Teaching Multi-Grade Classes
Pre-Mid/ First Semester
History of Multigrade Classes Researcher
1800s ● Knows community needs; studies effective
● one-room schools consisted of students of varied strategies
ages and abilities. ● conduct studies on strategies & techniques that
● Students learned together as a single class. promote engagement & achievement in learning
Facilitator
➢ First government schools in North America and ● Understands pupils’ experiences to manage class
Europe were multigrade classes ● familiar with his or her pupils and their experiences
➢ Industrial revolution and urban growth led to the to be able to effectively facilitate the class
graded school system to classify and organize Community liaison/resource person
increasing number of students (Miller, 1989). ● Connects school and community; gains support
Multigrade Teaching to improve education.
Evaluator
● teaching of classes of learners from diverse age
● Monitors and ensures student learning
groups, cultures, and abilities
● ensures a good standard of education by
● has two or more grades under one teacher with 8
keeping track of the learning of the students
to 35 students
Material Designer
Socio-economic contexts vary:
● Crafts instructional materials suited to multigrade
1. Industrialized nations: More resources
learners
2. Developing nations: Multigrade education vital for
Worker/Counselor - Supports students and community
access to quality education.
Financial Supervisor - Manages school finances
Conditions where multigrade teaching arises
Parent Trainer - Trains parent-volunteers for assistance
1. School with population
Surrogate Parent - Nurtures learners in a home-like
2. Classrooms are distributed at various locations
environment
3. Decline of the number of students
4. Children go to more popular schools
Bases of the Multigrade Program in the Philippines
5. Class size exceeds official requirement Constitutional Bases (1987 Philippine Constitution)
6. High teacher absenteeism Article XIV, Section 1:The State shall protect and promote
7. Less deployment of teachers the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and
8. Pedagogical purposes shall take appropriate steps to make such education
Reasons for multigrade classes (Mathot, 2001) accessible to all.
1.Improve access to education Article XIV, Section 2.1: The state shall Establish, maintain,
2.Result of Geographic location (remote area) and support a complete, adequate, and integrated
3.Socio-economic conditions system of education relevant to the needs of the people
4.Cultural practices (children perform and society
domestic/agricultural tasks) Department of Education Orders
Reasons for multigrade classes (SEAMEO-INNOTECH) DEPED Order #96, series of 1997
1. Provision of complete education/access to ● Right to accessible quality education
services in rural/thinly populated areas ● Complete six grade levels in remote barangays
2. Declining student population in small towns ● Multigrade class: 2+ grades, 8–35 pupils, under 1
3. Budget/manpower constraints, unable to create teacher, 3 room school building
and sustain full-fledged schools (Zambia) ● Classroom layout to allow for grouping
4. Geographic inaccessibility ● Provision of books, resources, and teacher support
5. Fulfillment of national/international commitments: Special Hardship Allowance, lodging, regular
● Vietnam: EFA(educ for AI) targets training
● Philippines: Constitutional right to DEPED Order #81, s. 2009
education ● Access to quality education in remote
● Thailand: Lower population growth due communities
to birth control ● Implement Special Hardship Allowance
9 Roles of a Multigrade Teacher (Mathot, 2001) ● Multigrade teacher training
1. Researcher ● Provision of resources and packages
2. Facilitator ● Core trainers for MG teachers
3. Liaison or Resource persons ● 2-year service requirement before transfer
4. Worker or Counselor International Initiatives
5. Evaluator 1. EFA (education for All
6. Material Designer 2. Millennium Development Goals
7. Financial Supervisor 3. Convention on the Rights of the Child
8. Parent Trainer EFA (Education for All):
9. Surrogate Parent ● UNESCO supports full and equal education for all
Teaching Multi-Grade Classes
Pre-Mid/ First Semester
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 26: Core Principles of Multigrade Teaching
● Free and compulsory elementary education 1. Children are unique
ETA GOALS 2. Children learn best from experience
Goal 2: Free, quality primary education for all by 2015 3. Children can do & learn from one another
Goal 6: Improve education quality and outcomes 4. Role of Teacher is to provide a conducive learning
Millennium Development Summit and Millennium environment
Development Declaration (2000) 5. Curriculum caters to varied to interests, levels, and
● MDG Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education abilities
Education for Sustainable Development/ Convention on
the Rights of the Child
● SDG 4: Inclusive and equitable quality education
for all
Philosophies and Principles of Multigrade Teaching
1. Constructivist approach
2. Self-directed Learning
3. Cooperative Learning
Constructivist Approach
● Learning is meaningful through social interaction
and experience
● focus on how students make sense of their
experiences and socially construct meanings.
Effective multigrade settings are:
➢ Student-centered
➢ Collaborative
➢ Based on problem-solving and language-based
practices
Self-directed learning
● allows the students to be actively involved in their
own learning process and to work on their own.
● Peer tutoring effective learning when sharing their
views with other students.
Effective teaching in a multigrade classroom takes place
when
1. Self-directed learning
2. Peer tutoring
3. Learners are engaged in Cooperative learning
4. Recognizing learning styles
5. Learning from family and community
Cooperative Learning Approach
● e students collaborate with each other to
generate new knowledge
● Involves specific group activities to meet
objectives
Core principles of Cooperative learning
1. Positive interdependence
2. Heterogeneous groups
3. Individualized performance
4. Group skills
5. Diversity and social justice
6. Life and reasoning skills
Differentiation in Multigrade Teaching
➢ Recognize learners' strengths and preferences
➢ Use varied teaching and assessment strategies
➢ Organize learning based on different
individuals/groups (Little, 2004)
