Teaching Multi-grade Classes

VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT OF TEACHER EDUCATION

TEACHING MULTIGRADE CLASSES

Written Report

In

PrEd 190a

Special Topics

(Laboratory)

Prepared by:

Magno, Rosemarie

Mantua, Ahldeter S.

Miao, Cindy D.

Ocon, Lenie Joy F.

Pelayo, Avon Grace C.

Pepito, Jennifer M.

Posas, Jubell E.

Submitted to:

MARK GIL A. VEGA

Instructor

I. TEACHING MULTIGRADE CLASSES

            Teaching Multigrade classes, as a topic under PrEd190a (Special Topics), aims to introduce the concepts of the Multigrade program in our educational system to both BSEd and BEEd students.

II. OBJECTIVES

            At the end of the discussion, the students will be able to:

·         Define the meaning of Multigrade.

·         Trace the history of teaching Multigrade classes.

·         Identify the objectives of teaching Multigrade classes.

·         Determine the benefits and challenges in Multigrade classes.

·         Identify the basic principles of Multigrade teaching.

III. INTRODUCTION

            Learning includes all activities that stimulate students’ physical, mental, spiritual and personality development. It should be the primary objective of each school to admit all children and provide quality education and must develop each of their potentials. Therefore, it is not viable to appoint teachers for each class, where the admission is between 50-60 students which students completely depend on them. So in this situation, it becomes essential for a teacher to handle more grades at the same time. If students are involved in their learning process, they can learn on their own. The teacher has to create apt learning climate for individual learning and group learning. The teacher can assist the students in the learning activities at regular intervals. Multigrade teaching environment is prevalent in most of the schools in our country. So, when a teacher handles many grades, activity-based learning, peer learning and classroom learning must take natural and involved learning. Multigrade teaching is practiced in different parts of the world. It involves teaching-learning activities, production of teaching-learning materials, planning and organizing learning events which promotes an effective learning acquisition.

IV. BODY

DEFINITION

            Multigrade teaching shall be best understood if being defined term by term. Multiple means having or involving more than one part, and grade, in education, refers to a group of pupils or students of similar age or ability taught together at school so multigrade simply means many grades. Moreover, teaching, from the traditionalists’ point of view, is imparting knowledge or skill, or helping some individuals learn thru giving instruction or lessons. Multigrade teaching, therefore, refers to the practice in primary education of teaching children from a number of grades in one class. It is a situation in which one teacher has to teach many grades, all at the same time and it occurs within a graded system of education when a single class contains two or more student grade levels. It is contrasted with the usual pattern of classroom organization in graded systems where a single classroom contains students of only one grade level. In many graded systems, age and grade are congruent, so a grade level is also equivalent to a particular age group of students. However, this may not be the case in systems where grade level repetition and acceleration are common.

            The following terms also play relevant roles towards defining Multigrade teaching:

            Multilevel teaching. This pertains to teaching of students or groups having different level of achievements in a classroom by a teacher at the same time. Here, a teacher teaches the content to the students of different learning levels, skills or abilities. All learners do not possess the same level of learning ability. As a result, a teacher applies appropriate technology, approach, technique, and learning method to enhance the students’ achievement skills in multilevel teaching.

            Small or Multigrade school. This is defined as a primary school in which there are fewer teachers than grades and consequently the majority of classes must of necessity contain more than one grade level. Small schools are frequently found in rural and sparsely populated areas in both developed and developing countries. They are also sometimes referred to as multigrade schools.

            Monograde school. This is defined as a primary school in which the majority of the classes are organized along monograde lines. These schools tend to be larger in both pupil and teacher numbers in multigrade schools, ensuring that there are sufficient teachers to take a separate grade level class.

            Multigrade class. This term is used to describe any class in which students of different grade levels are placed together for administrative reasons. These include combination class, vertically grouped class, mixed age class, split-grade class, and double grade class (the latter two terms for classes containing only two grades).

            Monograde class. A class that contains students of a single grade level, but usually of mixed abilities. Normally such classes contain students of a similar age range. The term single age class is sometimes used to identify classes that contain students of a specified age range congruent with grade level.

            Multiage class. A class that has been organized across grade levels and ages by choice and for pedagogical reasons. Such classes may occur in either graded or ungraded school contexts.

HISTORY

            Multigrade teaching has actually been around for a very long time; much longer than the single graded classroom. The early Jews developed schools for boys from ages six to thirteen and taught them in synagogues.

