Discrepancies between Student Perception and Achievement of Learning Outcomes in a Flipped Classroom

Jenna R Van Sickle

doi:10.14434/josotl.v16i2.19216

Abstract

In a college algebra course that used flipped/inverted pedagogy, students achieved learning outcomes at a significantly higher rate, as evidenced by results on the final exam. At the same time, student perception on a number of measures decreased significantly, including how interested students were in the course and whether the instructor effectively facilitated learning. This article will draw on a variety of research to suggest reasons for these discrepancies and possible solutions to help improve student perception in learner-centered instruction.

Highlights

The purpose of this article is to describe the results of using a flipped pedagogy in a college algebra course
It indicated that student learning improved by 6% on average, as measured by examinations, and that students in lecture-based classes were 1.5 times more likely to fail than students in classes that used active learning strategies (Weiman, C.E., 2014; Freeman, Eddy, McDonough, Smith, Okorafor, Jordt, and Wenderoth, 2014). This college algebra course was no exception. When compared to those of a control group, students in the flipped classes performed significantly better on a final exam than students in traditional classes (Van Sickle, 2015)
Noting the dates of the courses, one can observe that after four semesters of using flipped pedagogy, the instructor decided to revert to a traditional lecture class. This may seem surprising given that students in the flipped classes were performing significantly better on the final exam than those in lecture classes

Summary

Introduction

The purpose of this article is to describe the results of using a flipped (or inverted) pedagogy in a college algebra course. It will describe the results of the course with respect to student learning outcomes, as measured by the results of a final exam and compared with a traditional lecture course, and highlight the discrepancies between the student course evaluations and the final exam scores It will draw on a variety of research to suggest reasons for these discrepancies and possible solutions to help improve student perception in flipped instruction and learner-centered instruction generally. This course took place at Fontbonne University, a small, Catholic university that enrolls approximately 2,000 students. The students taking college algebra were typically not mathematics majors, but were taking it as a required course for their major

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