Flipping the Learning of Mathematics: Different Enactments of Mathematics Instruction in Secondary Classrooms

The concept of flipping the classroom and flipped learning is becoming increasingly more popular in secondary schools. Although more prevalent in tertiary teaching, flipped learning has a number of affordances that may address the challenging demands of teaching secondary mathematics. While enactments of the approach vary, flipped learning requires a reconceptualization of traditional secondary mathematics instruction in that instructional content is assigned as homework before class, providing for more targeted in-class teaching. This paper reports on a study that investigated the enactment of the flipped classroom in ten different secondary mathematics classes. Findings indicated that there were essentially three different ways in which the approach was enacted, yet all enactments appeared to offer similar affordances. The study adds to the limited research that documents flipped learning in secondary mathematics classes and contributes to current understandings of teachers’ and students’ perceptions of their experiences of such an approach and the affordances it offers. The study has implications for secondary students and teachers of mathematics, particularly those who are teaching within the constraints of prescribed textbooks and externally imposed assessment measures.