A framework for capturing structural variation in flipped mathematics instruction

ABSTRACT

Teachers are implementing flipped instruction in an increasing number of mathematics classes but the research base is not yet well developed on this topic. Many studies of flipped instruction in mathematics have involved a small number of classes utilizing flipped instruction being compared to classes with non-flipped instruction, but this study design fails to account for variations in how teachers implement flipped instruction. There seems to be as much variation within flipped implementations and within non-flipped implementations as there are between the two categories. To aid systematic attention to variation, this article presents a framework for flipped mathematics lessons that identifies key features of the videos assigned as homework as well as features of the in-class time with students. The components of the framework allow for structurally similar implementations to be grouped together meaningfully whereas different implementations, though still under the banner of ‘flipped instruction’, can be distinguished from one another. The framework is illustrated with data from flipped mathematics classes at secondary and post-secondary levels.

KEYWORDS:

• Flipped instruction
• teaching
• classroom discourse
• technology

Acknowledgements

We thank Nicole Fyten, Abigail Heffern, and the entire Flipped Math Study team for their help on the analysis and we thank the teachers and students for allowing us to work with them.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the ReSTEM Institute in the University of Missouri College of Education and by the National Science Foundation Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (award #1721025), though any opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.