Vol. IX No. 2
May 1997



Editorial

Teachers Ask

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Teachers Ask
"How can I make the most of my multi-level class?"

Dealing with Diversity: Stucturing Success in Multi-Level Classes by Jim Howden

Combining two or more levels of learners, whether it be because of budget restrictions, declined enrolment, or a pedagogical decision almost always results in a gut reaction from the teacher - how will I be able to manager, motivate, and teach to such a diverse group. Living in today's society requires more competencies in dealing with diversity for both the student and the teacher - heterogeneity is at the crux of modern society.

Teachers and students need to be involved in settin collective goals in a combined classroom. Effective learning takes place when students want to learn and need to learn. When looking at the process of change in educational settings, it is normal that problems and frustrations be part of the early days (and weeks) of organizing a multi-level classroom. These underlying beliefs and assumptions regarding multi-level classes will help to demystify this pedagogical reality: students work together in a healthy authentic learning environment where cooperation is a fundamental value; students' social, emotional, and intellectual development is enhanced when their environment is structured (Vygotsky cited in Moll 1990); students autonomy and self-esteem are enhanced if interdependence is stuctured within their interactions; language competencies, both intellectual and interpersonal, are acquired when working with their peers in a successful cooperative learning environment (Lemke, 1990).

The principles of learning, which are respected in the framework for dealing with a diverse learner population, include: new knowledge, procedural and declarative, is constructed on prior knowledge; learning occurs during social interactions when students are engaged in specific and meaningful pedagogical activities; and successful learning involves the use of numerous teaching strategies.

Learning centres is one strategy that favours success in a multi-level classroom. Learning centres differ from activity centres in that learning takes place in a long term supportive, stuctured environment with specific language and content objectives. Learning centres are student-centered and engage students by the use of clearly defined objectives. Some steps to ensure the success of learning centres include activating prior knowledge, motivating students to explore and develop new concepts based on prior knowledge, and planning for a reflection period to complete the cognitive process.

There is no one solution which offers a panacea in dealing with the heterogeneity in today's classrooms, but clearly the teacher is the key to success. Using a variety of strategies, realistic goal setting, and transferring responsibility for some of the learning to the students through cooperative learning are but a few suggestions. Others include crossage tutoring and balancing whole group/small group interactions. Campbell (1993) with his research and annotated bibliographiy on multi-level core French classrooms in Ontario, offers more time and cost consuming ideas to deal with such diversity in the classroom, including (Moscovich, 1991 in Campbell, 1993):

  1. developing a spiral thematic curriculum
  2. providing more in-service training to teachers
  3. increasing the resources to be used in active learning centres.
  4. providing curriculum support via the administration and consultants.
Campbell's bibliography cites disadvantages to multi-level classrooms. Nevertheless, if teachers receive pre-service and in-service training on strategies for successfully coping with multi-level classrooms, the focus of these disadvantages could be transformed into advantages. For example, students in multi-level classes tend to spend more time in writing and reading activities, are often "left alone" in a group without the skills to work independently. If students are in carefully structured base groups, with common goals, interdependence, and responsibility as foci, they will collectively be more productive (Johnson, Johnson, and Holubec 1993). The goals that teachers set for combined classrooms should be based on pedagogical assumptions, research and theory, and which should result in structured success for both the teacher and the learners. This implies a true partnership between the students, the teachers, the school administration, and the parents. Dealing with diversity is successfully learning to cooperate and cooperating to learn.

Campbell, G. (1993) Assessing the impact of multigrade classes: an anotated bibliographie. Canadian Modern Language Review, 49(2), 345-364.

Howden, J. (1996) Pratico-pratique: L'apprentissage coopératif en salle de classe. Mosaique: consultants en Éducation. Montréal, Québec.

Johnson et all (1993) Cooperation in the classroom. Edina, MN: Interaction Book Co.

Lemke, J.L. (1990) Talking science: Language, Learning, and Values. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Corp.

Moll, L.C. (1990) Teaching Second Language Students: A Vygotskian Perspective. In L.C. Moll (Ed.), Vygotsky and Education. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.