Unit II – The Challenges of Multi Grade Classes

2.1 Population Decline

There are areas in the Philippines even in the other parts of the world where in the
population decreases or declines significantly. What do you think might be the reasons?
Here are some reasons:
1. Dispersal to other parishes
2. Due to death
3. Migration
4. Calamities both natural & man made
5. Land disputes
6. Political quarrels
7. War
8. Demolitions
9. Insurgency
10. Food shortage

With the population decline there is also a reduction in the number of teachers. So
grade levels have been merged – Grades 1 & 2, 3 & 4, 5 & 6 and 7, 8 & 9. Most teachers are
assigned from other areas & are therefore unfamiliar with the community & its practices.
Teachers are faced with the task of teaching multi-grade classes without adequate training.

The Multi-Faceted Nature of Multi-Grade Teacher

Teacher
Research on the effectiveness of multi-grade teaching has indicated that, if well done,
pupils can have the same, & sometimes even better results than single-grade schools.
These students can be among the high performers when the techniques of teaching of
multi-grade classes are mastered.
Although these are many challenges, there are also several advantages. Teachers
within that community, have the opportunity to address various social issues, which help
in the developmental processes, not only of the students but of their parents as well. Some
of the issues include:
1. Health promotions
2. Agriculture
3. Micro-finance
Some of the advantages:
1. Student/teacher ratio
2. Opportunity for highly individualized teaching
3. Opportunity to develop/strengthen leadership & cooperative
management skills of the students themselves
Preparedness
Oftentimes the teacher may not be aware that she/he will teach in a multi-grade
class, until he/she arrives at the school.
The skills required to teach & manage a Multi-grade class is not taught in the teacher
training institutions.
 In a multi-grade school each teacher is expected to teach effectively different subject
areas at different grade levels.
The teacher is expected to have an array of skills & talents, in addition to those
required in the specific subject areas within the normal teaching curriculum. Some of these
skills & talents are:
1. Research 5. Facilitating skills
2. Supervision 6. Management
3. Planning 7. Motivation
4. Organization 8. Evaluation
Functions & Roles of Multi-grade Teachers
1. Field/Action Researchers
2. Teacher/Learning Facilitator
3. Community Liaison/Resource Person
4. Social Worker/Counsellor
5. Evaluator
6. Material/Curriculum Designer
7. Professional Trainer
8. Government Extension Worker
9. Quality Controller
10. Surrogate Parent
11. Financial Manger
12. Representative of Cultural, Moral & Political Values
Activity 2.1
Describe & explain the importance of each function & the role of the teacher, school
& the community as well.

Advantages & Constraints of Small Schools

Purpose: This will help you recognize the advantages of having small schools in providing
education. It will also gave you the opportunity to describe the difficulties & constraints
faced by teachers in single-teacher schools & Multi-grade classes. Find out how they can be
resolved.
Advantage of a Well Organized School
1. Enables the learning activities in the school to be relevant to the pupils ‘lives within
the community – (example: from the point of view of values & attitudes, cultural
identity & community involvement). The teachers can adapt the national curriculum
to the life of the community.
2. Motivates parents to be more involved in the learning of their children
3. Encourages the active involvement of the community organizations in the school
4. Provides opportunity for adult education & non-formal activities. The school serves
as a meeting place for community assemblies.
5. Encourages interaction & support between older & younger students
The Challenges
What are some difficulties encountered by the teacher concerning:
1. Physical environment
2. Social environment
3. Learning environment
Physical Environment
Teachers often resent being assigned in distant schools because of:
a. Fear of being separated from their families
b. Salary may not be sufficient to offset the cost of living
c. Poor means of transportation, health services & security officers
d. Children are often less healthy & low mental abilities than their counterparts in the
big schools
e. Lack of communication with educational support systems & authorities.
Social Environment
a. Loneliness of the teacher
b. Negative attitude towards multi-grade teaching by the authorities as well as the
general public.
c. Deprived home environment & school children
d. Inadequate out-of-school experiences for the pupils
Learning Environment
a. Lack of monitoring & supervision
b. Lack of resources materials, facilities like telephones, computers & laptop,
photocopies, printer & scanner, tables, desks, storage spaces, internet & Etc.
c. No library, textbooks
Activity 2.2
1. Which difficulties can be reduced by the teachers’ action?
2. Which cannot be resolved by the teachers?
3. What can the teacher do to reduce the constraints?

