This study examines persistence in a “flipped” classroom, where students view online lectures outside of class and the instructor devotes class time to active, cooperative learning activities and student questions. Presumably, flipping supports deeper learning and understanding during class because shifting lecture online creates time in the classroom for more active, supportive learning methods that also support students’ motivational needs (Johnson et al., 2014; Linnenbrink & Pintrich, 2002). Descriptive results suggest that persistence was higher in the flipped condition (96.67%) compared to the traditional instruction condition (88.51%). Using logistic regression, students in the flipped condition were 4.42 times more likely to persist than students in the traditional lecture classroom, even after controlling for gender and initial motivation levels (p <.001). Persistence in a Flipped Classroom: The Effect of “Flipping” on Undergraduate Course Persistence Emily A. Bovee 1, Patrick N. Beymer 1, William Saltarelli 2, Lisa Linnenbrink-Garcia 1, and Cary Roseth 1 1 Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology, & Special Education, Michigan State University 2 School of Health Sciences, Central Michigan University CREATE for STEM Conference, 2016 Compared to the traditional lecture classroom, are students in a flipped classroom more likely to persist in the course? Data Collection Procedure Collected two semesters’ data for comparison purposes Semester 1: Traditional lecture style (“business as usual”) Semester 2: Flipped classroom format Dependent Variables Persistence: Course completion measured by completion of the final exam. Control Variables Perceived Academic Competence: “Can I do this?” 5 items (α =.81) Utility Value: “Will this be useful in my future?” 5 items (α =.85) Perceived Cost: “Is this worth the things I give up now?” 16 items (α =.62) Figure 1. Screenshot from the online lecture The flipped classroom will increase students’ persistence, even when controlling for other potential factors (e.g. initial motivation) that could increase likelihood of persistence. Experimental Design A quasi-experimental design was used to compare traditional lecture instruction (semester 1) with flipped instruction (semester 2) in two different semesters of the same anatomy course taught by the same instructor. “Business as Usual”: Traditional Lecture Flipped classroom format Students listen to lecture and take notes in the classroom Students watch lectures at home Preparation for exams takes place individually Preparation for exams takes place collaboratively If a concept is not understood, students attempt to figure it out on their own If a concept is not understood, students and professor work together to develop understanding Content delivered via PowerPoint slides and verbal lecture Content delivered via recorded lecture; students watch them at home Individualized study strategies – and no checks/balances if a student is memorizing the wrong answer Structured, collaborative learning activities with instructor feedback Individual content rehearsal and reflection Small group discussions The Flipped Classroom Motivation to pursue STEM fields STEM coursework Persistence in STEM STEM career attainment PurposeResearch QuestionHypothesis Experimental Design Results Conclusion This study may aid practitioners in implementing the flipped classroom design. This study may also inform practitioners about a possible mechanism for reducing attrition rates in STEM courses. Future Directions Method Analyses Preliminary Analyses To ensure that there were no significant differences between the two classrooms in initial motivation, we first tested for initial differences (see Figure 2). There were no statistically significant differences in students’ self-reported perceived competence, utility value, and perceived cost at the beginning of each semester. Primary Analyses Logistic regression was used to examine the effect of the classroom format (traditional v. flipped) on course persistence, after controlling for gender and students’ initial motivation. Flipped instruction significantly increased persistence; students in the flipped classroom were four times more likely to persist than students in the traditional lecture course. This effect may be due to the affordances of flipping (i.e., allowing students to watching online lectures on their own and using class time for more active, cooperative learning activities). These types of activities are designed to increase motivation and achievement.