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In 1918, there were 196,037 one-room schools, representing 70.8 percent of all THE NORM OF THE GRADED SCHOOL
public schools in the United States. By 1980, less than 1,000 of these schools
remained (Muse, Smith, & Barker, 1987). But the multigrade classroom The large-scale innovations of the 60s and 70s have virtually ended. But the
persists. For example, in a study consisting of multigrade classrooms of only multigrade classroom persists, especially in small, rural schools. Yet, here, as
two grades, Rule (1983) used a sample from a suburban district outside elsewhere, most people view graded schools as the natural way to organize
Phoenix, Arizona. Of the 21,000 elementary students in the district, education. This norm can be a handicap for anyone (whether out of necessity
approximately 17 percent were in classrooms that combined grades. In rural, or by theoretical design) who wants to--or who must--work with multigrade
small elementary schools the incidence of students served in multigrade classrooms or schools. Teachers of multigraded classrooms who face the
classrooms may well be much higher. biggest challenge may be those working in school systems in which single-
grade classrooms are the norm.
Although rural, small schools may combine grades to save money, in the guise
of the "ungraded classroom," multigrade organization has also been a feature For many rural educators, multigrade instruction is not an experiment or a new
of urban and suburban districts. In the 1960s and 1970s, "open education" and educational trend, but a necessity imposed, in part, by economic and
individualized instruction became influential curriculum and instructional geographic conditions. In an environment dominated by graded schools, the
models. Such models were commonly implemented with multigrade decision to combine grades can be quite difficult--especially if constituents feel
shortchanged by the decision. Nonetheless, recent proposals for school The multigrade classroom can be more of a challenge than the single-grade
restructuring reflect renewed interest in multigrade organization (Cohen, 1989) classroom. Skills and behavior required of the teacher may be different, and
and in small-scale organization generally. Such work may eventually contest coordinating activities can be more difficult. In fact, such a realization is one
the norm of the graded school. reason graded schools came into being in the first place (Callahan, 1962).
EFFECTS ON STUDENT PERFORMANCE At first look, the skills needed to teach well in the multigrade and the single-
grade (multilevel) classroom appear to be quite similar. The differences
Many teachers, administrators, and parents continue to wonder whether or not between the two sorts of classrooms may be more a product of socialization
multigrade organization has negative effects on student performance. Research and expectation than of fact. Clearly, if a teacher in either sort of classroom
evidence indicates that being a student in a multigrade classroom does not fails to address differences among students, the effectiveness of instruction
negatively affect academic performance, social relationships, or attitudes. suffers. Likewise, teachers are harmed when they have not been adequately
prepared to teach students with varying ages and abilities--no matter what sort
Miller (1990) reviewed 13 experimental studies assessing academic of classroom they work in.
achievement in single-grade and multigrade classrooms and found there to be
no significant differences between them. The data clearly support the But what does the research tell us regarding the skills required of the
multigrade classroom as a viable and equally effective organizational multigrade teacher? When student diversity increases, whether it be in a
alternative to single-grade instruction. The limited evidence suggests there may multigrade or single-grade classroom, greater demand is placed on teacher
be significant differences depending on subject or grade level. Primarily, these resources, both cognitive and emotional.
studies reflect the complex and variable nature of school life. Moreover, there
are not enough such studies to make safe generalizations about which subjects Six key instructional dimensions affecting successful multigrade teaching have
or grade levels are best for multigrade instruction. been identified from multigrade classroom research (Miller, 1991). Note that
each of these points has some bearing on the related issues of independence
When it comes to student affect, however, the case for multigrade organization and interdependence. It is important to cultivate among students the habits of
appears much stronger. Of the 21 separate measures used to assess student responsibility for their own learning, but also their willingness to help one
affect in the studies reviewed, 81 percent favored the multigrade classroom another learn.
(Miller, 1990).
1. Classroom organization: Instructional resources and the physical
If this is the case, why then do we not have more schools organized into environment to facilitate learning.
multigrade classrooms? One response is that history and convention dictate the
prevalence of graded classrooms. However, there is a related, but more 2. Classroom management and discipline: Classroom schedules and routines
compelling, answer to be found in the classrooms themselves and in that promote clear, predictable instructional patterns, especially those that
information drawn from classroom practitioners. enhance student responsibility for their own learning.
INSTRUCTIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL ROUTINES 3. Instructional organization and curriculum: Instructional strategies and
routines for a maximum of cooperative and self-directed student learning based
on diagnosed student needs. Also includes the effective use of time.
