FLIPPED CLASSROOM AND GAMIFICATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION: CONTRIBUTIONS TO MEANINGFUL LEARNING, STUDENT AGENCY, AND PEDAGOGICAL INNOVATION

Abstract

Contemporary transformations in higher education have driven the adoption of active methodologies aimed at promoting more dynamic, participatory, and student-centered pedagogical practices. In this context, the present study aimed to analyze the contributions of the flipped classroom and gamification in higher education, with emphasis on meaningful learning, student agency, and pedagogical innovation. This is an integrative literature review, carried out through searches for studies in the LILACS, ERIC, and DOAJ databases and OJS repositories, covering publications from 2021 to 2026 in Portuguese, English, and Spanish. Descriptors related to active methodologies, gamification, flipped classroom, and meaningful learning were used. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, studies were selected to compose the final analysis. The results show that the flipped classroom reorganizes the teaching-learning process, promoting greater student autonomy and active participation. Gamification, in turn, stands out as a strategy capable of increasing students’ motivation and engagement. The integration of both methodologies favors the construction of more meaningful learning and promotes pedagogical innovation in higher education. It is concluded that these strategies contribute to the transformation of educational practices, strengthening students’ active role and promoting more dynamic, interactive, and collaborative learning environments. Longitudinal empirical studies are suggested to deepen the understanding of the impacts of these methodologies on academic education.