An action research study in a sixth-grade mathematics class using a flipped learning model supported by the EBA education platform and thinking classrooms in mathematics

The objective of this study is to enhance both in-class and out-of-class activities implementing a unique Flipped Learning Model (FLM) in a 6th-grade mathematics class. The research intends to examine the effects of FLM practised in accordance with a real educational setting on students' academic achievement, attitudes, anxiety, to evaluates the FLM group's engagement in out-of-class and in-class activities, and gathers feedback from students and teachers. Conducted as action research during the 2022-2023 academic fall semester at the researcher's school, the study involved 12 students from a central district Imam Hatip Middle School as the FLM group, while two control groups (44 students total) were selected from 6th-grade classes at another Imam Hatip Middle School in a nearby town. The 16-week implementation included a 2-week pilot phase followed by 14 weeks of main application. The FLM group utilized the Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics framework for in-class activities and the Educational Informatics Network (EBA) platform for out-of-class work, whereas control groups followed the standard mathematics curriculum. Data were collected via achievement tests, attitude and anxiety scales, student/teacher feedback forms, out-of-class activity evaluation forms, in-class observation checklists, audio recordings, and EBA reports. Friedman and Kruskal-Wallis H tests were used to analyze achievement, attitude, and anxiety data. Students' participation in out-of-class and in-class activities was expressed with descriptive statistics, and students' opinions were subjected to descriptive analysis. Results indicated that the FLM group significantly outperformed control groups in mathematics achievement, though no significant differences were found in attitudes or anxiety. Participation in out-of-class activities among FLM students was moderate but declined over time. In-class activities under the Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics framework revealed that students successfully completed nearly all thinking tasks, improved their knowledge mobility, and took greater responsibility for their learning independently from the teacher. Both students and teachers generally expressed satisfaction with the FLM approach. Moreover, it is concluded that this distinct FLM design performed in this study allowed students to compensate knowledge gaps collaboratively and reduced the teacher's workload, demonstrating its feasibility and effectiveness, particularly in boosting academic success. Therefore, the proposed FLM model is deemed both feasible and effective, especially for enhancing achievement in mathematics education.