Assessment of Learning and Engagement in the Flipped Classroom of Analytical Mathematics

Abstract

Learning techniques have evolved over time in an attempt to improve student engagement across various subjects in higher education. Mathematics has largely followed certain learning methods that take a more traditional approach. Although interactive and active learning in mathematics are more common in higher education, university level mathematics is more complex, content-heavy, and presents more challenges in applying active learning approaches, as a passive approach of traditional lectures has always been used. The concerns of learning problems in mathematics are ignored, and a lack of metacognitive awareness of mathematical thinking and problem-solving skills appears to persist despite educator disagreements on an effective learning methodology. Using multiple models to deliver lessons may help to drive the changes needed to improve student engagement and satisfaction in mathematics learning. To make these methods applicable and effective in students' mathematical education experiences, educators must be encouraged to present active learning techniques so that students can begin to facilitate their own learning, which can be accomplished by introducing approaches tailored to the individual, such as student-centered approaches. Although studies mostly in further education, have been conducted on teaching techniques such as the flipped classroom, so as to determine its efficacy in improving mathematics achievement compared to traditional lectures, the results to date have not been consistent, enforcing thus the need to examine this approach in a higher educational level and to a STEM related subject. This paper evaluates the techniques used by mathematicians to deliver lessons and how it reflects on learning and engagement of students in comparison to the flipped classroom approach which inverts the common traditional lecture style used in classrooms. In this research, the flipped classroom model is applied to a topic from a university foundation level module, Analytical Mathematics, and the outcomes of the quantitative analysis reveal a reduction in the success of students' performance, implying a lesser impact on improved learning. In terms of engagement, findings from the study's qualitative analysis demonstrate positive aspects of the flipped classroom model, particularly an optimistic engagement among peers.