4. Instructional delivery and grouping: Methods that improve the quality of in the effective multigrade classroom differs from what one generally finds in a
instruction, including strategies for organizing group learning activities across single-grade class.
and within grade levels.
Multigrade teachers recognize that whole-class instruction must revolve around
5. Self-directed learning: Students' skills and strategies for a high level of open task activities if all students are to be engaged. For example, a teacher can
independence and efficiency in learning individually or in combination with introduce a writing assignment through topic development where all students
other students. "brainstorm" ideas. In this context, students from all grades can discuss
different perspectives. They can learn to consider and respect the opinions of
6. Peer tutoring: Classroom routines and students' skills in serving as others (Miller, 1989).
"teachers" to other students within and across differing grade levels.
Cooperation is a necessary condition of life in the multigrade classroom. All
In the multigrade classroom, more time must be spent in organizing and ages become classmates, and this closeness extends beyond the walls of the
planning for instruction. Extra materials and strategies must be developed so school to include the community.
that students will be meaningfully engaged. This additional coordination lets
the teacher meet with small groups or individuals, while other work continues. REWARDS AND CHALLENGES
Since the teacher cannot be everywhere or with each student simultaneously, There are many rewards for teaching in the multigrade classroom, but there are
the teacher shares instructional responsibilities with students. A context of challenges, too. Instruction, classroom organization, and management are
clear rules and routines makes such shared responsibility productive. Students complex and demanding. A teacher cannot ignore developmental differences in
know what the teacher expects. They know what assignments to work on, students nor be ill-prepared for a day's instruction. Demands on teacher time
when they are due, how to get them graded, how to get extra help, and where require well-developed organizational skills.
to turn assignments in.
The multigrade classroom is not for the timid, inexperienced, or untrained
Students learn how to help one another and themselves. At an early age, teacher. Clearly, the implications for teacher educators, rural school board
students are expected to develop independence. The effective multigrade members, administrators, and parents are far-reaching.
teacher establishes a climate to promote and develop this independence. For
example, when young students enter the classroom for the first time, they http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9221/teaching.htm
receive help and guidance not only from the teacher, but from older students.
In this way, they also learn that the teacher is not the only source of Multi-grade Schools and Technology
knowledge. Laurence Wolff and Norma Garcia
Multi-grade schools are very common in isolated, rural areas throughout the developing
Instructional grouping practices also play an important role in a good world and are
multigrade classroom. The teacher emphasizes the similarities among the not likely to disappear. Yet, national curriculum contents, teaching and learning
different grades and teaches to them, thus conserving valuable teacher time. materials and teacher
For example, whole-class (cross-grade) instruction is often used since the training are for the most part geared towards the functioning of a monograde education
teacher can have contact with more students. However, whole-class instruction system. Thus,
children attending multi-grade schools often spend their most of their time either re- There are now proven models for multi-grade teaching in both the developed and the
learning material or developing world.
sitting idle in classrooms. Technology can serve as a powerful tool to enhance multi- The Escuela Nueva in Colombia is a well-documented, highly successful example of an
grade learning, yet it integrated approach
is surprisingly underutilized. Some cost-effective uses include one-way, two-way, low to learning in a rural multi-grade setting. Escuela Nueva began operating in 1976 and its
power and digital methodology
radio. The Internet can increasingly become a powerful medium as well. is fully followed in over 10,000 schools and partially used in many more schools, and is
The Current Status of Multi-Grade Schools in the Deve loping World also being
Multi-grade schools, defined as schools where one teacher teaches two or more grades replicated in countries as diverse as Guatemala, Dominican Republic and Egypt.
simultaneously, Research has shown that
are common in rural areas throughout the world. In Peru, for example, there are children learn more and drop out less in Escuela Nueva schools than in traditional rural
approximately 21,500 schools.
primary multi-grade schools, 95 percent of which are located in rural areas. Eighty-nine The approach in all successful multi-grade programs, including Escuela Nueva,
percent of the emphasizes the changed
rural schools are multi-grade schools, and 41,000 teachers, or 69 percent of the total rural role of the teacher. Since the teacher has to impart knowledge to a diverse group of
teaching force, students, he/she has to
teach in rural primary schools with multi-grade classrooms. In Sri Lanka, around 1,250 develop a wide variety of teaching learning strategies. The teacher has to find ways of
schools out of the encouraging selflearning
10,120 schools in the country have less than three teachers. Vietnam has 2,162 multi- and of older children helping younger ones. The teacher increasingly becomes someone
grade schools that who
combine 2, 3, 4, or 5 different levels in a single classroom.1 guides and supports students’ learning processes rather than simply imparting knowledge.
