Experiences of Postgraduate Nursing Students with the Flipped Learning Method: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Introduction: Given the nature of the nursing profession, which requires lifelong learners, the necessity to reconsider traditional teaching methods and employ interactive models in nursing education has become increasingly important. One of the modern educational models is flipped learning. This study aimed to explain the experiences of graduate nursing students with the flipped learning method. Methods: This qualitative study employed a conventional content analysis approach to examine the experiences of postgraduate nursing students who participated in flipped learning courses during the 2022-2023 academic year. The study population comprised 22 volunteer participants. Sampling was purposive and continued until data saturation was reached. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews, including five individual interviews (three with master's and two with doctoral students), along with three group interviews (one with nine doctoral students and two with groups of two and four master's students).Interview has been repeated for one of the students twice. The analysis followed an eight-step conventional qualitative content analysis process in OneNote software. To ensure methodological rigor, the study adhered to Lincoln and Guba's trustworthiness criteria for establishing data validity and reliability. Results: Two main themes and five sub-themes were obtained. The main themes included facilitators with three sub-themes (attractiveness, innovation, and interaction) and inhibitors with two sub-themes (implementation challenges and weak content). Conclusion: lack of strict adherence to principles and the limited experience of professors in implementing flipped learning can decrease the effectiveness of this method. Therefore, it is necessary to review and pay greater attention and precision in applying this method, especially through the use of scenarios and problem-solving approaches to create motivation and variety in its implementation.