Learning styles

Learners have different learning styles. Some learners learn easily through hearing information, others by seeing and others by doing. Learning styles used in multi-grade classrooms are discussed below. The discussions below confirms what has been presented by Jordaan (2006:15), Dreyer and Van Der Walt (1996:473).

4.8.5.1 Visual learners

Learners are allowed to use magazines to see pictures and create their own stories. Pictures and charts are used for learners with a visual learning style. Learners participate in gallery walks to see what other learners have written and done on their posters. Learners learn through reading in English and seeing the shapes in Mathematics.

95 4.8.5.2 Auditory learners

Participant one said that auditory learners are the learners who benefit more in class because the teachers talk in most cases in class. Participant three uses a radio in class for learners to learn. Teachers would like to have radio and tape recorders to cater for auditory learners. The lecture method addresses the needs of auditory learners.

4.8.5.3 Kinesthetic learners

Kinesthetic learners are learners who learn by touching objects. Participant nine and Participant seven said that shapes such as squares, triangles, rectangles and circles are used in Mathematics to cater for these learners. Participant two said that kinesthetic learners were the ones who were suffering in her class because she did not have time for that.

Participant nine said that learners had a Technology resource kit with a number of apparatus they can touch. The teacher gave the kinesthetic learners an opportunity to go in front of the class to demonstrate to other learners how things are done in Mathematics. Learners used thermometers and measuring scales to learn mathematical concepts and some learners even built their own prisms in the Mathematics class.

4.9 THE USAGE OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES IN MULTI-GRADE

CLASSROOMS

Participant one remarked as follows when asked how the available resources are used in multi- grade classrooms. “They share, Sir, they share. Even if we do have textbooks, they are little, they

are not enough. So they share. That is why we encourage group work, so that they work in groups so that the resources we have can be enough for all of them when they share”.

The participants shared the same sentiments as the above on sharing of resources. Learners were all sharing resources even if the resources were meant for a particular grade. Participants said

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they had enough textbooks provided by the DoE. Participant five concurs with Little (2004b:16) that resources were the pillars of multi-grade teaching. The Participant further stated that they were shared and learners knew that they had to take care of the resources. Participant six said that resources in multi-grade classrooms were scarce and neglected.

Schools had a library and a reading corner in each class. Libraries were used for reference purposes when learners wrote their assignments. Rural Education Newsletter (2010:4) and Vincent (1999b:1) recommend that multi-grade classrooms must have activity centres. All the participants said that the reading corners were used for independent learning. Participant six further stated that learners were using them to read for leisure. The learners used the reading corners to read and after that, they reported to the teacher individually.

The schools of Participant four, Participants five and Participants nine had old books which the farm owner donated and they are stored in a library for reference purposes. Participants seven said that the school had a library but learners did not use it because of lack of time. The school of Participants six had a library which was not used because of lack of chairs. The library at Participants nine‟s school was also unused and learners were unable to read books from the library.

Charts and pictures were used in the classrooms during the Life Orientation and the English periods to enhance learners‟ understanding. The teachers used a poster of the world map to teach Social Science to learners in all the grades but differing according to the levels of learners. The pictures were used in a Natural Science lesson when learners were taught about different types of cells.

Three schools had computers but they were not used because they were not installed. The school of Participant one, Participant four and Participant nine use their personal internet and e-mails to conduct their school work. Other participants said they used their smart-phones to access the internet and personally bear all the costs. The schools of Participant two and Participants eight had laptops which the teachers had access to and they used them to access information for teaching in classes. Participant nine said that she used a computer in NST when she was busy

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teaching the learners about herbivores and carnivores. Learners used the computer to check whether a specific animal was a herbivore or a carnivore. In Life Orientation the learners used internet to search for the latest case studies.

Five of the participants‟ schools had a globe which the teachers used when they discussed the continents in the subject of Social Sciences. Participant seven said that the counting abacus was used in Mathematics to count, even as extra practice by the learners in higher grades who had difficulty counting. Three schools had science kits that were used to do experiments in Natural Science.

Multi-grade classrooms do have resources but they must be used optimally. Participants demonstrated how different resources can be used in different subjects. Teachers teaching in multi-grade classrooms even used personal resources to complete and enhance their work. The next section looks into the difficulties faced by teachers in multi-grade classrooms.

4.10 THE DIFFICULTIES FACED BY TEACHERS IN MULTI-GRADE