            In ancient Greece, young boys, ages 7-18 were taught together to receive physical and mental training. In medieval guilds, learners studied with their teachers until they were ready to be on their own. Some would finish their apprenticeship soon, while others may take longer. Each was however considered as good as the artisan who taught them. In the monasteries of the 1550s, a sixteen year old and a six year old were likely to be seated side by side in the same class (Longstreet & Shane, 1993:58).

            The earliest American schools were multi-aged. The one-room school house was the most common model of formal education programs for elementary school children before the 1880s. They included all children of the village, from 6 to 16. Even the rural schoolrooms of 25 to 50 years ago contained learners of a wide variety of ages with just one teacher. It was then before the single grade classes were organized (Moen, 1999:5).

            In much of Africa, a major rationale for multigrade education is probably its potential to increase access to the full cycle of primary education in areas where this is currently not available.

            Interest in multi-age education peaked in the early 1990s, and a growing number of school districts put such programs in place, attracted by their emphasis on developmentally appropriate practices (Pardini, 2005). In 1990, the Kentucky Education Reform Act embraced the multi-age philosophy and mandated that every school in the state provide an ungraded primary program. Children were to be given the opportunity to progress from kindergarten through 3rd grade at their own pace. However, by 1998, Kentucky relaxed its mandate in the face of growing dissatisfaction of teachers and administrators who found the ungraded programs difficult to implement and of parents who did not quite understand the workings of multi-age classroom. With the onset of No Child Left Behind, the interest in multi-age education declined still further, because of the very specific grade-level standards and testing requirements.

            However, to some extent, students continue to be grouped together for instructional purposes if perhaps largely for administrative rather than philosophical reasons, in what are called multigrade or combination classrooms. This may be due, for example, to having fewer teachers than grade levels or uneven pupil enrollment (Veenman, 1995; Mason and Burns, 1997). These multigrade classrooms are very different in nature from multi-age classrooms where students are deliberately organized across grade levels by choice and for pedagogical or philosophical reasons. In multigrade classrooms, grade levels remain distinct and students remain linked with their grade level as opposed to students in multi-age classrooms who tend to remain ungraded and to be integrated into one learning community (Mulcahy, 1999: 5).

Multigrade Program in the Philippines

            In the Philippines, the first mission schools were organized as multigrade schools while the single grade schooling was introduced during the early 1990s by the Americans. Multigrade schools were organized as matter of necessity for remote barangays. Aside from the limited enrollment, the distance of the barangay to a school, teacher shortage, lack of funds for school buildings and other facilities also led to the organization of multigrade schools in the different parts of the country.

            Just recently, about 254 teachers underwent training in handling multigrade classes in the province of Kalinga. According to Dr. Marylinda Santos of the Department of Education Kalinga, the three-day training was being conducted per batch from May 16 to May 25, 2013. The training aims to capacitate and equip teachers the needed skills and knowledge in handling a multigrade class to manage their curriculum, classes and schedules. According to Santos, multigrade classes with at least 30 students is the usual case of the far flung areas in most provinces of the Philippines where the total number of enrollees could only be accommodated as one or two classes. A multigrade teacher would be handling classes belonging to Grades 1 to 3 and Grades 4 to 6. But for the areas with only 30 or below total of enrollees, one teacher would have to accommodate all the pupils. Santos disclosed that a re-deployment plan is also being considered especially among schools in the bigger areas where there are excess teachers handling lesser than the required number of children in their classes. DEpEd requires that each teacher  should handle at least 45 pupils in a regular class, suggesting that those accommodating only a few should find solution to combine their classes to utilize the excess manpower for those needing more teachers. The Bureau of Elementary Education conceptualized the Multigrade Program in the Philippine Education (MPPE) to improve access to a quality elementary education through the opening of multigrade classes and completion of incomplete schools in far-flung barangays.

            Other supporting programs include the following:

            Multigrade Demonstration Schools Projects (MDSP). The Multigrade Demonstration School Projects (MDSP) was organized in selected divisions of the country with financial assistance from UNICEF. The project aimed to improve the quality of instruction and thus improve the overall achievement levels of pupils in MG schools.

            DepEd-CCFPI Little Red Schoolhouse Project. The DepEd-BEE and Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, Inc., organized the Little Red Schoolhouse Project in 1997. The project components included the construction of 50 three-room school buildings with toilet facility in each room, water system and furnishings, three phases training for multigrade teachers, coordinators and schoolheads on MG instruction and the capacity building program for the community.

