The Impact of Flipped Classroom Instruction on Student Achievement in the

Social Studies Classroom: A Research Proposal

By Tracy Smith

Abstract
 Interest in flipped classrooms and their effect on student achievement has grown in recent
years. However, much of the current research focuses on post-secondary schools and
mathematics and has contained mixed results. The research available has shown a
potential for positive impact on student achievement, especially among low achieving
students. Currently, few studies have been conducted at the secondary school level on the
impact of flipped classrooms on student achievement, or on other subjects, such as
history and language arts. The purpose of the proposed research is to investigate the
effect of flipped classroom instruction in a social studies middle school classroom on
student achievement. The proposed study will contain 140 public middle school social
studies students in Maryland taking a required World History course, on an A/B Day
schedule. Participants will be selected using convenience sampling, and placed in an
experimental group, receiving flipped classroom instruction, and a control group,
receiving traditional, teacher-led instruction. Data will be collected in the form of pretest
and posttest achievement test scores. The data will be analyzed utilizing a t-test gain
analysis to determine any growth in student achievement. The results of this study could
have implications for teaching strategies to increase student achievement

Introduction
Background
Technology is forever evolving and in recent years the importance of technology in the
classroom has become increasingly evident, especially during the Covid 19 pandemic and the
move to virtual learning. New educational methods utilizing technology are being developed at a
rapid pace to prepare students to compete in a globally competitive world, while at the same
time, in the United States, we are seeing a trend in declining student achievement and an increase
in low achieving learners and those with learning difficulties entering the classrooms. According
to the most recent NAEP report card, student achievement in math and reading has remained
stagnant or decreased since 2017, with 31 states showing a decrease in reading scores at the 8th
grade level (NAEP, 2019). Recent questions about possible “learning loss” due to Covid 19 has
led to an increase in concern over declining student achievement and how to address the
problem.

I work at a school where teachers have struggled with low reading and mathematics scores in
recent years, while at the same time, the number of students entering the school with learning
difficulties and disabilities has been increasing at an alarming rate. I teach social studies, which
requires a lot of extended reading, and many students struggle with traditional text-based
information and comprehension that impacts student achievement. The introduction of 1:1 device
in the classrooms has brought many challenges but it has also provided opportunities to engage
students more in more collaborative activities in my class. This is due to the numerous ways
assistive technology can be used to differentiate learning activities, as well as increase student
learning outcomes, achievement and motivation. This has driven my desire to implement
technology into my classroom in various ways. It has also sparked my interest in the use of
flipped classrooms in conjunction with collaborative learning activities as a means of increasing
student achievement and learning outcomes. 

In a world that is becoming increasingly digitally connected, it is imperative that educator’s take
advantage of this platform to reach the new generation of “digital natives” in a medium that
many students today are familiar and comfortable with because they have spent most of their
lives surrounded by and using it (Prensky, 2001).  Most of the youth today receive much of their
information through media forums such as videos, social media, and blogs. Many students have
become comfortable with this format for acquiring information, versus reading textbooks,
newspapers and magazines, and the best way to reach this new generation is to do so in the form
of communication they have become familiar with and reliant on.  Utilizing technology and
presenting information to students in this forum could have a positive impact on student
achievement and mastery of learning goals. 

Statement of Purpose
 What is a “flipped classroom”? The flipped classroom can be defined as an approach that “is a
technology-supported pedagogy that consists of two components: (1) direct computer-based
individual instruction outside the classroom through video lectures and (2) interactive group
learning activities inside the classroom” (Lo & Hew, 2017, p. 5). The use of technology in the
classroom allows for the opportunity to increase differentiation for students, incorporate more
collaborative and problem-solving activities, as well as increase teacher-student interaction,
leading to a positive increase in achievement for all learners, especially low achieving students.
This is supported by the social constructivist theory that learners construct knowledge through
collaborative learning and interactions with society and culture. For the purposes of this
proposal, “collaborative learning” is an educational approach to teaching and learning that
involves groups of learners working together to solve a problem, complete a task, or create a
product (Laal & Laal, 2012). With declining student achievement, the traditional classroom
approach does not appear to be effective in addressing the problem. The purpose of this study is
to determine the effect of flipped classroom instruction on student achievement. I believe the
implementation of flipped classroom instruction could potentially lead to an increase in student
achievement. If this study finds an increase in student achievement as a result of flipped
classroom instruction, this approach to instruction could help address declining student
achievement in schools by offering a new teaching approach.

