems that something is still missing
when we cannot predict the essential parts that need to be learned.
Asiye, on the other hand, expresses the problems students may experience while accessing thenecessary information with the following quote:
The students coming to the class without watching the lecture videos may notenough to comprehend the subject even if they participate in the in-classactivities. Since students cannot ask for something they do not understandwhile watching the lecture videos outside the classroom, there is a possibilityof misinformation.
Participants reported that they experienced anxiety while taking an active role in the courseand expressing their ideas or sharing their homework with their peers. In the following
example, Umut explained how this anxiety affected his in-class performance as follows:
At first, I was very nervous while attending the class. The thought that it would
be my turn soon, I would not be able to explain and be disgraced, wasreducing the efficiency of the lesson. But when I attended the class several
times, I got rid of this panic situation.
Canan expressed her concern that her homework could be seen by her peers in the following
quote:
Since it was not a method we often encounter, it was different at first; I
worried about whether I did it wrong or whether they were making fun of it
because all our friends could see the homework we did.
Similarly, Özkan expressed the pressure on which the presentation process of the assignments
was created on him:

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During the lesson, as the homework is presented, I wonder if I did it wrong,what kind of feedback will I get if I did it wrong, and I wait in stress andanxiety.
Since the students and the instructor are more active in the flipped education lessons, problems
related to in-class communication have emerged. For example, Melisa explained how her being
able to attend the course only via message due to technological impossibilities affects her views
towards the course in the following quote:We are not on equal terms. The system is working over the internet, which isalso a problem in terms of connection. I can’t feel like I’m attending class.
We have communication problems because we write our questions.
Similarly, Kemal exemplifies that problems with internet connection affect in-classcommunication and reduce the efficiency of the course with the following sentences:
There may be technical difficulties due to distance education. Students may
not be able to immediately ask the subjects they are stuck with. Since noteveryone can connect with the same internet speed and does not have thesame infrastructure, the quality of the course can be reduced.
Suna, on the other hand, expresses her views on the necessity of the teacher to effectively
manage in-class communication as follows:
The teacher needs to be a good guide in the classroom. The teacher should
be involved in classroom activities and make short explanations where
necessary. Since the students do not know exactly what is right and what iswrong, the teacher must have a leading position in the classroom.
Requirements
When the requirements of the flipped distance education courses were examined, three main
themes have emerged. Participants stated that they needed resources suitable for flippededucation, technological equipment, and a stable internet connection to prepare theassignments effectively and present them in the classroom. Also, it was emphasized that the
duration of the lessons should be extended in order to examine more homework. For example,Özcan stated that he would like to constantly access resources and training:
I need the information to be accessed at any time. For example, I would liketo be able to access the resources offered to us by the teacher in time so that
we can repeat at home what we have learned in the distance education
courses prepared with the flipped teaching method.
Nesrin expressed the information pollution in the sources on the internet and the need for areliable textbook with the following sentences:
A reliable resource is definitely what I need most for effective teaching in the
flipped teaching method. There is a lot of information and articles on theinternet. Opinions and articles on the subject are given differently on eachwebsite. But if we had a sourcebook, the information will more accurate andreliable.