            Search for Multigrade Teacher Achiever. The search for Multigrade Teacher Achiever which was started in 2000 is a biennial quest for the most outstanding Filipino teacher assigned in MG schools in the country.

            Pupil Learning Enhancement Program (PLEP). PLEP is a support program (1996-2000) for the universalization of quality primary education through the strengthening of the Multigrade Program in Philippine Education (MPPE) with assistance from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

            Congress on Multigrade Education. The first Multigrade Congress was conducted in 2004. This activity is in consonance with the Department of Education’s policy on improving access and quality in elementary education.

            The Multigrade School Training Video. This Project is a documentary video on multigrade teaching practices. It shows effective teaching strategies and other important information about the multigrade schools.

            All these programs do not only provide training, instructional materials and school buildings but also encourage community support schemes to provide the needed education for all school-aged children in the country. 

OBJECTIVES of MULTIGRADE TEACHING

            Teaching two grades or more than two grades at the same time by teacher in a classroom, is known as multigrade teaching. The multigrade teaching is not a new concept in our system of education. This system was followed in our traditional ‘Gurukul’ method. Even today, this multigrade teaching is being practiced in many schools. The absence of teacher should not diminish the students’ learning achievements. The teacher has to adapt many techniques and approaches to help the learners of different grades in a same classroom. This is the main objective of multigrade teaching.

            The use of multigrade teaching methods provides a flexible way to meet the needs, interest and the levels of the development of each child. A child’s development is assessed across a few years focusing on the social, emotional and grossmotor, cognitive and intellectual development. Equality of educational opportunity is conceived as not only providing access to education but also creating conditions of success for the millions of learners living in remote, sparsely populated mountain regions, deserts, islands, lagoons, planes and other inaccessible areas, efforts to provide comprehensive access to elementary education led to the establishment of a large number of primary schools with low enrollments where normal teacher: pupil ratio norms are just not operative and the number of teachers is less than the number of grades. More specifically, multigrade teaching has the following objectives;

1.      Creation of access to education for all children.

2.      To bring school closer to communities.

3.      Overcome a shortage of teachers.

4.      Modernize teaching methods.

5.      Reduced drop-outs and repeater rates.

6.      Increase the participation and literacy rates.

HIGHLIGHTS of MULTIGRADE TEACHING

Necessity of Multigrade Teaching

            There are three important reasons why multigrade teaching may occur in both developed and developing countries. First, multigrading is often associated with ‘small’ schools in remote and sparsely populated areas. In such schools, there may be only one, two or three teachers, yet, they offer a complete cycle of primary education. If that cycle consists of eight grade levels, then each of these teachers must deal with multigrade classes. These ‘small’ schools are also sometimes referred to as ‘multigrade’ schools. Multigrade schools have attracted attention in the developing country context because of their potential to increase primary school participation rates. By bringing the school close to the community, they encourage more children, especially girls, into school. Second, multigrade teaching is also common in larger urban and suburban schools. In some countries, it is a response to uneven student enrollment. For example, a school with a two and a half grade entry may have to combine two grade levels to make up class sizes. Also, in countries where teacher absenteeism is high, and there is no ‘cover’, grades may be combined to avoid having a class with no teacher present. A single teacher then has to deal with two grade level groups together. Third, multigrade teaching may be a deliberate response to educational problems. In developed countries, this is linked to the multiage perspective. Proponents of mixed age grouping argue that there are sound pedagogical reasons for placing students of different ages together in the same classroom. Mixed age classes, it is argued, stimulate children’s social development and encourage greater classroom cooperation.

Good Multigrade Practice

            There are five key areas which are generally the focus of training packages for multigrade teachers. These encompass the following features:

            Classroom management techniques. Managing a multigrade classroom is difficult because there is more than one grade level in the classroom. Hence, the teacher must be skilled in managing instruction to reduce the amount of ‘dead time’ during which children are not productively engaged on task. This means that teachers must be aware of different ways of grouping children, the importance of independent study areas where students can go when they have finished their work, and approaches to record keeping which are more flexible than those prevalent in the monograde classroom. Students may need to be taught the value of independence and cooperation by involving them in the classroom decision making.