Literature Review
In recent years, there has been a significant amount of research done on the implementation of
the flipped classroom approach and the impact it has on student achievement. For the purpose of
this paper, student achievement refers to assessment scores and learning outcomes. Very little
research has been done on the flipped classrooms at the K-12 level, or about social studies and
history courses, with most of the research on flipped classrooms focusing on post-secondary
institutions and mathematics courses (Gough et. al, 2017). This lack of research at the K-12 level
could be due to the relative newness of flipped classrooms at the secondary level.  Much of the
research that has been done on flipped classrooms at the secondary level have indicated
promising results for student achievement, although some studies do not show a significant
difference. This could be attributed to the length of the studies or the underutilization of class
time for problem-centered activities or student-centered collaborative activities (Lo et. al, 2018). 
My research study would address the gap in research on K-12 schools, especially the lack of
research in middle schools, as well as the gap in research in the subject area of social studies.

 In a collective study of four secondary schools, Lo cited evidence of significant increases in post
assessment scores for students taking flipped classroom courses in mathematics, physics and
Chinese language (Lo et., al, 2018). In another action study (Kostaris et. al, 2017), students in the
experimental group receiving flipped classroom instruction outperformed the students in the
control group who received traditional classroom instruction, on all assessments. Kostaris found
significant increases in the 2nd and 3rd assessments, indicating that the length of the instructional
period using flipped instruction may have a positive impact on student achievement (Kostaris, et.
al, 2017; Lo et. al, 2018; Martin et.al, 2016). The study findings also indicate that flipped
classroom instruction led to improvement in cognitive learning outcomes. Kostaris found that the
group that benefited the most in terms of cognitive learning outcomes were the low performing
students, showing the largest improvement in achievement with an overall increase of 22.49% in
assessment scores (Kostaris, 2017, p. 267). An action study by Aidenopoulou found higher
learner outcomes as part of an action research study on flipped classrooms, as well as a positive
impact on students’ historical thinking skills (Aidenopoulou et.al, 2017). Historical thinking
skills can be defined as students learning “how to use historical context and perspectives
different to their own, towards developing critical historical thinking skills' ' (Aidenopoulou, et.
al, 2017, p. 238).  

Not all studies found a significant increase in student achievement. One comparative quantitative
research study by Martin found increases in student achievement but after adding a multi-level
model to the study found those achievement increases to be insignificant. The study did
acknowledge that the increase in scores for ethnic subgroups, specifically African American
students, was promising (Martin et. al, 2016). It should be noted that this comparative study did
not document classroom differentiation by participating teachers, nor did it include the type of
classroom structures, feedback and collaborative activities utilized as part of its data (Martin et.
al, 2016). Flipped classrooms allow for increased class time related to student-teacher
interaction, as well as student-student interaction from collaborative and problem-solving
activities. These activities, arguably, are the direct result of an increase in active learning
instruction, a direct benefit of flipped classrooms, and therefore, should be considered when
measuring the impact of flipped classroom instruction on student achievement (Lo et. al, 2018;
Kostaris et. al, 2017; Aidenopoulou et. al, 2017). The nature of the class activities utilized from
the additional class time permitted, as the result of flipped instruction, is something that should
be seriously considered in future studies. The increase in class time is a direct benefit of utilizing
this method of instruction and therefore could have an impact on the findings concerning student
achievement.

In a study by Gough on teacher perceptions of flipped classrooms at the K-12 level, he reports
student success was 11% higher than in traditional classrooms and that flipped instruction
benefits absent and struggling students, as well as those with learning disabilities (Gough et. al,
2017). Altemueller found flipped classroom instruction benefitted low achievers more than high
and average achievers and Jong reported medium increases in student achievement for low
achieving students as well, indicating promising results for the use of flipped classrooms for low
achieving students (Altemueller and Lindquist, 2017; Jong, 2017). In a literature review on
flipped classroom instruction for inclusive learning, Altemueller also pointed out that self-pacing
lessons allow students to progress at their own individual pace, and that front-loading essential
objectives in flipped classroom instruction would allow students working at a slower pace to still
achieve those objectives (Altemueller and Lindquist, 2017). 

