Flipped learning in business and economics higher education: A systematic literature review

With the rise of the constructivist learning paradigm, flipped learning has become increasingly popular as an instructional design in higher education in general and in the fields of business and economics education in particular. While a few studies have analyzed the extant research in these fields, a research gap remains with regard to the theoretical foundations, i.e., the causal mechanisms underlying knowledge construction in flipped learning environments. Additionally, the extant research has devoted limited attention to relating these causal mechanisms to the pre- and in-class activities in flipped learning environments and to assessing the impact of flipped learning formats on student learning outcomes. Based on a systematic literature review, which involves 51 studies from the fields of business and economics education, we aim to shed light on these research gaps. The findings reveal an underutilization of theoretical frameworks and point to effective pre- and in-class activities as well as general drivers of cognitive and affective student learning outcomes in flipped learning environments. We discuss directions for future research and practical implications.