The unfortunate reality is that these schools form the most neglected part of the education To make the
system. For the 1 http://www.ioe.ac.uk/multigrade
most part, they are located in isolated, low-income rural areas, and generally have 39
untrained teachers. system work requires strong and focussed training programs and regular follow-up and
The few trained teachers usually understand and use only “monograde” pedagogy. feedback from
National curriculum supervisors and trainers. Detailed, practical, and proven guidebooks are essential. In the
contents, teaching and learning materials and activities taught at schools are frequently Escuela Nueva,
geared for monograde particular attention is paid to the role that the teacher plays in the community. Escuela
classes. The result of untrained and inappropriately trained teachers, as well as lack of Nueva also promotes
appropriate democratic processes within the classroom through active and participatory
teaching learning materials, is that children in multi-grade classrooms spend much of methodologies and
their time relearning community participation.
material they already know or sit idle and boxed. Teachers in multi-grade schools need to get together regularly to discuss, share and
While the world is becoming increasingly urbanized, multi-grade schools will remain a evaluate results,
reality for many problems, success stories, and to plan ways to solve any problems that are commonly
years to come. Adequately meeting the needs of children in multi-grade classrooms will present in multigrade
be essential for classes.
the achievement of quality education for all. In developed countries, strong training and outreach programs, often very costly, have
Proven Models for Multi-Grade Teaching evolved to support
the relatively small number of rural and isolated schools. Interestingly, some progressive learning to take place.
schools in the As costs go down, there are more possibilities for the use of other technologies to
United States and Europe have combined grades one and two and sometimes three and reinforce multi-grade
four as a means of teaching. The two most important ones, described below are “enhanced” radio and the
recognizing children’s different rates of maturity. Internet.
The Potential for Technology and Multi-Grade Teaching Two-Way Radio, Low Power, and Digital Radio
Technology can be a powerful tool to provide access to adequate education to students In the above examples, radio programs are national or regional in scope. Technologies
attending multigrade are now becoming
schools because it is able to provide training to teachers in multi-grade methodologies available to have low power radio stations covering 10 to 40 kilometers as well as to have
and allow two-way radio.
students to engage in innovative, participatory multi-grade learning activities. The Australian Radio School of the Air already uses two-way radio to reach scattered
Surprisingly, with one or indigenous groups
two exceptions, multi-grade programs usually do not use technologies other than of children living in the Australian desert. In this case, the children meet in small groups
workbooks and face-toface at, say, the home
training. Below are the potential uses of technology for multi-grade teaching, some of of a parent and then communicate with their teacher located in a town many kilometers
which are away. A parent
surely cost effective now, others of which could have low enough costs to be feasible acts as the “classroom” monitor. A “school” could consist of 15 to 20 small dispersed
within the next five groups of 5 to 10
to ten years. children making for a total of 120 to 200 students. This approach is not strictly “multi-
One-Way Radio grade” since there
Radio can, and should be, utilized now to support multi-grade teaching. Building on the 2 See the note Interactive Mathematics for Basic Education: The Venezuelan Experience with IRI.
experience of 40
interactive mathematics,2 “multi-grade” radio can strongly reinforce the print and face-to- is one teacher for each grade. Nonetheless it could be appropriate in other highly
face training scattered populations.
approaches used to date. Examples include the following: (a) multi-grade radio teaches Similar to this approach is the possible use of low power radio stations. In these cases,
one group of children teaching can be
while the in-school teacher guides or assists another group; (b) multi-grade radio teaches more closely tailored to local conditions. Finally, digital radio can add an on-line print
hard-toteach element to the
subjects such as a second language (e.g., French or English in Africa); (c) multi-grade multi-grade process.3
radio provides Internet via Phone or Satellite
a set of learning experiences which are appropriate to several or all grades, such as music While the infrastructure is either not yet available, or the costs are still too high,
and art as sometime in the future
well as democratic processes and community awareness; and (d) multi-grade radio Internet, especially via satellite, will be at a low enough cost to become a powerful
directed at teachers teaching medium.
can provide guidelines and methods which bring to life the recommendations of print Satellite-based Internet will be especially important for isolated rural schools without
materials. Multigrade access to telephone
radio can also be directed at parents. In particular, the radio can help to explain to parents lines. The beauty of the Internet for multi-grade teaching is that children could work at
that their own pace.
