FC is ‟a pedagogical model in which direct instruction moves from a group learning space to an individual learning space, and the resulting group space is transformed into a dynamic, interactive, learning environment” (Hamdan, 2014). The growing research in utilizing FC instructional approach has therefore its grounds on the capability to enrich teaching and learning; to promote better students’ learning outcomes (Giannakos et al., 2014) and; to expand learners’ experiences and competences (Bergmann and Sams, 2012).

Flipped classroom (FC) models have indeed attempted to address contemporary issues of how student engagement can be maximized by allocating more class time for active and student-guided learning and by using advanced technologies to support a blended learning approach. A typical FC methodology offers students access to online video lectures/tutorials (flips) prior to in-class sessions and the need to complete an entrance ticket, so that they are prepared to take part in more interactive, collaborative and higher-order activities such as research, debates, problem solving and discussions, i.e. Inquiry-based leaning (IBL) methodology (Lage, Platt, and Treglia, 2000; Zappe et al., 2009; Bergmann, Overmyer, and Wilie, 2012; Fulton, 2012; Hughes, 2012; Talbert, 2012; Davies, Dean, and Ball, 2013).

Students benefit from this pre-class exposure to materials and outside classroom events because they can adjust their learning pace to meet their individual studying style and levels of understanding. During in-class classroom sessions, students have the opportunity to engage with the IBL activities, through group work, instead of passively listening to the teacher (i.e. lecturing). In turn, teachers can spend the in-class time for facilitation, observation of student performance and providing adaptive feedback to individual student or to groups of students (Fulton, 2012; Hughes, 2012; Herreid and Schiller, 2013).

‘The regular and systematic use of interactive technology’ (Strayer, 2012, p. 172) accepts unique FC approaches. However, there are counteracting studies (e.g. Rutherfoord and Rutherfoord, 2000; Tenneson and McGlasson, 2006) which claim that FC models are not new since educators have always used readings, and computer-assisted guidelines to get their learners prepared for the in-class activities. This study, which is an expansion of a FC research which aimed to collect experiences and perception of teachers and students (Loizou and Lee, 2020), challenges existing studies, as it comes to offer a new insight into the digital tools which can be further used, especially for students in primary education.

The participants for this FC research (Loizou and Lee, 2020), chosen upon availability and willingness to implement the research model, have been five different teachers who worked in five different primary schools in Cyprus, composing the five different case studies (CS1-CS5). The 77 students of these teachers have been added to the sample of this action research study. In Table 1, information on each case study is given, presenting details on students’ and teachers’ profile. The level of ICT competency was expected to influence the choice of digital tools during the FC designs and implementation. Teachers had implemented the model in at least three learning cycles of each subject they taught. These inclused Greek language, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography and English as a second language.

The research is designed to gain better understanding of the FC methodology and hence it should have been exploratory. The following various sources of qualitative evidence/data collection have been employed for this research:

a) Documents: The learning FC design reports/lesson plans and documents were uploaded on the Moodle platform created (http://www.protyposxoleio.com) so the learning process and content could be accessible to students and were shared among all participant teachers. A total of 70 FC lesson plans were created and analysed.

Choosing from several approaches that could be appropriate for this kind of research, thematic analysis was the most suitable ror looking at patterns, explanations, event analysis and cross-case analysis to reach intepretations and conclusions. Hence, Nvivo11, a qualitative research software, assisted in managing all the different data collected, following Creswell’s (2009) Steps one to four, walking through themes, nodes, patterns, flowcharts and key issues arising. All measures were taken during data collection and analysis to keep the identity of participants anonymous. This includes the use of random code numbers instead of student names (e.g., S1. for CS1, S2. for CS2 etc.) and the coding T1-T5 with corresponding pseudonyms for teachers (Table 1).

Following data analysis of the FC research, a lot of themes on FC implementation were identified (Loizou and Lee, 2020). However, focusing on the digital technologies here, Table 2 presents a brief description of each of the most widely used digital tools during FC implementation and in which case study each has been used. In general, Moodle activities/tools have been widely used and a common Google account for each class/case study was created and assisted towards lesson orchestration. The use of Google Docs and Slides was very common practice as it allowed simultaneous editing, unlike Moodle wikis, and therefore enhanced group work. The classroom Google account supplemented Office 365 and gave the option to the students to work online for free. Moreover, the digital tools for creating the flips were Screen-O-Matic and Camtasia, both sharing similar features, like screencasting, live-camera window, highlighters and arrow options, speech balloons and many other annotations. Camtasia is a more professional software with extra features, such as multiple screens, but it is not open source. It was therefore used solely in Mary’s classroom.

