What effect will flipping my 7th grade science classroom have on classroom climate and student achievement?

Seminar Title

What effect will flipping my 7th grade science classroom have on classroom climate and student achievement?

Flipped Classrooms

7th Grade

7th Grade

Science

Mathematics

Have you ever wondered about flipping your classroom lessons but don’t know where to start? For two weeks I implemented a flipped classroom model in my 7th grade science classroom. I am excited to share my research with the St. Mary’s learning community because implementing the practice has created more opportunities for students in my classroom and has truly made me more of a “guide on the side”. For my research I learned how to create my own high-quality videos and share them with students using the EdPuzzle platform which has allowed me to incorporate more formative assessment into my lessons than ever before. I believe my presentation is appropriate for any middle level or secondary teacher interested in flipping their direct instruction time. So if you are interested in the process of flipping your lessons or the positive effects it has had on my classroom environment, this is the session for you!

The question guiding my research is as follows: What effect will flipping my 7th grade science classroom have on classroom climate and student achievement. In the science classroom, even when adopting an inquiry-based approach, there is still need for direct instruction at times and thus I have chosen to investigate using video lessons (flipping my classroom) for content delivery. A review of the literature of the flipped classrom model helped me develop a plan for adopting a modified version in my own classroom. Many of the ideas used were borrowed from two pioneers of the method, Aaron Sams and Jonathan Bergmann. As a result of my literature review, the area I targeted for change in my practice included flipping several lecture-style lessons on cells delivered in a 7th grade science classroom. Contrary to a more ‘traditional approach’ to a flipped classroom method, students were allotted at least some time to view the instructional videos in class. As I implemented flipped classroom videos which I created and delived to students via edPuzzle, three types of data were collected: 1.) Teacher reflection/journaling immediately following instruction. 2.) Student perceptions of the modified flipped model 3.) Student academic performance on the cells summative assessment. Through my research, I have learned how to create high-quality flipped classroom videos of myself teaching the content and how to effectively use the edPuzzle platform to formatively assess student comprehension. I have found that increased time invested on my part to make the videos lively and engaging led to a positive student response. I also noticed a sharp decrease in classroom disruptions during video viewing time as compared to a traditional lecutre. In addition, I was unable to distincly prove that using a modifed flipped method led to increased summative test scores, but I am continuing to compare this year’s scores to those prior. As a result of my interest in implementing a modified flipped method of content delivery in the 7th grade science classroom, I will continue using the method several times per month to both add variety in my classroom and teach content well suited to the practice. I will also continue to create higher-quality videos and develop better techniques for formative assessment.