Flipping the Classroom in a Teacher Education Course

Flipping the Classroom in a Teacher Education Course

Patricia Dickenson
Copyright: © 2014 |Pages: 18
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-4987-3.ch008
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Abstract

Teacher education preparation programs prepare pre-service teachers for K-12 classrooms. In order to best prepare pre-service teachers, higher education institutions must be cognizant of the changes that are occurring in today’s K-12 classes. The flipped model is an approach to instruction where direct instruction and lecture is viewed at home and class time is used for collaboration and project-based learning. This approach to instruction is becoming increasingly popular in primary and secondary education classrooms throughout the United States. It is important to examine how a flipped classroom approach may influence pre-service teachers in a university preparation program. This chapter explores a case study that examined the flipped classroom in a teacher education course compared to a traditional course.
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Introduction

In higher education, instructional strategies have been found to influence teacher self-efficacy (Nietfeld & Cao, 2003). Teachers with high self-efficacy tend to experiment with methods of instruction, seek improved teaching methods, and experiment with instructional materials (Allinder, 1994). Two identical courses of a teacher education program were compared to determine if a flipped approach would have a greater impact on pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy than a traditional course. Pre and post-test results revealed students in the flipped classroom had a significantly higher gain in self-efficacy than students in the traditional course. This case study will reveal key factors for implementing a flipped approach in a hybrid teacher education course.

What is the Flipped Classroom?

When traditional lecture is completed at home via video or audio and student-centered activities take precedence in the classroom the approach to instruction has “flipped.” Instructors seeking to maximize the learners’ capacity to engage in small group discussion, project based learning, or problem solving tasks, will find the “flipped” model an effective means of student-centered collaboration. This constructivist approach to teaching calls on learners to become active classroom participants by placing the passivity of listening to a lecturer at the comfort of home so valuable face-to-face classroom time can be used for peer collaboration, inquiry, and project-based learning.

The “flipped” approach emerged as an educational tool in 2006 by Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams (2011) and is characterized by the use of Screencasting to deliver instruction that can be accessed at any time and place. This instructional approach has been embraced by teachers from primary school to higher education as a means of maximizing time to collaborate, problem solve, and investigate content areas.

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