Last month, in the first in a series of articles on multigrade classrooms, we acknowledged the challenging circumstances in many multigrade schools across the country. Realistically, as much as we would like resourcing deficits to be wiped out, this is simply not feasible in the short or medium term.
Instead of relying on resources that are unlikely to materialise suddenly, teachers must focus on fostering appropriate attitudes and actions in multigrade classroom.
Desirable attributes include positivity, energy and problem-solving. For example, teachers could remember that the centre of their efforts must be purposeful progress for each learner. A question they should ask is: What am I doing in my classroom every day to ensure learners actually learn and progress?
Every classroom is a multi-level one because the ability, interest, maturity and learning experiences of learners differ. Outcomes-based education acknowledges that learners learn in different ways and at differing paces. Careful assessment of learner achievement will equip the teacher with crucial information about every learner in the classroom, in every area of the curriculum. The astute teacher will also develop an understanding of each learners innate qualities, such as leadership ability, responsibility and task or people orientation.
Let us assume that a teacher has taken the time to do a careful assessment of learner skills, not in a blanket way within a learning area, but systematically across a range of assessment standards. What could the teacher now do with this information?
One technique that may be useful in the multigrade, multi-level classroom is cooperative learning.
As with many teaching techniques, there is some confusion about cooperative learning. It does not mean that the teacher absolves him or herself of the responsibility to lead and direct learning while the learners do it all themselves. Nor does it mean that a teacher routinely assigns a leadership or instructional role to the most informed or able learner.
For successful cooperative learning experiences to occur, the teacher should observe closely as a means of understanding group dynamics, roles assumed by learners, usefulness of discussions and decisions and so on. Learners should have the opportunity to engage in new roles within the group. Also, the teacher may prefer a group to struggle a little so that learners try to resolve issues.
So what is cooperative learning? Briefly, this is an organised and structured method where learners work together on a carefully defined task in which each learner has a particular role to fulfil. The purpose is for learners to practise a range of skills while tackling a problem or issue together.
Skills that are honed through well planned and executed cooperative learning are:
- positive interdependence (the role and contribution of each team member is important and no one role is more important than another);
- accountability for both the individual and the group (every team member will be assessed on the level and value of their contribution, in terms of content and team dynamics, and the team as a whole will be accountable for the product);
- face-to-face interaction (learners must be actively involved in discussing, supporting, negotiating and solving);
- appropriate use of collaborative skills (here both individual social skills are important as well as the way that group dynamics are played out); and
- group reflection — regular self-assessment of team functioning (reflection points should be built into the task and also after completion).
Cooperative learning tasks need to be carefully planned, and much preparatory work needs to be undertaken prior to implementation of the task so that learners are clear about what is expected of them, how the reflection and collaborative responsibilities will work and how they will be assessed.
Arlene Walsh is a writer and curriculum developer from Intelesi Consulting