Unit III – Partnerships

Content:
 What is a Partnership?
 Partners & Partnerships
 Advantages of Community Involvement
 School /Community Participation
 Parents’ Involvement
 Strengthening Homework
 Assess & Improve Community Cooperation
 Community Resources for Development
What is Partnership?
Partnership is defined as a relationship characterized by roles, responsibilities,
rights, obligations & accountabilities. The relationships maybe based on law, shared ethical
standards, rules &/or conventions.
The purpose of the school is to prepare the children to participate in the social
economic & cultural activities of the community it serves. The term partnership connotes
part-ownership or shared responsibility.
Why Partnerships?
Education is a long-term investment, its rewards are only reaped later in life. The
primary investor is the Government, but the ultimate beneficiaries are the children & their
families, the private sector, the community & society in general.it would be advantageous
for the beneficiaries to share in the investment by being a partner in educating a child. Many
schools with multi-grade classes tend to have inadequate resources & personnel.
Partnerships, therefore, provide an avenue through which resources can be strengthened
& the community can participate in the education of the child & the life of the school.
Partners & Partnership
The business of education has two major actors: the state & civil society –
partnership with the civil society refers to general community participation, private sector
involvement & parental cooperation. Community participation, in this sense, refers to the
involvement of various groups & individuals in the life & activities of the school.

Activity 3.1
1. As a member of the civil society in your own community, how do you get involved in
the activities of your school?
2. How do you encourage the other members of your community to join in the different
activities?
3. Why should you get involved in the different activities? Should you ask for an
incentive when you work? Why? Why not?
4. State some advantages of community participation. Cite also some disadvantages.

School/Community Cooperation – Building Partnership

Building a partnership is a long term process. There must be trust & underlying
rapport prior to building a partnership. As in any form of cooperation. A partnership
between the school & any area of the community, does not come automatically. It has to be
developed, nurtured & fostered. To develop a two way relationship is not only important
for the community to become involved in the school, but the school should be responsive to
the needs of the community.
Activity 3.2
Try to interview a teacher or any head of school, parent or barangay official or any
responsible citizen.
1. How to create an atmosphere of cooperation between the school & the community.
2. What values or attributes should a teacher possess in order to gain the cooperation
of the community?

Ways of Helping
Parents & other community members should be fully integrated in running the
school. They can supplement the resources of the school in many ways. Some areas in which
partnerships can be developed are:
1. Student supervision while teacher is teaching another group.
2. Coordinate small group work with students
3. Homework supervision
4. Facilitate practical activities
5. Assist training in making projects
6. Teach the children about the community’s culture & customs
7. Facilitate student summer work programs
Parents & other community members can also play a vital role in the educative process by:
1. Helping to develop and support the school curriculum to make it more relevant to
community needs
2. Hiring a private tutor if the need arises
3. Identifying teacher aides in the community
4. Providing information about the family profile of the learners
5. Monitoring the behavior & progress of pupils & the school
6. Organizing special projects & fund raising activities
7. Helping to resolve disputes
Activity 3.3
Assess & Improve Community Cooperation
Questions to answer:
1. Which type of relationship stated in Activity 3.2 exist in your community?
2. Give some examples of cooperation &/or partnerships between your barangay &
the school.
3. If there is none, identify the reason behind the non-cooperation.
4. How can you improve the cooperation in your barangay?
5. In what ways do you think the barangay can help you & vice versa.
 The school and various representatives of the community, can enjoy mutually
beneficial relationships. These can be based on partnerships, whereby different groups,
associations, or individuals assume responsibility for various activities. In return, the school
may allow young people & adults to use the playground for fairs & sports activity.
Classrooms are also used as evacuation center in time of calamities. The multi-grade teacher
has a critical role to play in building relationships.

Unit IV – Government & Peer Support

Content
1. Professional Development
2. Concern For teachers
3. Government support
4. Establishing Peer Collaboration
Professional Development
Multi-grade teachers should help also abreast of developments in their profession.
They should also attend seminars, workshops, lectures & perhaps enroll in a masteral
course. By doing so, their qualifications will be improved.
Concern of Teachers
The concern of teachers arise from the difficulties they experience in a variety of
areas. These difficulties maybe psychological, professional, social or physical.
It is difficult for multi-grade teacher to enjoy regular communication with support
systems & educational activities, because of this remote location. In some countries,
educational authorities visit schools only once or twice a year & only for a short period of
time. Teachers seldom have the opportunity to discuss problems with these specialist or
supervisors. They often feel left out, alone & discouraged.
Public transportation frequently does not service those areas due to poor road
conditions. There is no electricity, cellphone signals & no running water. Infrastructure is
very poor & unsatisfactory.
Many teachers are not trained to cope with the additional responsibilities &
obligations which accompany multi-grade teaching. They may not have access to
professional development programs which are held in central schools & in the division
office in the city.

