Flipping the High School Mathematics Classroom: The Reception, Perception, and Criticism From Students

Abstract

Since its start in 2007, the flipped classroom has grown in popularity among secondary school educators as resources have developed and as more students have gained access to technology. This thesis investigates how students perceive and respond to the pedagogical decision of mathematics teachers to modify their classroom structure from a traditional classroom style to the flipped classroom style so that future teachers can mitigate potential disadvantages of the latter. In this study, the researcher surveyed students in three Precalculus classes throughout their first flipped unit on Right Triangle Trigonometry and the Unit Circle, and gathered data about their homework habits, opinions on the advantages and disadvantages of each instructional model, and on how they perceive their own engagement. The results of the final survey showed a mixed response in student preference of instructional style. From the students’ point of view, the main advantages of the flipped format were time spent collaborating in class with the teacher and peers, and the ability to learn content at their own pace. The largest perceived disadvantage was the lack of the ability to ask questions during initial knowledge acquisition. The results of this study can help math teachers who are planning to flip their classrooms by providing insight into their students’ thoughts and concerns before and during their instruction. Incorporating student-perceived advantages and planning for anticipated concerns allows teachers to more effectively transition to the flipped classroom instructional style and more effectively facilitate student learning.