English-medium instruction Calculus in Confucian-Heritage Culture: Flipping the class or overriding the culture?

Abstract

We discuss the flipped classroom implementation for a Single Variable Calculus (SVC) course in a Confucian Heritage Culture (CHC) environment. A theoretical framework is composed of Bloom's taxonomy, English-medium instruction (EMI) and technology adaptation. Four different types of instructions were designed, three were flipped and one acts as a control. We investigate both quantitative and qualitative aspects of the pedagogy. Quantitative analysis indicates a statistically significant difference in the exam scores between fully-flipped and single-topic flipped instruction as determined by one-way ANOVA (F(3, 306) = 2.67, p = 0.0477) with a small practical significance of the effect size (eta(2) = 0.0255). Qualitative findings suggest that although students' engagement and communication with instructors have been enhanced, some challenges related to language and culture, along with minimizing competition and learning about a new technological tool persist.