Examining the adoption and implementation of the flipped classroom in private schools: a multi-site case study

Abstract

This study explores the adoption and implementation of the flipped classroom in four private schools in the Mid-Atlantic. Its purpose was to understand why teachers choose the flipped classroom, and to describe in rich detail the pedagogical and technological approaches teachers utilized in their unique contextual classroom settings. It utilized a qualitative, multi-site case study methodology and Rogers’ (2003) Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT) as a theoretical lens. The cross case analysis revealed five major themes including: competing definitions of the flipped classroom; a spectrum of practice utilizing technology; varied adoption pathways including re-invention, problem solving, and trial and error; variation in the participants’ perceived relative advantages and affordances of flipped classroom; and sentiments of isolation among some participants. These findings begin to address a gap in the literature regarding adoption and implementation of the flipped classroom in K-12 private schools and point to several recommendations. First, continued research should help to refine a definition of practice that is grounded in pedagogical theory in K-12 contexts. Second, the impact of adoption pathways on the application of novel instructional practices like the flipped classroom needs to be explored further. Third, policy experts should consider their role in establishing Professional Learning Communities that foster adoption pathways for new pedagogies. Fourth, teachers must consider discipline-specific practices within the context of the variable technology practices found with the flipped classroom. The ultimate impact of the flipped classroom on instruction and learning will reside in its adoption pathway, implementation, and capacity to foster student-centered learning environments.