Multigrade
Classes
What are Multigrade Classes?
o A multi-grade classroom refers to a class that
has two or more grade level of children in
one classroom.
o Multigrade classes also called A Multi- Age
Group. Multi-age is a term commonly used
today to describe mixed-age groups.
o The meaning of multi-age is “Use multi-age
to mean two or more grade levels that have
been intentionally blended together to
improve learning".
o Multi-age grouping may be implemented for
institutional or pedagogical reasons by the
administration of the school, but the outcome
is that students are able to interact across
age groups and have long-term relationships
with other students and teachers. In a
multiage middle school program student from
more than one grade level learn side by side.
The oldest students eventually move on and
are replaced by a new group of younger
students each year.
Why Multigrade Class Exists?
1. Multigrade classes were organized as a
matter of necessities for remote barangays
where the number of children enrolled could
not meet the required number to organize a
single grade class and assign the necessary
teacher for each class.
2. Distance of the barrio and the small number
of students for each class
3. Shortage of funds teachers and school
buildings
Roles of Teacher in Multigrade Class
• As a teacher
• As a facilitator
• As a planner
• As an evaluator
• As a material designer
• As an action researcher
• As contact with the community
Advantages and Challenges of
Multigrade Teaching
Advantages for LEARNERS:
• Maximum social interaction between peers
• Cooperative learning is predominant
• Will learn to be independent, self-directed
learners and can learn to be more
resourceful.
• Prepared for rea life.
• Can learn to assume leading and
supporting role as needed in diff work
situations.
• Stigma associated with failure and
repetition is removed.
• Girls who are expected to stay home will
have more chances to go to school since
schools are located within the community.
• Students can attain higher achievement
levels especially in math, science, and
language.
Challenges for LEARNERS:
• Requires more discipline, greater
concentration, and more focus to benefit
from effective strategies
• Less reliance on direct supervision by
teacher
• Requires more initiative and resourceful to
function effectively
• May receive less individual attention from
a less experienced teacher
Advantages for TEACHERS
• can make the most of inter-age, multilevel
situation to facilitate learning process
• Can get to know students more and carefully
assess their needs and adopt appropriate
teaching strategies
• Can innovate and experiment with different
age groups and deal with curriculum content
across subject areas.
• Shares responsibility for facilitating learning
with pupils, parents, other community
members.
• More opportunities for activity-centered,
experience-based approaches rather than
whole group, lecture/drill/rote methods of
teaching
Challenges for TEACHERS
• Requires more preparation of curriculum
learning materials
• Requires more careful study of learner’s
developmental characteristics across the age
levels involved in the class, approaches and
strategies that are effective and variable
within a multigrade class.
• More investment in organization of the
classroom as learning environment
• More meticulous and systematic record
keeping keeping track of student progress,
curriculum development and implementation
is required.
Advantages for Community and
School System
• Efficient means of providing educational
services to thinly populated areas and remote
communities
• Efficient means of using limited educational
resources
• Maintaining small barrio schools help to build
and sustain the identity of the community and
the cultural life of the people in the community.
Challenges for COMMUNITY and
SCHOOL SYSTEM
• Student achievement maybe poor in programs
do not have the required resources and
teachers are not properly trained
• Requires investment in training of teachers,
supervisors, and administrative personnel to
prepare them for the demands of multigrade
teaching and administration of multigrade
schools
Basic Principles
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
5. The implementation of the curriculum must consider
the varied abilities, levels, and interests within a
particular group.
6. The evaluation of educational program
7. Inter-aging or the combination of children of
different ages is more respectful of individual needs
of learners and reflects real life.