multi-grades are not something to be ashamed of as second rate but rather are an Through on-line testing, the teacher would have a powerful tool for identifying strengths
opportunity for modern and weaknesses
and deciding when children can proceed to the next grade or graduate. Furthermore, the requires enthusiasm, creative thinking and special skills to manage multigrade
Internet approach instruction and learning. Since the 1920s, multigrade education was the only
would provide all the advantages of radio based instruction described above but with far way to provide education to children in far-flung areas including the islands, in
more flexibility.
the most cost effective manner. For school year 2007-2008, the Department of
In short,
? Multi-grade schools will not disappear. Education Bureau of Elementary Education reported that there are currently
? There are proven methodologies for making the multi-grade school a modern 25,000 multigrade classes in the country. Hence, multigrade teachers need to
progressive and effective be regularly trained and provided with the necessary support to enhance
approach to learning. teaching and learning in the classroom.
? Existing technologies ought to be exploited now to implement these approaches.
? Emerging technologies offer even more powerful tools for effective education in multi- An additional reality of multigrade teaching in the ARMM are the challenges
grade schools. faced by multigrade classes due to the skirmishes in the region as more and
3 For
a discussion on the use of radio for education, see “Basic Education for All: The Mass Media
Formula” in the
more families are forced to flee their homes for safety, which results in
May/June 2000 Issue of TechKnowLogia found at www.techknowlogia.org interruption of the education of many children. Aside from the insufficient
classrooms and teaching and learning materials, language also is a major
http://www.iadb.org/sds/doc/Edu&Tech10.pdf barrier for multigrade teachers. For example, most of the students in ARMM
speak different dialects – T’duray, Maguindanaon and Maranao in the
mainland and Tausog or Sama in the islands. In the island divisions, lack of
teachers is still a major concern especially in far-flung areas. Hamsira, a
Multigrade teaching: A testament of teachers’ commitment principal from ARMM explains, “we lack teachers as a result of the pull-out of
Christian multigrade teachers due to kidnappings. We cannot blame them if
It was with great anticipation and excitement that the last two batches of they request to be transferred to town schools. Those who were left were locals
multigrade Training of Trainers (ToT) for ARMM were finally completed in teaching there and the number is not enough. These teachers are forced to
March 2009 in Zamboanga and Cotabato Cities. The trainings, which were handle multigrade classes without proper training. They are left on their own
supposed to be completed in the last quarter of 2008 were postponed due to the to experiment and learn by trial and error. Some are successful and some are
peace and order issues at that time. not. There is a big clamor then for a training that suits their needs. I know this
because I was once a multigrade teacher myself and I experienced all the
A total of 224 multigrade trainers across Regions XI, XII and ARMM are now sacrifices and hardships of being one.”
equipped with the knowledge and skills to cascade the multigrade training
using the Training Resource Package (TRP). To date, almost 1,200 multigrade Jocelyn Jaih, one of the trainers from Tawi-Tawi shared her story – she has
teachers in Regions XI and XII have been trained with a further 962 teachers been a teacher for five years and married to a Sama. She is a multigrade
from ARMM completing the same training this summer. teacher from Magsaggaw Elementary School in Panglimasugala District. From
Bonggao, the capital of Tawi-tawi, she has to travel for an hour in a “lantsa”
Multigrade teaching is a challenging, multi-dimensional role for teachers. A (small motorized boat) then take a 15-minute ride in a tricycle to get to
multigrade class has two or more grade levels in one classroom, with one Magsaggaw, a poor agricultural community which was considered a critical
teacher for the entire school year or longer. This is also called a “combination area because this used to be one of the bandits’ hiding places. At first her
class” (if there are only two grade levels) in the Philippines. It therefore husband escorts her to school to ensure her safety. “When I started teaching, I
handled grades 3-6 pupils. It was really difficult because 90% of my students teacher-in-charge has also been assigned with four volunteer teachers from the
are Tausog and my ability to speak their dialect was next to nil! I have to use Local Government Unit. Jocelyn is still handling multigrade class for grades 5
Tausog in explaining concepts to the class because if I use Filipino or English, and 6 and still uses the strategies from the BEAM In-service trainings that she
not everyone in class will understand the lesson.” When she finds herself found useful and effective when she was teaching lower grades.
