Multi-grade practice for optimal learner development

According to Berry (2001) there are five key areas which teachers teaching multi-grade classrooms are alert to and which are generally the focus of training packages for multi-grade teachers. These key areas encompass classroom management techniques, instructional strategies, planning based on the prescribed curriculum, instructional materials and the community.

45 2.6.3.1 Classroom management techniques

Managing a multi-grade classroom is difficult because there is more than one grade level in the classroom. Hence, the teacher must be skilled in managing instruction to reduce the amount of ‘dead time' during which children are not productively engaged on task (Little, 2005). This means that teachers must be aware of different ways of grouping children, and the importance of independent study areas where learners can go when they have finished their work. Learners need to be taught the value of independence and cooperation by involving them in classroom decision-making.

Instructional strategies

Instructional strategies are key to improving the quality of teaching and learning in the multi-grade classroom. Increasing the level of learner independence and cooperative group work involves a change in the role of the teacher from 'giver’ of information to 'facilitator' to ensure that time spent away from the teacher is spent productively (Joubert, 2007). Three important strategies to apply to a classroom with multi-grade teaching are peer instruction, in which learners act as teacher for each other, cooperative group work, which involves small groups engaging in collaborative tasks, and individualised learning programmes which involve the learner in self-study.

Planning based on the prescribed curriculum

National curricula are typically produced for the mono-grade classroom. Each set of grade level material is typically placed in a separate booklet, which may include specific content to be taught as well as guidelines on how to teach it (Little, 2005). Such curricula are difficult to use for the educator involved in multi-grade teaching because the curriculum for each grade level requires plans to be written for each grade level separately. For the teacher teaching in a multi-grade classroom context, doing separate planning schemes is time consuming. Teachers need to be taught how to plan across grade level objectives, or how to amend the curriculum to make it more suitable for their multi-grade teaching setting (Little, 2005).

46 Christie (1999:28) suggests the following steps to develop schools that are struggling by assisting them to create a culture of teaching and learning. These three steps that also apply to schools pursuing effective multi-grade teaching include recognising the importance of building these schools into functioning organisations, strengthening their organisational capacity and building leadership and a sense of agency and responsibility at school level.

To recognise the importance of building these schools into functioning organisations implies that provincial departments of education should provide support in leadership and administration and keep close personal contact with these schools. Provincial departments must be consistent and reliable in dealing with these schools and must help to clarify roles and responsibilities so that stakeholders are able to work together. They must help to negotiate legitimate authority relations within the schools and help to create a safer environment for the schools (Joubert, 2010).

To achieve a strengthened organisational capacity and build leadership within schools, there must be assistance with tasks such as timetabling, meeting procedures, budgeting and record keeping. Another way to achieve strengthened organisational capacity is by running workshops with the management teams of individual schools or clusters of schools (Juvane, 2005).

A sense of agency and responsibility at school level must be built relating to each school recognising that it has skills and experiences that can be developed. An example of this is to introduce conflict resolution and team-building exercises to assist stakeholders to work together to address common problems and aims. School development planning can also assist in ensuring participation and in bringing stakeholders together to work on common aims (Joubert, 2006).

Instructional materials

As with the curricula, instructional materials are normally also developed for the mono- grade classroom. Consequently, these instructional materials are produced as grade level textbooks and are designed to be delivered by the teacher to the children (Little, 2005). More suitable study materials for multi-grade teaching include materials in

47 which a self-study element features strongly. These self-study material might be in the form of workbooks with a self-correction key, or a small classroom library that can be accessed independently by the children. Teachers need guidance on how to produce such self-study materials in a cost-effective way.

School and community

Schools involved in multi-grade teaching are often located in remote rural areas that are difficult to reach and which, because of the fact that they are far from educational centres, result in them receiving little pedagogical support (Joubert, 2010). The communities in which these schools are located may not see the value of education and may speak a different language to the language of teaching and learning used at school. Teachers teaching multi-grade classes need specialised training in approaches to develop and strengthen relations between the school and the community.