Gough does acknowledge a high school computer course study by Johnson & Renner that
showed no significant difference in achievement. Gough argues that this may be due to a lack of
a sense of responsibility by the students and that the sample in the study were able to volunteer
for the study may account for the lack of significant difference in student achievement, rather
than the use of the flipped classroom instruction itself (Gough et. al, 2017).  In a study involving
47 high school students enrolled in a Geometry course, DeSantis cites no significant differences
in the learning outcomes for students in the flipped classroom compared to those of the
traditional classroom (DeSantis et. al, 2015). However, it should be noted that after flipped
instruction at home, the students in the experimental group completed an activity guide
independently. The in-class time was not used for collaborative or student-centered learning
activities, which is one of the benefits of flipped classrooms, and therefore could explain the
insignificant difference in student learning outcomes (Lo et. al, 2018; Kostaris et. al, 2017;
Aidenopoulou et. al, 2017).
Overall, the current research on flipped classrooms and their impact on student achievement
appears to be promising, but not nearly enough research has been done at the secondary school
level to date. There has also been a disproportionate amount of research studies performed in
mathematics classrooms, and very few research studies performed in other subject areas, such as
history and language arts. Further research is recommended in the secondary school setting
involving more subjects and that the studies be carried out for longer time periods, since current
data indicates that student achievement increases as course delivery progresses. Future research
studies should also include how in class time is utilized, as well as the types of problem-based
learning and student collaborative activities that are incorporated in conjunction with flipped
classroom instruction. The flipped classroom model “maximizes face to face classroom-based
activities, hands-on activities and individual scaffolding”, all of which contribute to a positive
impact on student achievement (Kostaris et. al, 2017, p. 261). Further research in these areas
would serve to clarify the impact of flipped classroom instruction on student achievement.

Statement of the Hypothesis

The purpose of this Quasi-Experimental Quantitative research study is to answer the following
questions:
RQ1. What is the effect of flipped classroom instruction on student achievement and
learning outcomes?
RQ2. What is the effect of flipped classroom instruction on special education
students’ achievement and learning outcomes?
RQ3. What is the effect of flipped classroom instruction on achievement and learning
outcomes based on student gender?
RQ4: What is the effect of flipped classroom instruction on student achievement and
learning outcomes based on student ethnicity?

Methods
Participants
Participants in this study consist of 140 7th grade World History students from a lower-middle-
class urban public middle school in Baltimore County, Maryland. The student population is
multicultural, with the school receiving a diversity score of .76. The student body is composed of
29% Caucasian, 29% African American, 25% Hispanic, and 11% Asian students. The 7th grade
population consists of approximately 250 students, the sample population will be selected using
the non-random convenience sampling design. This design has been selected because this is a
quasi-experimental study that will take place in the classroom at my school. Students in the study
are on an A/B Day schedule, and classes are predetermined prior to study.  I have concerns over
using this method because it might be difficult to determine if the sample is representative of the
population, so I plan to use all three classes on A days in the experimental group, and all three
classes on B days in the control group. This would give me a sample size of about 140 students,
nearly half of the 7th grade population at my school. The fact that all 7th grade students are
required to take World History makes it likely the sample will be diverse in terms of student
population. Students will be divided into groups based on which day they are in World History
class. Students on A Day schedule will receive flipped instruction, and the other group (B day
students) will receive traditional classroom instruction. A consent letter describing the nature of
the study and an assurance of confidentiality will be mailed to parents of participants in the
study. 

Measures
The measuring instruments for this study will consist of numerical scores from an achievement
test, including both a pretest and a posttest. The Diagnostic test and Unit 1 posttest designed by
the Baltimore County Maryland Office of Secondary Social Studies Office will be administered,
as well as intermediate learning check assessments to assess student achievement and mastery of
learning goals. The Diagnostic and Unit 1 test contain multiple choice questions and an essay
prompt designed by the county utilizing both the selection and supply method of data collection,
with the essay portion being scored utilizing the social studies writing rubric provided by the
county.  Intermittent formative and summative assessments will also be administered to both
groups to address the learning goals of the unit that will be used to assess student mastery that
include: 1) How did religion and trade influence the development and fall of the Byzantine
Empire? 2) How did religion and trade influence the development and expansion of the Islamic
Empire? 3) How did religion and trade influence the development of the West African
Kingdoms? 4) How did trade influence the development of the Song Dynasty? These will also be
collected using the same data collection method as the achievement tests.

