The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the flipped classroom approach to OpenCourseWare instruction on students’ self‐regulation. OpenCourseWare was integrated into the flipped classroom model (experimental group) and distance learning (control group). Overall, 181 freshmen taking a physics course were allowed to choose their own class based on their preferred teaching method (experimental or control group). The findings indicated that there was no significant between‐group difference in terms of self‐regulation. However, when comparing the means for the six categories of self‐regulation, the results showed that the experimental group learners had significantly higher scores for the category of help‐seeking. The use of the flipped classroom model created a learning environment which prompted its learners to proactively seek external help. These learners were more aware of their need for external help in their studies and were able to identify the person/people who could solve their academic problems, while they were able to find the appropriate means to do so and actually obtain help. The results of this study can serve as a reference for future studies on the flipped classroom model and OpenCourseWare, as well as for teachers and researchers in related fields.