stumped with a word or phrase, she draws it on the board and asks her pupils to
give the word. Her game of charade and her determination to learn to speak Just recently, Jocelyn attended the multigrade training of trainers in
Tausog eventually paid off. Zamboanga City. Although she knew of the responsibilities of being a trainer,
she accepted the challenge because she knew the difficulties and realities in the
The school then had one concrete, three-classroom building and an enrolment field. Armed with the knowledge, experience and BEAM multigrade training
of 70 pupils when Jocelyn was first appointed and she became the lone teacher resource package, Jocelyn hopes to help other multigrade teachers in Tawi-
after the provisional teacher was terminated. Without any training on how to Tawi by cascading to them what she learned in the summer training. “I will
handle a multigrade class, she felt like a spinning top because she had to cater definitely encourage my colleagues to use cooperative learning with the
to three grade levels. “I handled all the subjects. I was worried how to teach the teacher as facilitator. There are a lot of teaching-learning materials they can
same topic to three grade levels. When I discussed a lesson with, say for make to help them manage their multigrade classes. They also need to be
example, grade 3, I give the higher grades seatwork and vice versa. What I aware of the provisions of the Multigrade Program in Philippine Education
noticed was that even though I was handling grades 3 to 6, their reading ability (MPPE).”
and comprehension was very poor. Aside from that, we lacked books and other
teaching materials. Mahirap talaga. (It was really difficult).” When asked Jocelyn believes that in the five years that she has been a multigrade teacher in
about why there are plenty of children who were not able to go to school, her school, she has seen a lot of improvement. Enrolment has increased and
Jocelyn explained, “Parents are willing to send their children to school, there is a higher retention rate of students. The community is also becoming
according to them they don’t want their children to have less opportunities in more involved with the school programs and they have a good attendance
life because they didn’t have education. Some of the parents cannot even write every time they call for a PTCA meeting. “I see my pupils are gaining
their own names. But because of the distance of the nearest school before confidence, especially when we have classroom discussions. They participate,
Magsaggaw was built, the pupils had difficulty going to school. They had to they speak up and they are interested in our activities. That I think is a very
walk for an hour to get to school. When it rains, they go to class in their soaked good indication that there is really development!”
clothes. Some pupils were deported from Malaysia. These are the children of
illegal migrants who worked and had families in that country. When they were This entry was posted on Friday, May 1st, 2009 and is filed under In-
rounded up, they were sent back to Jolo or Tawi-Tawi.” Service. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS
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In 2004, Jocelyn was able to attend the BEAM summer teacher In-service site.
training in Bonggao. She was particularly excited because the topics were more
on teaching strategies for grade 3. The following school year, she applied these http://newsletter.beam.org.ph/inservice/multigrade-teaching-a-
strategies in her multigrade class and discovered how effective the activities testament-of-teachers-commitment/
were. She also approached the Barangay Chairman for assistance to build
another classroom. With the help of other development projects, Magsaggaw
Elementary School had another concrete building for its now 200 pupils. A
Didactic Questions - tend to be convergent, factual and often begin with
“what,” “where,” “when,” and “how.” These may also include “why” and “what
if” questions.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
DIRECT INSTRUCTION - Direct instruction is highly Demonstrations - teacher shows and tells how to do something.
teacher-directed and commonly used. It is effective for providing information
or developing step-by-step skills. This strategy also works well for introducing Guides for Reading, Listening, and Viewing - providing leading questions,
other teaching methods or actively involving students in knowledge diagrams, or statements to assist students in focusing on the important ideas
construction. within text, lecture, media, or other presentations. A follow-up discussion may
assist in summarizing the activity.
Structured Overview - organizing concepts and materials in a manner
that is easily understood by students.
Mastery Lecture - a method to deliver significant amounts of information in a Indirect instruction seeks a high level of student involvement in
relatively short period of time. The quality of a lecture may be improved by observing, investigating, drawing inferences from data, or forming
incorporating audio and visual aids and encouraging interaction between the hypotheses. It takes advantage of students' interest and curiosity, often
teacher and the students.
encouraging them to generate alternatives or solve problems. It is
flexible in that it frees students to explore diverse possibilities and
reduces the fear associated with the possibility of giving incorrect
Drill and Practice - structured, repetitive review of previously learned answers. Indirect instruction also fosters creativity and the development
concepts in order to increase level of mastery. of interpersonal skills and abilities.
INTERACTIVE INSTRUCTION Peer Practice - students practice what they have learned with a peer.