Demographic information on gender, ethnicity and special education status will be collected
from the Focus database on the student population at the school that is provided to the staff. For
the demographics data for variables measured at the nominal level (gender, ethnicity, special
learners/IEP students), percentages will be computed and reported along with the number of
cases in each category separately for each of the three subgroups in this study. The Diagnostic
and Unit 1 Assessment tests will be administered between 15-18 weeks apart depending on how
long it takes the unit to be completed. For this age group, that should diminish validity threats
from pretest-treatment interaction.

Procedures
Participants will receive instruction on Unit 1 Religious and Trade Empires, covering the
Byzantine Empire, the West African Trading Kingdoms, the Abbasid Caliphate, and the Song
Dynasty. This unit will cover an entire grade quarter. The nonequivalent control group design
will be used, all participants will be given the Diagnostic pre-test at the beginning of the study
and the Unit assessment post-test at the completion of the study. Participants will be divided into
groups based on which day they are in World History class. Participants on the A Day schedule
will be in the experimental group and receive flipped instruction as the independent variable.
This instruction will include pre-class activities consisting of videos and pre-recorded lectures on
new concepts and content and participation in online discussions and gamified online assessment
activities in conjunction with pre-class assignments that can track and provide hard data on
student completion and success on the assigned material. The control group (B Day students)
will receive traditional classroom instruction, including guided in class instruction on the same
material assigned prior to class to the experimental group. Both groups will participate in
collaborative activities in class such as small group discussions, think-pair-share, and
collaborative small group products. It is acknowledged that the control group will have less in
class time for collaborative activities than the experimental group due to in class guided
instruction from the teacher. This is a factor in the implementation of the flipped instructional
method. Both groups will receive the same independent formative and summative assessments.

The use of analysis of covariance statistical methods for equating randomly formed groups on
one or more variables, such as reading readiness and pre-test scores, will be utilized to address
issues of validity threats such as regression, interactions between selection, maturation, history
and testing.

Design
The study will use a quasi-experimental study design, using nonequivalent control groups, and
convenience sampling, and utilizing the quantitative method for data collection. The
nonequivalent control group design was selected because students are in already intact
classrooms. The use of analysis of covariance statistical methods for equating randomly formed
groups on one or more variables, such as reading readiness, will be utilized to address issues of
validity threats such as regression, interactions between selection, maturation, history, and
testing.

Data Analysis
Mean will be used for descriptive statistics in this study. A mean score for the pretest
achievement test and posttest achievement test for the experimental group, receiving flipped
instruction, and the control group, receiving traditional classroom instruction, will be utilized.
Data analysis will consist of comparing the mean scores of both groups using the t-test gain score
analysis method to measure gain between pre-test and post-test scores after receiving flipped
instruction treatment. The statistical significance will be set at a level of p< 0.05. If pre-test
scores reflect significant differences, analysis of covariance will be applied to address initial
differences on pre-test scores.

Timeline

Stage Activity May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. March

Research Finalize research X

design and problem/questions
planning
Develop research X
design

Prepare research X
proposal

Literature Search, capture and X

review synthesize relevant
literature

Prepare draft X
literature review and
submit for review by
supervisor

Data Finalize sampling plan X

collection

Develop data X
collection instrument

Pre-test/pilot data X
collection instrument

Carry out data X X X X

collection

Write up data X
collection

Data Prepare data for X

analysis analysis

Analyze data X
 Draw conclusions/ X
recommendations

Writing up Final draft of report X

Review draft with X

supervisor

Final editing X

Printing, binding and X

final submission

Discussion
There are several limitations to this study. The sample is limited to one urban school in a low
socioeconomic area, and includes a convenience sample that makes it difficult to generalize the
findings on a larger scale. Despite these limitations, this study will provide important
information about the impact of flipped classroom instruction on student achievement in the
Social Studies classroom at the middle school level, an area currently overlooked and has the
potential to offer a new approach to current teaching practices.

Anticipated Outcomes
As a result of this study, students receiving flipped instruction will show a significant increase in
student achievement based on the t-test gain analysis of the pretest and posttest scores of the
students. I also anticipate that special learners may make more gains than other groups, as
current research suggests. I do anticipate some initial resistance and challenges in participants
not completing flipped activities outside of the classroom initially. I do not anticipate a
significant increase in already high achieving students.
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