            Instructional strategies. These are seen as a key to improving the quality of teaching and learning in the multigrade classroom. The promotion of approaches that increase the level of student independence and cooperative groupwork tend to be suggested. These involve a change in the role of the teacher from ‘giver of information’ to ‘facilitator’. This is to ensure that time spent away from the teacher is spent productively. Three important strategies are peer instruction, in which students act as teachers for each other, cooperative groupwork, which involves small groups engaging in collaborative tasks, and individualized learning programs which involve the student in self-study.

            Planning from curriculum. National curricula are typically produced for the monograde classroom. Each set of grade level material is typically placed in a separate booklet, which may include specific content to be taught as well as guidelines on how to teach it. Such curricula are difficult for the multigrade teacher to use because they tend to require plans to be written for each grade level separately. This is not only time consuming, but may also be an ineffective instruction. Teachers need to be taught how to plan across grade level objectives, or how to amend the curriculum to make it more suitable for the setting. Similar observations may also apply to the school timetable.

            Instructional materials. These also tend to be written for the monograde classroom. Consequently, they are produced as grade level textbooks and are designed to be delivered to be delivered by the teacher to the children. More suitable materials include a self-study element. This might be in the form of workbooks with a self-correction key, or a small classroom library that can be accessed independently by the children. Teachers need to be shown how to produce such self-study materials in a cost effective way. Materials relevant for one country situation may not be appropriate in another.

            School and community. Multigrade schools are often located in remote and difficult to reach areas. They may be far from the educational center and receive little pedagogical support. The communities in which they are located may not see the value of education, and may speak a different language to the ‘official’ one of the school. For these reasons, it is essential that the community be involve in the life of the school. Parents can be asked to come into act as a resource, the curriculum of the school might extend out into the community, or the community can be asked to support the school in other ways. Multigrade teachers should be trained in approaches that help to develop relations between the school and the community.

Problems and Issues of Multigrade Teaching

            Despite the efforts to make education more widespread and accessible with multigrade program, certain persistent problems and issues have been observed. School plans, instructional materials and methodological guidelines are often difficult to apply to multi-grade teaching situations. There is also a shortage of support materials for teachers and individualized instructional materials for learners, due to the large class size and diversity of the students’ grade levels. There is a need for more work on the kinds of continuous evaluation, diagnostic testing, remediation and feedback which would best assist multi-grade teaching. Although many teachers work in multi-grade teaching situations few countries have developed special teacher training curricula for pre- or in-service training. The educational system as a whole pays inadequate attention to the proper functioning of multi-grade schools through, for example, not filling vacant teaching positions in rural areas, the absence of systems of teacher accountability, a lack of basic physical facilities in these schools, lack of training for supervisors of multi-grade schools and a general "inattentiveness of education officers to the needs of these schools."

Challenges and Benefits in Multigrade Classes

For the Learners

            Some benefits in multigrade classes that learners can get includes maximum social interaction between/among peers, predominance of cooperative learning, learning to be independent, self-directed and be more resourceful learners, preparing for real-life situations where there is constant interaction between people of different ages, varied skills and abilities, learning to assume leading or supporting role as needed in different work situations, having more chances to go to school for girls who are often expected to stay home or at least close to home to take care of their younger siblings or of the household since schools will be located within the community, and attaining higher achievement levels especially in math, science and language. However, multigrade students also face challenges and these include requiring more discipline, greater concentration and more focus in order to benefit  from effective strategies such as peer teaching, group work, and self directed learning, relying less on direct supervision by the teacher, requiring more initiative and resourcefulness to function effectively in the class, and receiving less individual attention from a less experienced teacher or one who is not well-trained in multigrade teaching.

For the Teacher

            A multigrade teacher also faces challenges in teaching multigrade classes and these includes the requirements of more prepared curriculum learning materials, more careful study of learners’ developmental characteristics across the age levels involved in the class, approaches and strategies that are effective and viable within a multigrade class, more investment in organization of the classroom as learning environment, and more meticulous and systematic record keeping to keep track of student progress. On the bright side, multigrade teachers can as well benefit from teaching mulitgrade classes like they can make the most of inter-age, multilevel situation to facilitate learning. They can also get to know their students more and carefully assess their needs and adopt appropriate teaching strategies, innovate and experiment with different age groups and deal with curriculum content across subject areas, share responsibility for facilitating learning with pupils, parents and other community members, and they can acquire more opportunities for activity-centered, experience-based approaches rather than whole group, lecture/drill methods of teaching.         