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Similarly, Kadir explained his need for a source containing examples related to the subject toreinforce the theoretical issues presented during the course with the following quote:I need plenty of examples. The examples given during or after the lesson are
an effective way for me to reinforce the subject. Sometimes I wonder whether
I understood the thing correctly. A good example helps me answer thequestions in my mind.
Participants frequently emphasized that they needed not only online resources but also
technological equipment to be able to listen and participate orally in theoretical lectures and toprepare their homework within the scope of flipped learning. For example, Fatma explains thenegative effects of an unstable internet connection on student motivation with the following
sentences:
Good internet infrastructure is required. Internet is required to participate inlive classes, to get and understand the information before the lesson. Students
who do not have an internet connection or have an unstable low-speed
connection may have difficulties participating in class. Students who havesuch problems may not be able to focus on the lesson because they are
worried about connection.
In the following quotation, Özcan explains how a lack of technological equipment cannegatively affect student attendance:
Due to technical problems (speakers, internet infrastructure, etc.), students
may not be able to transfer the content of the homework they have. For
example, we could not turn on the speaker in our homework on the theory ofmultiple intelligences, and I prepared it according to the form I would
verbally present. When I could not speak up, I could not fully convey what I
wanted to tell in the homework.
Similarly, Sema expresses the negative effects of disruptions caused by technologicalequipment and internet connection on the education process with the following quote:
Since teachers and students should be active in flipped teaching, theconnection problems we experience on the internet sometimes affect the flow.
For example, after the teacher explains the subject, the students study it,
repeat it and prepare a presentation. The presentation of the students mustalso be carried out during the lesson time. When there is a connection
problem, we cannot participate. While the students try to join, the teacher
tries to solve the problem.
Participants often stated that the lesson duration was insufficient in terms of the activities to be
done. For example, Umut expressed his views regarding not being able to allocate sufficient
time for theoretical knowledge in the following quote:
During the lesson, we sometimes cannot understand the subject because we
process the subject very quickly. Sometimes we find it difficult to do
homework because we don’t understand. Increasing the number or durationof the lessons may be a solution for better understanding.

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Selin, on the other hand, stated her opinions about not being able to provide feedback to allstudents in the following quote:
There is a need for fewer student numbers in the classroom [67 students wereenrolled]. Thus, all students’ work can be examined, and their mistakes canbe said one by one. In the crowded classroom, the teacher cannot give
feedback on all students’ homework. This may upset the student whose
homework is not examined.
Similarly, Sercan explained his views on not being able to devote enough time to theexamination of homework with the following sentences:
It is good for me to first explain the subject on the digital platform and thenreinforce the subject with homework and examine the deficiencies in the next
lesson, but sometimes we cannot discuss every single homework due to theinsufficient amount of time and a large number of students.
Discussion
Many undergraduate programs began distance education in 2020 to minimize the spread of the
COVID-19 pandemic and to protect the health of students and teachers. In this study, an
undergraduate level distance education course was rearranged according to the flipped learning
method, and the opinions of the PSETs regarding the course were examined.
Hayırsever and Orhan (2018) described one of the requirements for the implementation of the
flipped teaching model as the creation of educational culture and stated that with this method,
students’ active participation is provided by allocating more time to activities in the classroom
due to the acquisition of some of the information outside the classroom. In our study,
participants stated that the flipped distance education course facilitated active participation in
the lesson. Similarly, Karadeniz (2015) emphasized the importance of reflecting knowledge
during flipped learning practices and stated that providing opportunities for transferring theinformation intended to be taught using in-class activities is a necessity for effective teaching.
Active student participation increased with in-class applications with high-level activities
implemented with the flipped teaching model, and students were allowed to reflect on theknowledge they obtained outside the classroom. Also, educational activities should beorganized in a way to correct improper learning that may occur during research, homework,and projects that students have done outside of the classroom with the flipped teaching model(Torun & Dargut, 2015). The teacher candidates stated that examining their homework during
the lessons provides an opportunity to notice their mistakes. Finally, teacher candidates defined
it as a positive feature that they could access information whenever they wanted with theflipped teaching model, so they could organize the learning process in a way and frequency
that they preferred and stated that this approach supports students’ individual study preferences(O’Flaherty & Phillips, 2015).
Aydın and Demirer (2015) noted that the acquisition of basic information about the course by
students outside the classroom may weaken the instructor’s control over the educational
process and can reduce the efficiency in education. Similarly, the pre-service teachers who
participated in our study stated that they had difficulties while obtaining information about the
subject or trying to find a reliable and purposeful source of information. They defined one of
the negative aspects of the flipped learning model as the obligation of accessing information.