In-class creative assignments included the use of many other applications and software, not included in Table 2, such as Voki (avatar creation), Glogster (interactive poster creation), Wordle (cloud words), Purpose Games (online game creation), Scratch (programming language-robotics) etc. Mahara has been used extensively and successfully in Mary’s classroom as an e-portfolio platform. The final portfolio took the form of the lesson’s exit ticket and/or substituted a traditional test for further assessment purposes.

Thematic analysis which has considered teachers’ and students’ experiences and perceptions regarding the use of the above tools has shown that the most effective of these can be categorized into software supporting: 1) Flips; 2) Activities in class; 3) Communication; 4) Entrance tickets; 5) Collaboration; and, 6) Assessment. These tools, recognized as simple and useful by students and teachers, have guided the creation of the ‘FC Technology tool’ (Figure 1). A VLE or a Learning Suite is recognized as a general management tool of higher value, with embedded Students’ and Parents’ page.

An important step towards IB-FC implementation is the use of simple and universally accessible technologies so that students are able to use them and the teachers feel confident to solve technical issues aroused. The technological competence they should attain usually provides stress to the teachers. Teachers with better ICT skills and greater experience in ICT integration (e.g. Ben and Mary) were able to better adapt to problems arising during lesson time, whereas others usually asked their students to work offline or in pairs.

It has been evident from FC literature in secondary and higher educaton so far that there are widely accessible tools for the creation and sharing of flips, e.g. Youtube, iTunes (Kotlik, 2014) together with digital video libraries e.g. Khan Academy (Hao, 2016). Indeed, findings from this study indicated that most teachers preferred using or modifying ready-made flips as it was both easier and less time-consuming. The entrance tickets were mainly created using Moodle tools, especially Moodle forums.

The built-up and use of a well-structured VLE, which can be used for the upload and sharing of content (flips, entrance/exit tickets, guide and links for IBL activities), facilitates effective implementation of FC methodology (e.g., Baker, 2000; Pempek et al., 2009; Talley and Scherer, 2013). It can also help young students deal with the investigation procedure of IBL activities (Magee and Flessner, 2014). Most importantly, teachers should choose a VLE which works on all devices and guide students through it.

Other digital technologies, suitable for the age of the students can support such innovative pedagogical designs (Lyons, 2008), e.g., the use of Google Docs and Google Hangouts, used in the research of Kim et al. (2014) and Kong (2014). IBL activities included the built-up of multimedia, online research, use of Drill and Practice apps and argumentative writing. Teachers aimed to use simple and accessible technology, exploiting Moodle tools (especially forums for sharing questions, comments, feedback etc.) and other open-source software (e.g., preparing a Google slides presentation).

Overall, a clear illustration of the technology and guidelines on how it could be used both at home and in-class should be given from the beginning. During the preparation of the FC learning designs, educators have to make sure that the flips (videos, presentations, online sources) can open on all devices as young students cannot solve compatibility issues on their own. Students have been overall very positive in relation to the technologies used. Their perceptions have been very important to consider within FC implementation so they would not feel helpless and discouraged (Loizou and Lee, 2020; Mason et al., 2013), but satisfied and willing to work (Zhai et al., 2017).

This research aimed to study actual FC implementation in primary school settings (Loizou and Lee, 2020). It found that teachers and students have mostly positive experiences and perceptions. Overall, students were satisfied with the FC activities, they all enjoyed the flips and many agreed that the class time interaction through the IBL activities was key to their understanding. Students and teachers perceived that the FC activities become more interesting, motivating and engaging, especially with the use of technology and particular digital tools, than traditional class. Teachers enjoyed the design and implementation process and they were willing to offer all the support and guidance the students needed throughout the learning process, through specific software and applications. These findings are in line with many others previous studies.

Contrary to many previous published studies, however, the present study is distinctive in the following ways. First, it tested the feasibility of implementing FC in a primary school context, through an action research methodology within multiple case studies. A majority of previous studies did not explicate any specific ‘digital tools’ conceptual framework to help instructors design their FCs at any level of education (Bishop and Verleger, 2013; Giannakos et al., 2014), not even the few studies which existed in primary education (Aidinopoulou and Sampson, 2017; Gough et al., 2017; Hultén and Larsson, 2016; Kostaris et al., 2017).

Moreover, it is the first time a FC model has been implemented at any level within the educational context of Cyprus. The ‘FC Technology Tool’ (Figure 1) developed could help guide future FC research in how the flips, the entrance tickets, IBL, collaboration, communication and assessment tools can better promote student engagement and achievement levels, by choosing simple and accessible digital tools for the young learners.