For Community and School System

            Multigrade program can also be beneficial to both community and school institutions. Multigrade program can be an efficient means of providing educational services to thinly populated areas and remote communities and of using limited educational resources such as trained teachers, classrooms, and materials. MG program can also maintain small barrio schools help to build and sustain the identity of the community and the cultural life of the people in the community. On the other hand, both the community and the school would face challenges in implementing MG program and these will include poor student achievement if programs do not have the required resources and teachers are not properly trained and the program would also require investment in training of teachers, supervisors and administrative personnel to prepare them for the demands of mulitgrade teaching and administration of multigrade schools.

The Function and the Role of the Multigrade Teacher

            It is obvious that a combined class of students differs a lot from the conventional type of a student class of a single grade. That means that the way that the students of the multigrade class should be taught must be different as well. It is true that the function of the teacher in the multigrade classroom is multidimensional or to be more accurate it is much more complicated and demanding than the role of the teacher in the monograde school respectively. . For children to learn effectively in multigrade environments, teachers need to be well-trained, well-resourced and hold positive attitudes to multigrade teaching. Multigrade teaching in many views represents a more demanding teaching situation and special attention should be given to it. However, many teachers in multigrade environments are either untrained or trained in monograde pedagogy; have few, teaching and learning resources; and regard the multigrade classroom as a poor cousin of the better-resourced monograde urban schools that are staffed by trained teachers. In addition, at the majority of the cases, the multigrade teachers are very young without significant experience, "chosen" by the state to teach at the specific rural areas. These teachers are left alone without resources and support to handle the demanding multigrade classes. The former has serious negative impact on teachers' psychology and attitude towards the multigrade class, and affects in a negative way their teaching performance.

            Below you can find a first attempt to present the basic functions and roles of the teachers in rural multigrade schools. The categorization in the different roles presented here are based on similar former research activities, training attempts and documentation found in the literature so are more or less well accepted by the wider educational community. These common functions which multigrade teachers must carry out in their schools are as follows:

As Teacher

            The main function of the multigrade teacher is to teach students by imparting knowledge not just follow a curriculum. Teacher must be able to develop skills and inculcate desirable values and attitudes among pupils. The teacher is expected to be versatile and utilize different strategies to make learning meaningful and effective for all students in his or her classroom, no matter what individual differences may exist among the students. In the following section of this web training content you will be able to get informed more specifically on teaching and learning strategies referring to the multigrade setting.

As Facilitator

            The teacher should be able to understand differences between pupils, be able to motivate them to learn and guide them though their learning materials. The teacher should be able to do this for all grade levels in the classroom, no matter what curriculum subject is being studied. The teacher should not only be a provider of knowledge but should also be a facilitator of learning both at a group level and on a one-to-one basis.

As a Planner

            Planning is a critical function for the multigrade teacher. Appropriate planning by the teacher will result in classes which are more productive for the learners and easier for them to follow. Planning in the multigrade school classroom is much more important that in a monograde one. The teaching hour must be spent productively for student groups in grades of the class and thus accuracy on time spending is crucial.

As Evaluator

            Another role which the multigrade teacher must carry out is to monitor the progress of pupil's learning so as to ensure quality of education. Therefore, assessment should be considering a continuous and integral part of the teaching process. Usually, this requires teachers to determine the educational levels of pupils when they first enter schooling, during the school year and at the end of each school year. Therefore, assessment should be considered a continuous and integral part of the teaching process.

As Materials Designer

            Although various curriculum materials are usually prepared by national educational authorities, multigrade teachers still need to develop their own additional materials. These additional materials serve the purpose of meeting actual and concrete needs of multigrade teaching within the local context. You should also try to make the national curriculum more relevant to the local needs of the community.

As Action Researcher

            Teachers are not usually trained to be educational researchers, since their main task is to teach. However, it is through research that improvements in teaching take place. In schools where access to other resources is easily available, it is not as critical that individual teachers be researchers since they can easily seek the advice of more experienced educators. However, in Multigrade Teaching schools this advice and resource is not as easily and readily available. Therefore, the multigrade teacher must also be a researcher, that is, a person who asks questions in order to understand better certain phenomenon. It is not an expectation that the multigrade teacher become an expert in research methods but, rather, is able to formulate appropriate questions in the classroom setting, seek and obtain the information necessary to answer these questions and be able to put into action those changes which are necessary - all of which is caught up in the term "Action Research". In summary, the teacher must always have an enquiring and evaluating mind.

