Examining the influence of a
flipped mathematics classroom
on achievement
Dr. Anthony Dove
Radford University
The Technology Opportunity in Education
• Access to online material for teaching and learning is
substantial and only growing
• Students learn through the technology that is available
• 20 years ago: books, DVDs, desktop computer
• Today: cell phones, tablets, YouTube, Twitter, etc.
• Technology provides new opportunities for reform teaching
and active learning, which has shown positive results on
achievement, engagement, etc. (Dori & Belcher, 2005;
Judson & Sawada, 2001; Lawson et al., 2002)
The Teacher Struggle
• Well-created lectures are easy to give to the masses
• Student-centered instruction takes more time
• More time to plan
• More time to implement during class
• Losing class time with an overfilled curricula creates
additional stress on teachers (Hannafin, Burris, & Little,
2001)
How can teachers integrate more meaningful instruction
while still meeting the requirements of a full curricula?
The Flipped Class Approach
What is a
Class?
Typical Class
• Teacher lectures in class
• If time permits, students practice briefly in class
• Students complete homework on the lecture, teacher
reviews homework next class and the cycle continues
Flipped Class
• Students watch lecture videos on upcoming material for
homework
• Class time is used to have students practice, collaborate,
and complete engaging activities
Potential Advantages of a Flipped Classroom
Currently there is limited research that specifically addresses
a flipped classroom, but there is support for the different
components of the flipped class
• Students who sit in the front row performed better when
assessed (Rosengrant et al., 2011)
• A lecture video puts you in the front row with the teacher
talking directly to you
• Students with access to videos of in-class lectures
performed significantly better when assessed (Yoon & Sneedon,
2011)
• Accessibility allows students to learn any time, anywhere,
and at their own pace
• Transparency to classroom material assists in building
trust among students, teachers, and parents (Goddard et al., 2001)
• Even parents can watch the lecture videos and learn
with their children
Research on the Flipped Classroom
• Clintondale High School (Roscorla, 2011)
• Significant increases in the pass rate on state tests in
English and Math
• Significant increase in attendance and a decrease in
disciplinary referrals
• Pierce (2013)
• Pharmacy students performed significantly better during
a flipped module
• Dove (2013)
• End-of-course surveys showed strong student preference
toward the flipped class and active learning that
occurred in flipped statistics classes
Purpose of the study
• Substantive research is needed to determine whether the
flipped class is a large-scale viable solution
• Teacher support and professional development
• School and classroom resources
• Student attitudes, beliefs, and perception of learning
• Student achievement
Research Question
Is there an impact on course achievement using the flipped
classroom approach in comparison to a “business as usual
approach”?
General Background
• MATH 111: Mathematics for Elementary Teachers at a
mid-size university
• Course materials
• Mathematics for Elementary Teachers (Beckmann, 2011)
• Desire2Learn (D2L)
• Lecture Videos
• YouTube Handle: DrDoveMath
• Created using Microsoft PowerPoint and
www.screencast-o-matic.com
Method
• Two sections of MATH 111
• Classes met Tuesday/Thursday back-to-back
• One class taught with in-class lecture (LC), one taught
with the flipped-class approach (FC)
• Same sections covered the same day
• Same tests, practice homework, projects, final exam
• FC also required to watch videos for homework
• FC worked more problems and did more activities
during class since there was no lecture
• Grades were collected for all assessments
• Independent-samples t-test conducted to compare mean
grades
Data Collection and Analysis Methods
• Grades were collected throughout the entire semester and
final exam
• Independent-samples t-test conducted to compare mean
grades
• First Assessment
• Last Assessment
• Final Exam
• Overall Course Grade
No Pre/Post achievement test was used due to the overall
project including an examination of math anxiety
Results
Section
Assessment 1
Flipped
87.3 (9.4)
Standard
84.5 (11.5)
t
1.05
df
60
Assessment 4
86.1 (8.9)
76.7 (21.0)
2.39*
60
Final Exam
88.3 (8.8)
81.6 (16.5)
2.04*
60
Course Grade
88.5 (5.29)
80.8 (14.3)
2.93**
60
Note: * p < 0.05, ** p < .01
Students’ Thoughts of the Flipped Class
End-of-course surveys had ZERO negative comments and
over 40% of students in the flipped class made a positive
comment about the flipped class approach
I loved the set up of the class! Doing the notes for homework
and a lot of practice problems in class was super helpful!
The thing that was the most helpful to me was the flipped
classroom design. I was able to take my notes outside of class
and then work with specific problems in class. I became more
familiar with the material and I was able to understand
it better. Don't change that!
Discussion
• Gradual increased gap in achievement such that the final
three achievement measures were significantly greater for
the flipped class
• Control for as many factors as possible leaves in-class
instruction as primary difference
• Limitations
• Select population: Preservice elementary and Exceptional
Education Students
• Only two sections
• Traditional: 28 students
• Flipped: 35 students
• Lack of Pre-test/Post-test Model
Current Research
• Fall 2013: Examining Personal Flipped vs. Khan Academy
vs. In-Class Lecture in MATH 111 classes
• Math Anxiety
• Math Achievement with Pre/Post Test
• Spring 2014: Flipping two sections of MATH 112,
examining influence of number of flipped courses
• Math Anxiety
• Perception of Math Ability
• Math Achievement with Pre/Post Test
• Long-term: Potential influence of flipped intro courses
for STEM majors on retention and graduation
rates
Questions?
Dr. Anthony Dove
Radford University
Email: adove3@radford.edu