Saturday, August 22, 2009

The Facts about Multi-Graded Classrooms

Elissa Levin


Multi-Grade Classrooms

History

  • First instance: one-room school house – original way of education (mainly rural communites)
  • In the 1960s and 1970s, "open education" and individualized instruction became influential curriculum and instructional models. Such models were commonly implemented with multigrade classrooms.

o When placed in a multigrade setting, teachers of the 60s and 70s discovered that the time requirements and skills needed to be effective were simply not part of their prior training and experience.

    • School aritecture changed, walls broken down for large open spaces or “cubicle farms”
    • Flexible Spaces: increase sense of intimacy, more engaging less overwhelming, trigger curiosity by flow of open space
    • Flexible space provides “anything goes” attitude

Research

Klein (1975)

A study among third graders with low levels of anxiety found that they were more creative in an open school environment than a traditional school. Children with high levels of anxiety showed no difference. Also, students in open space classroom show increase in academic achievement, curiosity and creativity.

Reiss and Dydhalo (1975)

A study of second grade students showed more persistence among children in open-spaced schools towards a difficult talk. However, non-persistent boys from open-space schools had significantly lower test scores than non-persistent boys from conventional schools. Study suggests, open-space schools may not be beneficial to all.

Horwitz (1979), Lukasevich & Gray (1978), Stallings (1975)

Suggest traditional schools produce greater achievement at reading and math than open schools. The same studies showed that students of open schools were overall more satisfied with themselves and their school experience. Parent, teacher and student reviews were all positive and thought the program to be educationally sound.

Miller (1990)

Miller reviewed 13 experimental studies assessing academic achievement in single-grade and multigrade classrooms and found there to be no significant differences between them. Of the 21 separate measures used to assess student affect in the studies reviewed, 81 percent favored the multigrade classroom (Miller, 1990).

Six Key Instructional Dimensions for Successful Multigrade Classrooms:

1. Classroom organization: Instructional resources and the physical environment to facilitate learning.

2. Classroom management and discipline: Classroom schedules and routines that promote clear, predictable instructional patterns, especially those that enhance student responsibility for their own learning.

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 instruction, including strategies for organizing group learning activities across and within grade levels.

5. Self-directed learning: Students' skills and strategies for a high level of independence and efficiency in learning individually or in combination with other students.

6. Peer tutoring: Classroom routines and students' skills in serving as "teachers" to other students within and across differing grade levels. (http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9221/teaching.htm)

Veenman (1995)

Multigrade classes have a slightly negative effect on student achievement due to less effective instruction. The tendency for them to have better students/teachers masks the negative effects. Students have a better attitude towards school, self and a tendency towards more positive social relationships in the multigrade classroom. Research later found that 80% of subtests in reading, math and language reveal no significant difference between the classroom types.

Mason & Burns (1994)

Suggestions for supporting teachers in multigrade classrooms:

    • Provide ample staff development and philosophical orientation
    • Supply alternative curricula and supplemental materials
    • Encourage collaborative teaming approaches
    • Promote different scheduling and evaluation system

Main Concepts of Multi-grade Education

· Opportunities for unique knowledge that addresses the cultural and social context of the learner

· Training for geographically and culturally diverse content is provided

· Learning reflects diverse nature of the situation to which it is to be applied

· Language and learning are inextricably linked

· Apply all learning and knowledge with meaningful activities

· Strong need for reflective planning

· Teacher and student share instructional responsibility

· Teacher produces a classroom climate that promotes independence from an early age

· Teacher must emphasize similarities among grades and teach to them

· Whole-class instruction that revolves around open task activities

· Cooperation within the classroom and the community

Positive Attributes

(+) Some studies have shown children to have a more positive image of themselves, their

school and diversity

(+) Promotes independence at an early age

(+) Students take on role of the teacher and learn cooperation as a necessary condition of

life

(+) Close classroom and community bonds

(+) A flexible workspace is ideal for some students

Negative Attributes

(-) Lower-quality instruction

(-) Selection bias

(-) Heavy teacher workload could lead to negative effects on teachers without proper

training (ie. Most teachers)

(-) Is “no worse, but no better” enough of an argument

(-) Classroom management is complex and demanding

Resources

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