Nabiyeva K.M.
The Eurasian Humanities Institute, Kazakhstan, Astana
The Incorporation of flipped classroom into the educational
process in Kazakhstani English language classrooms
Abstract: The notion of “flipped classroom” has earned its place in the
educational process in many countries. This term is also known as “the inverted
lecture”, i.e. the approach applied in engaging students and directing them into
the autonomous learning.
Key words: flipped classroom, Just-in-Time teaching (JiTT), Peer Instruction (PI),
Kazakhstani classroom, the Bologna process, student-centered approach,
constructivism theory.
The prerequisites for successful learning in modern society lie in the introduction
of new and engaging activities into classrooms. Traditional teaching usually
involves one main role in the classroom is that is the role of a teacher. The
integration of modern technologies into the present-day society substantially
enhanced students’ perception of teaching standards.
Flipped classroom is a relatively new and useful teaching method which was
developed by Gregor Novak, a professor emeritus in physics at Indiana
University. The core of his method was in encouraging students to prepare before
coming to class. “Students are taught to be independent in learning and solving
the problems and improving their communication skills that in turn lead to
increased student engagement and attendance in class [1, p. 63].
The format of traditional
classroom compels teachers to spend an essential amount of class time
presenting information, usually standing at the lectern delivering a lecture. Thus,
this turns a lecture hour into a passive listening, where students’ involvement
is almost non-existent. When students are given the opportunity to delve into a
given topic beforehand, they are much better prepared for that subject, which
doesn’t mean that the teacher wouldn’t clarify the difficult or
incomprehensible areas in the materials. The teacher’s aim is to correct or
explain any misunderstanding which students stumble upon. Likewise, the students’ involvement enables
them to be subjected to a more profound understanding of the question, and
significantly empowers them and grants them the commitment to their education.
Students attend lessons prepared for discussing the material with their peers,
it allows them to participate in interactive learning activities where they
deepen their knowledge even further.
One conspicuous
characteristic of the traditional teaching is that students have to adjust to
the pace that the instructor sets for each class session and the course as a
whole. Instructors are required to plan their lessons in such a way that all
the content of the curriculum is explained to students within the allocated
time frame. The tangible downside of such teaching is the presence of sporadic
misunderstanding which happens often during the explanation of the material.
Due to having the only source of information (the teacher), there is often a
high chance of the class progress being interrupted by struggling students,
where teachers are forced to expound the material again. Therefore, the overall
advancement of such classroom would highly be dependent on the students’ pace
of understanding of the given material. On the other hand, students in flipped
classrooms are given the opportunity to return to any part of the lecture that
they are having a difficulty with. Since the students in flipped classroom are
asked to prepare for each session individually, during their autonomous
preparation they might certainly raise some questions to the teacher – however,
consequently they are encouraged to ask their teacher any vaguely understood
information.
JiTT classes
differ from traditional lectures for two reasons: first of all, students come
to class with their completed pre-class assignment and so are prepared for the
in-class activities; secondly, the classes facilitate the students’ in-depth understanding
of the curriculum [2]. Each flipped classroom is individual due to many
factors: the quantity of students, learning conditions, the teacher-student
connection and reciprocity etc. The in-class activities usually include
group-based learning activities, discussions, and presentations – for enhancing
cooperative learning. It is advised to use JiTT in conjunction with other teaching
techniques and methods, it can be applied to motivate student learning and is suitable
at different levels and in an abundant range of disciplines [3].
Peer Instruction
(PI) is an interactive pedagogic method which main objective is to encourage
in-class interactivity to engage students and address topics which students
find challenging. However, PI is usually preceded by JiTT, i.e. the pre-class
preparation is usually completed by the time PI can be applied at the lesson. Teachers
can therefore single out the PI questions: short, multiple choice questions in
class which test students’ conceptual understanding, known as ‘Concept Tests’
[4].
