Republic of the Philippines

NDC – Tagum Foundation, Inc.

College Department
Apokon Road, Tagum City

_________________________________________________________________________

MODULE 1
__________________________________________________
ELECTIVE –

Submitted by:

MAY AN M. RAMONES
Student

Submitted to:

PROF. REMEDIOS C. MAGHANOY

Instructor
 MODULE 1 – OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE

A. What is a Multi-grade Classroom

A multigrade class consists of two or more different grade levels inside a single-grade
classroom handled by one teacher for an entire school year. It is offered in elementary
schools located in distant and sparsely populated localities.

Figures from DepEd show that there are close to a million enrollees in multigrade
classes across the country.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro said most of the students attending multigrade
classes are learners who belong to isolated and financially challenged communities,
are indigenous peoples, and reside in far-flung mountains and islands where schools
are far apart from each other. “This is part of our thrust to democratize access to
education and make the learning experience inclusive to as many sectors. In effect, we
are bringing more students to school,” he added.

“If a class does not meet the required number of enrollees and therefore it is not viable
to conduct a class of limited number of pupils, the supposed enrollees are merged into
a single class and taught by one teacher,” Luistro explained.

The small number of students for each grade level, the shortage of teachers, the
distance from the community to the nearest school, and the inadequacy of funds and
classrooms are reasons that necessitate the organization of multigrade classes.

In the Philippine public school system, classes with two grade levels inside a single
classroom and handled by the same teacher are called combination classes. Classes
with three grade levels conducted in one classroom and handled by a single teacher
are called a multigrade or multilevel class.
 This means that children with different skills and abilities, developmental levels, and
needs are mixed in a class and work together under the guidance of one teacher. “The
truth is, long before multitasking became a buzzword, our teachers were actually
already living up to the word,” Luistro said.

Although the DepEd has always recognized the existence of multigrade classes, it was
only in 1990 that the department started to consider the formal organization and
continuing operation of multigrade classrooms all over the country in keeping with
the goal of Education For All.

Thus, the DepEd continues to invest in teachers’ training, curriculum development,

and preparation of learning materials appropriate for multigrade classes to improve
elementary education especially in underserved and remote areas.

B. What is multigrade teaching?

Multigrade teaching occurs in primary education when a teacher has two teach two or
more primary school student grades in the same class. More general term and
probably more accurate is that multigrade teaching refers to the teaching of students
of different ages, grades and abilities in the same group. The multigrade class
structure is known by various names in different countries; these include "composite"
or "combination" classes, "double" classes, "split" classes, "mixed-age" classes,
"vertically grouped" classes, "multiple classes", "family classes" or "multilevel
classes". In multigrade schools a relatively small number of teachers try to be
effective in their educational work while dealing simultaneously with a number of
pupils of different ages, educational levels and needs. It follows that for children to
learn effectively in multigrade environments; teachers need to be well trained, well
resourced, and able to meet highly demanding teaching tasks and to hold positive
attitudes to multigrade teaching.
Multigrade classrooms ought to be taken seriously into account since such schools are
considered to play important role on providing access to education for all in remote,
isolated and underdeveloped rural areas. Such schools are more than a reality in
primary education in many regions of Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa and the
rest of the world constituting a very common educational form in problematic rural
areas, sparsely inhabited regions and urban areas with adverse social conditions. In
such areas multigrade schools not only aim to give enrolment and continuous
attendance in school environments, but also to provide knowledge and pedagogy of
good standards and in addition to play a wider role in social development.
In most of the cases the multigrade school is the only viable school formation in rural
environment and the effort should be focused on improving the teaching and learning
conditions in this school formation. Multigrade teaching is presented as a powerful
pedagogical tool for promoting independent and individualized learning. This kinds of
teaching and learning seem to have great advantages since the teaching programme is
adjusted to the specific needs of the individual student and thus contributes to better
learning outcomes. Multigrade school provide the best test bench for research and
investigation of the usefulness of individualised teaching since personalised education
is a basis that gives solutions at the multigrade setting and thus is widely adopted.
Multigrade schools have potential and play important role as educational units in
underserved rural areas. In addition multigrade schools could present good teaching
and learning practises useful and applicable in all kind of schools and classrooms. The
unfortunate reality is though that these schools form the most neglected part of the
education system. National educational authorities, ministries of education and
pedagogical institutions most of the times do not take into account or recognize or
consider important the differentiation on the teaching and learning conditions in the
multigrade environment. The formation of the school in multigrade classrooms is in
most cases considered as a "necessary evil" situation that is adopted just to fulfil the
obligation of the official state for providing education for all. As far as this is the main
goal of the state, to fulfil an obligation, then much less attention is paid to provide
quality education or to support the specialised needs of the teachers working
multigrade schools. Due to the geographical oddities, the socio-economic peculiarities
and the lack of adequate school infrastructure and personnel, these schools still
remain at the education's world cut off.
The MUSE (MUtigrade School Education) project takes into consideration the
numerous specialised conditions prevailing in multigrade education and establishes
the framework in order to provide support to multigrade teachers in Europe.
This handbook represents in fact the first evidence of this supporting effort as it aims
at presenting a general framework for improving professional performance of
multigrade teachers.