As Contact with the Community

            In many situations, multigrade teachers, because of their training and position, assume an important position in the local community. This is the case, not only in the eyes of the pupils, but also from the parents' perspective. Thus, the multigrade teacher is the critical link between the school and its community. The nature of many situations where a multigrade school exists is such that the co-operation and assistance of the local community is needed to improve the quality of educational services that Multigrade Teaching schools provide. This may include community involvement in such diverse activities as building and maintaining classrooms, assisting in the preparation of curriculum teaching aids and acting as a paraprofessional teacher.

Basic Principles of Multigrade Teaching

1.      Children are unique.

2.      Children can learn best from experience.

3.      Children can and do learn well from one another.

4.      The role of teacher in a classroom involves setting-up and managing a learning environment that will be conducive to learning and teaching.

5.      The implementation of the school curriculum must take into consideration the varied abilities, levels and interests within particular group.

6.      The value of any educational program will be judged according to how well it is able to achieve the goals of the program – whether the children actually learn what they are expected to learn and how well they have learned.

7.      Inter-aging of the combination of children of different ages is more respectful of individual needs of learners and reflects real-life.

Components of a Multigrade Classroom

1.      The Learner – the center of the educational process.

2.      The Teacher – a critical figure in the teaching-learning environment.

3.      Other adults like parents and community members.

Classroom Management Practices as Best Strategies for an Effective Multigrade Teaching

A.     Instructions

1.      Provides different lesson in every subject for the two grade level.

2.      Plans learning activities to suit pupils’ ability and interest.

3.      Divide class into small group and individual group within a day.

4.      Time management is shown by alternating whole group periods with small group activities and individual work within a day.

5.      Prepares different sets of test by grade.

6.      Provides pupils with necessary materials to work independently after whole group or small group instruction.

7.      Allows one grade to work or read independently or in group while discussing lessons to other grade level.

8.      Treats two grade level as one in the class with different activities suited to their level.

B.     Pupil Management

1.      Assign seats for individual whole group activity.

2.      Schedules classroom routine such as flag ceremony, attendance taking, and classroom maintenance activity.

3.      Provides attendance chart to be filled up by pupils as soon as they arrive in class.

4.      Prepares daily/weekly job chart for the children to accomplish.

5.      Establish clear class routines such as passing of papers, falling in line and doing individual/group works.

6.      Provide an access to all pupils.

7.      Involve children in classroom maintenance by using the “Job Chart”.

8.      Allows pupils to sit by grade level facing to their own blackboard.

9.      Schedules daily routines and activities.

C.     Discipline

1.      Sets classroom rules and regulations for the children to follow.

2.      Talks privately to the disruptive pupils.

3.      Explains classroom rules clearly.

4.      Imposes rules in passing or checking papers, quizzes and assignments.

5.      Treats pupils with justice and fairness.

6.      Assign pupil secretary to monitor class behavior.

7.      Requires pupils to fall in line before entering and leaving the classroom.

8.      Checks then accomplishments for daily routinary activities.

9.      Treats pupil with justice and fairness.

D.    Classroom Atmosphere

1.      Blackboards are in opposite walls of the classroom.

2.      Classroom lay out is flexible to cater indoor game.

3.      Desks/chairs are lighter capable to be moved and can be moved freely for group activities.

4.      Furniture and equipments are in movable type capable for arranging and rearranging.

5.      Learning materials are properly arranged and prepared by teachers.

6.      Provides a variety of arrangements throughout the year.

7.      Arranges furniture in such a way it provides for convenient flow.

8.      Labels the areas of the classrooms and containers of materials for the children to easily learn its usage and function.

9.      Classroom is attractively and neatly arranged.

10.  Maintain cleanliness and orderliness inside the classroom.

11.  All parts of the room are well ventilated.

Article – Related Literature

Managing the Effects of Multigrade Teaching on Learning Performance in Namibia

By MEd. Florida G. Beukes

(June 2006)

            Data presented in 2004 at a national conference on multigrade teaching in Namibia revealed some significant negative effects on achievement associated with multigrade instruction. In addition, the data indicated that teachers lack management and organizational strategies for multigrade teaching. The purpose of this study was to explore the views and perceptions of educators on the managing of multigrade classes in Namibia.

            Chapter one describes the background to the study, focusing on the history of education in Namibia and the history of multigrade education. The Literature survey in chapter two provides a theoretical framework on the concept of the management of multigrade classrooms and the need for appropriate management and teaching skills. Chapter three identified the tools and processes of conducting the study with reference to previous and new developments in multigrade teaching.

