Students’ Perceptions of a Token Economy in an Undergraduate Science Flipped Class-Room

Abstract

Abstract: Engaging students in higher education is a critical aspect of student learning (Barkley, 2009; Coates, 2005).Flipped classroom are being reported in the literature as a means to engage students in the learning process, compared to traditional lectures (O’Flaherty & Phillips, 2015). However, flipped classrooms are difficult to implement without students taking an active role in the learning process (Long, Cummins, & Waugh, 2017). Token economies, which are widely used in primary school settings but rarely reported in higher educational settings, enable instructors to provide students with rewards to reinforce targeted student behaviors (Hine, Ardoin, & Call, 2018; McClurg & Morris, 2014), and may be useful in the flipped classroom model. In this mixed methods case study, the researchers collected survey and focus group data from 48 undergraduate students who attended a science course with a token economy to determine the students’ perceptions of the token economy and satisfaction of the novel rewards offered. The findings indicated that over 90% of the students participated in the token economy and 74% of students indicated that the reward system reinforced the student behaviors necessary for an effective flipped classroom. The students also discussed how the token economy provided motivation and additional opportunities to master course content, decreased student anxiety, and enhanced the student-teacher relationship.

Keywords

• token reward system, positive reinforcement, flipped classroom, active learning, motivation, student anxiety, student-teacher relationship, student engagement