ACTIVITY

1. What are the challenges in teaching multigrade level?

Teachers in multi-grade settings face many challenges such as
inadequate training, social and cultural isolation, instructional, lack of time, lack
of community understanding, and rural nature of most of the multi-grade settings.

2. Why is multigrade teaching important?

Here are some of the many advantages we will experience through teaching and
learning in a multigrade classroom: Reduced Competition & Off-task Behavior:
Academic, physical and social competition between peers is reduced, as is the
anxiety and preoccupation of having to compete and compare one's self to their
peers.

3. What qualities characteristics should a teacher of multigrade classes possess?

The main function of the Multigrade teacher is to teach students by imparting
knowledge . The teacher is expected to be versatile and utilize different strategies
to make learning meaningful and effective for all students in his or her classroom,
no matter what individual differences may exist among the students.
 4. What are the teaching approaches in multigrade class?
In multigrade teaching, the teacher can follow different approaches like direct
observation, guidance of peer group students, lesson oriented teaching, group
learning and supervision method. A single teacher may face a situation to handle
two or three or five classes at a time.

5. How do you handle a multigrade class?

5 Tips for Teaching in Multi-Grade Classrooms
a. Determine Your Requirements. It's imperative that you find out the requirements
under which you must work. ...
b. Consider Student Abilities Instead of Grade Level. ...
c. Create Activities for Groups Not Being Taught. ...
d. Incorporate Everyday Experience into Learning. ...
e. Assure Parents with Specific Information.

ANALYSIS

Multi-grade teaching refers to the teaching of students of different ages, grades

and abilities in the same group. It is referred to variously in the literature as
'multilevel', 'multiple class', 'composite class', 'vertical group ‘,’ family classes, and, in
the case of one-teacher schools, 'unitary schools'. It is to be distinguished from mono-
grade teaching in which students within the same grade are assumed to be more
similar in terms of age and ability. However, substantial variation in ability within a
grade often leads to "mixed-ability" teaching. There can also be wide variations in age
within the same grade, especially in developing countries, where the age of entry to
school varies and where grade repetition is common. This condition of "multi-age-
within-grade" teaching appears not to have generated such universal recognition,
perhaps because it occurs more often in developing than in developed countries.
When references to multi-age teaching occur in the literature they usually describe
educational settings in North America, where, because age and grade are congruent,
the term is used synonymously with multi-grade teaching.

APPLICATION
REFLECTION

To be successful multigrade teacher, I must balance my time effectively and

prepare variety of activities to keep all groups of students engaged in the multigrade
environment which is an opportunity to develop new and more effective teaching
processes.
Multigrade teaching is an important and appropriate way to provide good
quality education to children who are often neglected by their education system
because of the area of living they have, poor and remote communities.
Learning environment should also be considered to create a classroom
conducive to learning.
Multigrade classroom provide the opportunity to break down the hindrance
between grades and look at the students as group of learners.

As a multi grade teacher, I am the key to plan, design, and manage the range
of both grade - appropriate and mixed - grade activities for children to keep the
interest for the learners to learn.

