Cooperation-Practices of Primary School Pupils in Age-Mixed Classes

Author(s):

Andrea Raggl(presenting / submitting)

Conference:

ECER 2013

Network:

19. Ethnography

Format:

Paper

Session Information

19 SES 04, Parallel Paper Session

Paper Session

Time:

2013-09-11

09:00-10:30

Room:

D-301

Chair:

Contribution

In the last years the organization of age-mixed classes has become a frequent strategy in primary schools in German speaking countries. Prior to this age-mixed classes has been mainly a pragmatic practice in small rural schools because of the low numbers of pupils or a pedagogical practice in schools with a child-centered approach like Montessori schools. The main research interest is in interactions, cooperation strategies and routines of helping among pupils in age-mixed classes. Fieldwork is conducted in two schools with a child-centred approach. Both schools put an emphasis on Montessori-pedagogy and ‘Freiarbeit’ (‘freework’) is taking place every day for at least two hours. This provides a certain frame where processes of cooperations are taking place and have to be negotiated. Central research questions are: What are the main routines of cooperating and helping each other? How do pupils experience the need to help and to cooperate?

Method

Fieldwork is conducted in two schools with age-mixed classes during one school year (October 2012-June 2013). Participant observation is taking place mainly in phases of ‘free-work’ where pupils have to organize their learning in a prepared setting (Montessori). This allows to observe negotiation processes between pupils (who is doing what with whom, etc.), processes of cooperating, practices of helping each other (trying to get help, trying to help, refusing to help, etc.). Participant observation included informal conversations with pupils and teachers. Furthermore interviews with pupils and teachers have taken place.

Expected Outcomes

First analysis of the data show that the work in 'freework'-phases is very much dominated by who is doing what with whom. This puts pressure on children who are not finding a partner who is willing to work with them so easily. Some pupils are dealing a great amount of their time to find someone to work with and they experience a lot of rejection. Cooperation is appearing as a complex phenomenon which has to be negotiated in every situation by the pupils involved.

References

Breidenstein, G. (2006): Teilnahme am Unterricht. Ethnographische Studien zum Schülerjob. Wiesbaden: VS-Verlag. De Boer, H.; Burk, K. & Heinzel, F. (Hrsg.) (2007): Lehren und Lernen in jahrgangsgemischten Klassen. Frankfurt am Main: Grundschulverband - Arbeitskreis Grundschule. Huf, C. (2006): Didaktische Arrangements aus der Perspektive von SchuanfängerInnen. Klinkhardt: Bad Heilbrunn. Krappmann, L. & Oswald, H. (1995). Alltag der Schulkinder: Beobachtungen und Analysen von Interaktionen und Sozialbeziehungen. Weinheim; München: Juventa. Laging, R. (Hrsg.) (2003). Altersgemischtes Lernen in der Schule. Baltmannsweiler: Schneider: Hohengehren. Naujok, N. (2000). Schülerkooperation im Rahmen von Wochenplanunterricht. Weinheim: Beltz. Wagener, M. (2007). Gegenseitiges Helfen im altersgemischten Unterricht. In H. de Boer, K. Burk & F. Heinzel (Hrsg.), Leben und Lernen in jahrgangsgemischten Klassen (S. 124-133). Frankfurt am Main: Grundschulverband - Arbeitskreis Grundschule. Woods, P. (Ed.) (2012): Pupils Strategies. Explorations in the sociology of the school. Routledge: London.

Author Information

Andrea Raggl (presenting / submitting)

Pädagogische Hochschule Vorarlberg, Austria

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