Session Information
27 SES 07 B, Teaching and Learning in Multi-grade Classes
Symposium
Contribution
Mixed-age or multigrade teaching, like it often occurs in small, rural schools but also for pedagogical reasons in some larger schools looks particularly interesting, when it comes to assessment for learning (Hargreaves, 2001; Little, 2007). In multigrade classes the teacher focuses more the individual student and applies differentiated learning. This is done based on formative assessments that supports children’s learning and documents their progress (Smit & Humpert, 2012; Stone, 1996). Effective assessment tools for mixed-age teaching are portfolio and children’s presentations in which they verbally or visually display their achievements to others (Guskey, 2003). Results from formative assessments help teachers to adapt their teaching and plan the next learning steps for the different grades or individual students. Multigrade teachers need to develop their assessment literacy in discussion with their team members as part of a professional learning community (Mulryan-Kyne, 2007). The main research question is whether a concept of formative assessment within the group of multigrade teachers can be empirically demonstrated and which context variables are related to such a concept. As part of the project “schools in alpine regions 2”, we collected data from a voluntary sample of 271 teachers with multigrade classes in two regions in Eastern Switzerland and one in Western Austria. We administered a questionnaire in the beginning of 2013 and interviewed a smaller sampler of teachers from 30 schools in late 2013. With the help of a structural equation model it could be shown, that teachers with multigrade classes use a combination of formative assessment practices and tools in order to individualize and differentiate their teaching and instruction. More grades in class and higher self-concept of teacher’s competency to deal with heterogeneous classes relates positively to formative assessment literacy. Results from the analysis of interviews give more detailed insights.
References
Guskey, T.R. (2003). How classroom assessments improve learning. Educational Leadership, 60(5), 6-11. Hargreaves, E. (2001). Assessment for learning in the multigrade classroom. International Journal of Educational Development, 21, 553–560. Little, A.W. (2007). Multigrade lessons for EFA: a synthesis. In A. W. Little (Ed.), Education for all and multigrade teaching (pp. 301-348). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. Mulryan-Kyne, C. (2007). The preparation of teachers for multigrade teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education, 23(4), 501-514. Smit, R., & Humpert, W. (2012). Differentiated instruction in small schools. Teaching and Teacher Education, 28, 1152-1162. Stone, S.J. (1996). Creating the multiage classroom. Tucson, Arizona: Good Year Books.
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