            Literature suggests five key areas that are normally the focus of concern in multigrade teaching environments and should be included in any training program. These include classroom management, instructional strategies, curriculum, instructional materials and community involvement. These five key areas were also used as a conceptual framework through which the observations, focus group interviews and questionnaires were rendered comprehension in the analysis and interpretation of data as discussed in chapter four. It should be emphasized that education is inevitably underpinned by educational philosophies whether acknowledged or not. Multigrade teaching too has particular philosophical bases, which emerge from the literature. Multigrade practices recognize that there is an overlap of abilities amongst learners but also that levels of difficulty have to be taken into account. The philosophy of teaching is therefore an important consideration in multigrade teaching. The findings of the study are discussed in chapter five. One of the most important findings is most probably the need for a national policy that recognizes, legitimate and support learners and teachers in multigrade.

            The study concludes with recommendations and suggestions for further research.

V. CONCLUSION

            An effective multigrade teaching involves systematic, well-organized and planned instructional delivery and grouping. It also includes a well – managed classroom that is conducive to learning because the necessary resources are available and the necessary discipline among the students has been developed so that they can focus on learning. A cooperative learning environment where self-directed learning is balanced with teacher – directed activities, peer teaching and group work is also a factor of the multigrade teaching effectivity. A teacher who is well – prepared to actually serve as a facilitator of learning rather than as the only source of knowledge in the classroom and who is well – prepared to apply a variety of instructional strategies and techniques to suit the varied needs of learners contributes as well to the effectiveness of multigrade teaching. Moreover, a well – designed curriculum that allows for and encourages integration of subject matter areas and a variety of activities as learning experiences for the students also contributes to building effective multigrade teaching

             The multigrade classroom provides the opportunity to break down the walls between grades and look at the students as groups of learners. These learners will be different in so many ways. In a multigrade classroom, there can be real student centered learning built on the principles of patriotism in a community. Community ways of helping each other can come to life in a multigrade classroom where a wide variety of people interact, plan, work, and learn together. The wide range of ways multigrade education is implemented makes it difficult for researchers to generalize the academic impact of multigrade education. Thus, without overstating the benefits and effects, the strength of multigrade education is its emphasis on the learning styles and progress of each student. When implemented with fidelity and reflective of best practice, multigrade classrooms can provide a learning environment where students flourish — but positive outcomes are not guaranteed in the absence of appropriate administrative and instructional support.

            Teachers and parents often lack a full understanding of multigrade education, which results in difficulties of implementing multigrade classrooms. Many teachers indicate that they are not adequately trained to teach multigrade groups of children, and parents tend to worry about the environment and the quality of instruction. In order to implement multigrade classrooms efficiently and effectively, parent education and teacher preparations are essential. Students may not enjoy the optimal benefits from multigrade classrooms if teachers cannot implement differentiated instructional strategies, environments, and assessments; and age-balanced heterogeneous classrooms cannot be easily achieved if parents do not fully understand and support the philosophies. By offering professional development workshops on multigrade education and differentiated instruction for teachers, as well as providing detailed information to parents, schools will be more likely to implement the program successfully

VI. REFERENCES

Aina, O. E. (2001). Maximizing Learning in Early Childhood Multiage Classrooms: Child, teacher, and parent perceptions. Early Childhood Education Journal, 28(4), 219-225. Retrieved June 3, 2008, from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid= 17&hid=12&sid= c7116578-fae4-4f47-829f1568925aca3a%40sessionmgr2&bdata=JnN pdGU9ZWhvc3Qtb Gl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=11305183

Birch, Ian and Mike Lally. Multigrade Teaching in Primary Schools. Asia-Pacific Centre of Educational Innovation for Development, UNESCO (1995). Accessed 22 July 2009.

Carter, P. (September, 2005). The Modern Multiage Classroom. Educational Leadership, 54-58.

Retrieved June 3, 2008, http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/record Details/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ725901&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ725901

Little, A.W. (2001). Education for All: The challenge of Multigrade Teaching. Amsterdan: Kluwer.

Ribera, D.J. (1999). The History and Effects of Combination Classes. Introduction to Educational Research. Western Washington University.

Stone, S. (1998). Defining the Multi-age Classroom. Focus on Elementary. Childhood Education. (Volume 10).