Assessing Behavioral Engagement in Flipped and Non-Flipped Mathematics Classrooms: Teacher Abilities and Other Potential Factors

Abstract

There is a growing evidence that flipped classrooms are associated with increased levels of student engagement, as compared to engagement in “traditional” settings. Much of this research, however, occurs in post-secondary classrooms and is based upon self-reported engagement data. This study seeks to extend existing flipped classroom research by assessing behavioral engagement in flipped and non-flipped settings using observational instruments in three pre-college settings. Contrary to widely-reported results, this study found an increase in engagement in only one of the three observed settings. Analyses of the classroom contexts and teachers’ actions in the three settings suggests that student engagement is not solely a function of instructional strategy (flipped versus non-flipped), but is also affected by student characteristics and teachers’ skill and expectations.