Activity 4.1
Challenge!
Suppose you are teaching in that kind of school, how will you cope up with the
difficulties & still enjoy your life as a teacher?
Government Support
Government support is essential for giving multi-grade classes & teachers greater
recognition. Government support will do much to prevent small schools from being
marginalized.
The Department of Education should have a strong inter-relationships with those
government agencies & other stakeholders to develop some infrastructure which will
greatly help the community.
These government agencies & the other stakeholders should reflect in the
developmental plans of the following:
1. Improving basic infrastructure such as roads, telephone services, electricity, water
supply & transportation with particular reference to the schools.
2. Compulsory attendance & penalties for non-compliance
3. Physical & human resource provisions for the mentally & physically challenged
students.
4. Gender equity

Upgrading & supporting teacher through the use of ICT & extension programs.
The Nature of Support
1. Congress should enact laws that would secure single-teacher schools & multi-
grade classes
2. Facilitate adequate funding for multi-grade classes
3. Provide standards through the provision of properly trained personnel & the
inclusion of appropriate methodologies in teacher education programmer
4. Ensure that multi-grade schools must have a staff who have a technical expertise
& committed to work in this kind of situation
5. Include issues & techniques for multi-grade teaching as part of the curriculum of
the pre- service teacher education program in college & other training institutions
6. Teachers should also enjoy academic freedom for professional development
7. Curriculum should be modified to make it appropriate to multi-grade teaching
8. Learning materials should also be developed
9. Make effort to strengthen the support of the community
Activity 4.2
Suppose you are a legislator or an officer of the LGU what law or ordinance will you
enact to ensure the security of the pupils & teacher in a multi-grade school.
What kind of activities will you initiate to foster the collaboration of the school &
community?
 Unit V – Learning Experience

Content:
 Effective Teaching Strategies
 Learning Styles
 Students’ diversity
 Curriculum
Teaching approach is a set of principles, beliefs or ideas about the nature of
learning which is translated into the classroom.
Teaching strategy is a long term plan designed to achieve a particular goal.
Teaching method is a systematic way of doing something. It implies an orderly
logical arrangement of steps. It is more procedural.
Teaching techniques as a well-defined procedure used to accomplish a specific
task or activity. It is a teacher’s particular styles to accomplish an immediate objective.
In the teacher-centered approach, the teacher is perceived to be the only reliable
source of information.
The learner-centered approach is premised on the belief that the learner is also an
important resource.
In the subject matter-centered approach, the subject matter gains primary over
that of the learner. This is also teacher-dominated.
Some approach
A. Direct/Expository Approach
1. Direct instruction/lecture method
2. Demonstration method
B. Indirect Guided/Exploratory Approach
1. Inquiry method
2. Problem solving method
3. Project method
Cooperative learning
Peer tutoring/peer teaching
Partner learning
Deductive method vs. Inductive method
Other Approaches
1. Blended learning
2. Reflective learning
Strategies:
 Self-analysis
 Writing journals
 Keeping a portfolio
3. Metacognitive Approach
4. Constructivist Approach
 None of these approaches & strategies is the best or perfect. The approach which is
used must be the most appropriate for the particular circumstances. As teachers you should
determine which approach is best for a certain subject matter.

Activity 5.1
1. In what subject can you use the demonstration method? What are some
disadvantages of this method?
2. When can you use the exploratory approach?
3. What are the steps in the exploratory approach?
4. What can be some disadvantages of peer teaching?

Learning & Thinking Styles

One factor that brings about student diversity is thinking/learning styles.
Individuals think & learn in distinct ways. In any groups of learners there will always be
different characteristics, particularly in their manner of processing information.
Therefore even the multi-grade teacher should know & identify the learner’s learning &
thinking styles.
There are several perspectives about learning-thinking styles. Let’s focus on
sensory preferences & global-analytic continuum.
I. Sensory preferences
1. Visual learner – learners must see their teacher’s actions & facial expressions
to fully understand the content of the lesson.
1.1. Visual iconic – more interested in visual imagery such as film, graphic
displays or pictures.
1.2. Visual symbolic – prefer to read books & anything that they read. They
are more of abstract thinkers.
2. Auditory learners – they learn best through verbal lectures, discussion &
listening to other. They interpret meanings of speech through listening to the
tone of voice, pitch, speed & other nuances.
3. Tactile/Kinesthetic learners – they benefit much from a heads-on approach,
actively exploring the physical world.
II. Global-Analytic Continuum
2.1. Analytic – they tend toward the linear step-by-step processes of learning.
They are more comfortable with details & hierarchies of information.
2.2. Global – learn towards non-linear thought & tend to see the whole pattern
rather than particle elements.

Activity 5.2
1. Why a teacher should knew the learning & thinking styles of his/her pupils?
2. What is/are your thinking/learning styles?
3. What are your dominant multiple intelligence?
4. Choose a particular learning & intelligence of a student. Plan an activity that would
match with his/her learning styles & multiple intelligence.