The constructivism
theory corresponds with the main objective of the flipped classroom model. In
the flipped classroom, instruction shifts from being extrinsically motivated
(teacher-centered) to intrinsically motivated (student–centered) with guidance
from the teacher; this will flip the role of the professor from “the sage on
the stage” to “guide on the side” [5, p. 30]. According to King, the
constructivist perspective of student learning happens when students gain a
mastery knowledge of new information by connecting it to prior knowledge and
experience [5].
The Bologna Process has stimulated many countries including Kazakhstan to
re-think the academic model to develop a student-centered system, which
promises to be more innovative and responsive. Kazakhstan also follows in the
footsteps of progressive countries in educational sector as well. Ever since
entering the Bologna process in 2010 Kazakhstani students have been exhibiting
great results and accomplishments in education [6].
Some techniques which
are widely used in flipped classroom:
·
Group quizzes: Divide the students into groups with a maximum
of four people. Each group will complete a quiz with fact-based and
discussion-based questions that refer back to the lecture topic.
·
Jeopardy: True to the television counterpart, the
instructor prepares a board filled will questions based on varied topics
corresponding to assigned reading and lectures. The classroom is broken into
teams to tackle the questions. This can also lead to further discussion while
responding to questions.
·
Oxford-style debate: Students are instructed to respond to a
particular proposition or statement theme. With student teams, one side will
respond for the proposition and one team will respond against the proposition
and debate why. Each team will have an opportunity for rebuttals and
conclusions. Audience members are encouraged to create a “T-chart” to keep
track of interesting points from the “for” and “against’ discussions. This will
create an engaging discussion and formulate questions that last far beyond the
debate.
The above-mentioned techniques can be applied in
English language classrooms as well. In Kazakhstan there is an open range of
possibilities regarding English teaching, i.e. the teachers are given the
opportunity to implement new methods of teaching, including “flipped
classroom”. Kazakhstani students are facilitated with necessary means for education
and autonomous learning [6].
Conclusion
From many points
of view the application and incorporation of flipped classroom into educational
process would be of benefit both for teachers and students at the same time.
This method opens a wide range of possibilities for a more in-depth learning
and facilitates the immersion into the educational process. One way to engage
students into learning is to provide them with opportunities for expressing
themselves and demonstrating their creativity and insight into a given subject.
A teacher is no longer the only means or source of information, but a
facilitator, observer and peer instructor whose role is to scaffold the
educational process – not to deliver all the information on their own, but to
allow students to search for that information themselves. It doesn’t make a
teacher an idle prop for the lesson. It simply shifts the teacher’s role to a
different level. Hence, a student-centered approach would likely to take place
in the classroom instead.
References
1.
Novak,
G.M. (2011) ‘Just-in-Time Teaching’, New
Directions for Teaching and Learning, 128, pp. 63–73.
2.
Novak,
G.M. & Patterson, E. (2010) ‘An Introduction to Just-in-Time Teaching
(JiTT)’, in Simkins, S.P. & Maier, M.H. (Eds.) Just-in-Time Teaching:
Across the Disciplines, Across the Academy. Virginia, USA: Stylus Publishing,
LLC.
3.
Simkins,
S.P. & Maier, M.H. (Eds.) (2010) Just-in-Time Teaching: Across the
Disciplines, Across the Academy. Virginia, USA: Stylus Publishing, LLC.
4. Watkins, J & Mazur, E. (2010) ‘Just-in-Time
Teaching and Peer Instruction’, in Simkins, S.P. & Maier, M.H. (Eds.)
Just-in-Time Teaching: Across the Disciplines, Across the Academy. Virginia,
USA: Stylus Publishing, LLC.
5.
King,
A. (1993). From sage on the stage to guide on the side. College Teaching, 41(1).
6. Kunanbayeva S.S. Implementation of the principles of
the Bologna process:integration of foreign language education into the
international educational space. / International practical conference.
Dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Bologna process. International
strategies in the integration of educational systems: search and solutions.