And as a Mulltigrade, you have to be flexible and use various teaching

methods, according to their specific teaching need at the time. This not only supports
the educational worth of the teacher and serves the national curriculum goals, but also
represent flexible methods that encourage children to be independent and develop
their personalities.
 Republic of the Philippines
NDC – Tagum Foundation, Inc.
College Department
Apokon Road, Tagum City

_________________________________________________________________________

MODULE 2
__________________________________________________
ELECTIVE 1 –

Submitted by:

MAY AN M. RAMONES
Student

Submitted to:

PROF. REMEDIOS C. MAGHANOY

Instructor
 MODULE 2 – THE NATURE OF MULTIGRADE CLASSES

Multigrade teaching occurs in primary education when a teacher has two teach two or
more primary school student grades in the same class. More general term and probably more
accurate is that multigrade teaching refers to the teaching of students of different ages, grades
and abilities in the same group. The multigrade class structure is known by various names in
different countries; these include "composite" or "combination" classes, "double" classes,
"split" classes, "mixed-age" classes, "vertically grouped" classes, "multiple classes", "family
classes" or "multilevel classes". In multigrade schools a relatively small number of teachers
try to be effective in their educational work while dealing simultaneously with a number of
pupils of different ages, educational levels and needs. It follows that for children to learn
effectively in multigrade environments; teachers need to be well trained, well resourced, and
able to meet highly demanding teaching tasks and to hold positive attitudes to multigrade
teaching.
Multigrade classrooms ought to be taken seriously into account since such schools are
considered to play important role on providing access to education for all in remote, isolated
and underdeveloped rural areas. Such schools are more than a reality in primary education in
many regions of Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa and the rest of the world constituting a
very common educational form in problematic rural areas, sparsely inhabited regions and
urban areas with adverse social conditions. In such areas multigrade schools not only aim to
give enrolment and continuous attendance in school environments, but also to provide
knowledge and pedagogy of good standards and in addition to play a wider role in social
development.
In most of the cases the multigrade school is the only viable school formation in rural
environment and the effort should be focused on improving the teaching and learning
conditions in this school formation. Multigrade teaching is presented as a powerful
pedagogical tool for promoting independent and individualized learning. This kind of
teaching and learning seem to have great advantages since the teaching program is adjusted to
the specific needs of the individual student and thus contributes to better learning outcomes.
Multigrade school provide the best test bench for research and investigation of the usefulness
of individualized teaching since personalized education is a basis that gives solutions at the
multigrade setting and thus is widely adopted.
Multigrade schools have potential and play important role as educational units in
underserved rural areas. In addition, multigrade schools could present good teaching and
learning practices useful and applicable in all kind of schools and classrooms. The
unfortunate reality is though that these schools form the most neglected part of the education
system. National educational authorities, ministries of education and pedagogical institutions
most of the times do not take into account or recognize or consider important the
differentiation on the teaching and learning conditions in the multigrade environment. The
formation of the school in multigrade classrooms is in most cases considered as a "necessary
evil" situation that is adopted just to fulfil the obligation of the official state for providing
education for all. As far as this is the main goal of the state, to fulfil an obligation, then much
less attention is paid to provide quality education or to support the specialized needs of the
teachers working multigrade schools. Due to the geographical oddities, the socio-economic
peculiarities and the lack of adequate school infrastructure and personnel, these schools still
remain at the education's world cut off.

A. THE CONCEPT OF MULTIGRADE TEACHING

Meaning of multigrade teaching

The term ‘multigrade teaching’ generally refers to a teaching situation where a single
teacher has to take responsibility for teaching pupils across more than one curriculum
grade within a timetabled period. Schools with multigrade classes are referred to as
multigrade schools.
In most of the world’s education systems, formal education is expected to be
imparted in a monograde teaching environment, where one teacher is responsible for a
single curriculum grade within a timetabled period.
Although this is the general norm, in many countries in the world there are
schools in which all classes function as multigrade classes. These schools are called
“fully multigrade schools”. In some other schools only some of the classes function as
multigrade classes while others function as monograde classes. These are called as
“partially multigrade schools”.