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Also, the necessity of electronic equipment such as computers and tablets for researching
information in the course, preparing homework, or listening to the lesson within the scope of
distance education, may decrease the efficiency of the course (Hayırsever & Orhan, 2018). It
was observed that some of the PSETs’ attitudes towards this lesson were negatively affected
since they did not have a microphone or a stable internet connection. Also, participantsemphasized that not being able to use electronic equipment or software properly or unstableinternet connections during the lesson negatively affected classroom communication andreduced the effectiveness of the course. Lage et al. (2000) stated that approaches that affectconventional educational process dynamics, such as flipped teaching, can cause anxiety instudents. Similarly, PSETs participating in our study stated that they were anxious while
actively participating in the lesson or sharing their homework with their peers in this unfamiliar
system that emerged with flipped teaching.
One of the effective ways to minimize the negativities about flipped distance education will be
to determine the requirements for the course in advance and to take measures. Karadeniz (2015)
emphasized that not all students will have the same opportunities while preparing the flipped
distance education courses and stated that in-class and especially out-of-class activities should
be organized carefully. Many PSETs who participated in the study stated that they needed
appropriate and reliable resources to complete their assignments. In this context, while
applying the flipped education model, educators should take into account that the informationin external sources cannot always be accurate and suitable for the purpose, and they should
prepare materials proper for the flipped teaching for the essential information that students
need to acquire and the projects and assignments they need to prepare (Milman, 2012). Also,
some of the PSETs stated that they could not attend the course because they did not havemicrophones, and some had problems during the lesson because of the lack of stable internet
connections. To minimize these problems, it should be taken into consideration that students
may not have the technological equipment and software required by the flipped distanceeducation courses. Thus, in-class and extracurricular activities should be organized flexibly byconsidering these negativities. Finally, PSETs stated that the number of students enrolled in
the course was high, and the duration of the lessons should be extended. Since the in-classteaching methods applied in flipped classrooms focus on metacognitive skills and can takeconsiderable time, the class population should also be carefully determined when planningflipped distance learning courses. Also, students should be given enough time to apply the
information they have acquired outside of the classroom.
Recommendations
Considering that active participation in the lesson lies behind the ability of students to reflect,
ask questions, make predictions, evaluate and build relationships between information during
the lesson (Hockings et al., 2008), it is considered that flipped distance education courses may
be more effective than traditional distance education courses. There are a limited number ofstudies investigating the effect of distance education courses prepared with a flipped teachingmodel on student achievement. In this context, examining the effects of flipped distanceeducation courses on student achievement at various education levels could support literature.
Karadağ and Yücel (2020) noted that only 63% of the students had internet connections while
66% had computers or tablets in 2020. Due to the conditions of COVID -19, distance education
started suddenly, and the extent to which instructors and students have the technologicalequipment and internet infrastructure required by distance education could not be adequately
controlled. Some of the PSETs who participated in this study also stated problems regarding
equipment and internet connection quality. Investigation of the extent to which instructors,

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students, and educational institutions have the technological equipment and internet
infrastructure required to fulfill the distance education requirements on a global scale will
provide important information for the more effective implementation of distance education
courses to be applied during the COVID -19 pandemic and in the future.
Conclusion
With the COVID-19 Pandemic, habits accepted as normal in life had to be changed, and faceto-face education was suspended on a global scale to reduce the spread of the pandemic. During
the pandemic, distance education opportunities were tried to be used to ensure the continuityof education, and educators seek ways of providing effective teaching or evaluation under
distance education conditions (Can, 2020; Kuzu, 2020). However, a few of these pre-service
teachers had trouble finding proper equipment or programs to participate in-class activities.
Since it might have affected those pre-service students’ perspectives about flipped distanceeducation, lack of appropriate equipment was the main limitation of this study.
Most of the PSETs welcomed the flipped distance education course designed within the scopeof this study. Positive opinions about the flipped distance education course were not only statedby the PSETs who participated in this study, but similar results were also obtained in studies
conducted in undergraduate-level economics, engineering, and health courses (Critz & Knight,
2013; Karabulut ‐ Ilgu et al., 2018; Roach, 2014). Considering that Karadağ and Yücel (2020)stated that the experiences gained during the COVID-19 pandemic process will affect the
distance education culture, it will not be surprising that the flipped distance education model
will be used more frequently in undergraduate-level courses.

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Corresponding author: Osman Çil
Email: ocil@ahievran.edu.tr

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