Prevalence of multigrade teaching in the world

Multigrade classes exist in many countries. Most of these education systems do not
publish statistics on prevalence of multigrade teaching. The following statistics are
cited by Little in the book Education for All and Multigrade Teaching: challenges and
opportunities (2006: 5-6).
• In England in 2000, 25.4% of all classes in primary education
• In France in 2000, 34% and out of these 4.5% were single-teacher schools
• In Ireland in 2001, 42% of primary school classes
• In Norway in 2000, 34% of all primary schools
 • In Nepal in 1998, almost all primary classes
• In Peru in 1988, 21,100 primary schools and 41,000 multigrade teachers.
• In India in 1986, 84% of primary schools had three teachers or less.
ACTIVITY:

1. What effect does multigrade instruction have on student performance?

Many teachers, administrators, and parents continue to wonder whether or not
multigrade organization has negative effects on student performance. Research
evidence indicates that being a student in a multigrade classroom does not
negatively affect academic performance, social relationships, or attitudes.

2. Why is multigrade teaching important?

The main function of the multigrade teacher is to teach students by imparting
knowledge not just follow a curriculum. Teacher must be able to develop skills
and inculcate desirable values and attitudes among pupils.

3. What are the requirements for effective multi grade teaching?

Being Efficient and Flexible in the Use of Time
The choice and organization of activities are essential conditions for good
multigrade classroom management. You should also have a clear idea about how
to divide your students by both grade and age levels, and what types of activities
are best for different groups.

4. How can a teacher maintain discipline in a multigrade classroom?

Tap into the experience of these pros, and turn your classroom into a place where
students learn and enjoy the process.
A. Greet students at the door. ...
B. Get students focused before you begin any lesson. ...
C. Use positive presence. ...
D. Model the behavior you want students to produce. ...
E. Use low-profile intervention.

5. What is the concept of multigrade teaching?

The term 'multigrade teaching' generally refers to a teaching situation where a
single teacher has to take responsibility for teaching pupils across more than one
curriculum grade within a timetabled period. Schools with multigrade classes are
referred to as multigrade schools.

ANALYSIS
In multigrade instruction, children of at least a two-year grade span and diverse ability
levels are grouped in a single classroom and are encouraged to share experiences involving
intellectual, academic, and social skills (Goodlad & Anderson, 1987; Katz et al., 1990;
McClellan & Kinsey, 1996). Consistency over time in relationships among teachers, children,
and parents is viewed as one of the most significant strengths of the multigrade approach
because it encourages greater depth in children’s social, academic, and intellectual
development. The concept of the classroom as a “family” is encouraged, leading to expansion
of the roles of nurturing and commitment on the part of both students and teacher (Feng,
1994; Hallion, 1994; Marshak, 1994). The potential academic and social implications of the
multigrade concept of education are strongly supported by extensive research demonstrating
the importance of peers in children’s academic and social development, and by studies of
reciprocity theory, which demonstrate the positive effect on child academic and social
behavior of sustained close relationships between children and caregivers (Kinsey, 1998;
Maccoby, 1992). The adequate implementation of a multigrade approach to education
extends beyond simply mixing children of different grades together. A positive working
model of a multigrade classroom allows for the development of academic and social skills as
the teacher encourages cross-age interactions through tutoring and shared discovery.

APPLICATION

REFLECTION
Multigrade teaching is where teachers handle two or more curriculum grades at the
same time. When I stared to learn about the concept of multigrade teaching, I realized that
this approach can be helpful to areas that needs attention to address issues on access to
education such as remote and rural areas, and areas that facing different types of conflict.
However, as someone who took education in the university prior to this course, I
realized that teachers were not prepared to handle classes with special needs such as
multigrade class. This can be very challenging to teachers because of their monograde
training in the university. However, given the potential advantages of this approach, our
education system can take focus and give priority to train teachers, develop instructional
materials, and develop curriculum that would match multigrade teaching and learning.
I first encounter the term “participatory learning” when I came across the experience
of Colombia in their Escula Nueva program. Some of the achievements of this program are
expansion of educational coverage in rural areas in Colombia, it was also raise awareness of
student achievements and bolster creativity and self-esteem among multigrade students. In
the Philippines, I have encountered multigrade teaching in rural areas, teachers are handling
two grade levels due to lack of teachers and classrooms. If multigrade teaching will be
maximize and teachers will be trained accordingly, then we can take advantage of this
approach to serve more learners and achieve the highest potentials of this type of learning
approach.