The early years in Irish multigrade classes: trajectories of practice and identity

This study investigates how the experiences of Junior Infants are shaped in multigrade classes. Multigrade classes are composed of two or more grades within the same classroom with one teacher having responsibility for the instruction of all grades in this classroom within a time-tabled period (Little, 2001, Mason and Doepner, 1998). The overall aim of the research is to problematize the issues of early childhood pedagogy in multigrade classes in the context of children negotiating identities, positioning and power relations. A Case Study approach was employed to explore the perspectives of the teachers, children and their parents in eight multigrade schools. Concurrent with this, a nation-wide Questionnaire Survey was also conducted which gave a broader context to the case study findings. Findings from the research study suggest that institutional context is vitally important and finding the space to implement pedagogic practices is a highly complex matter for teachers. While a majority of teachers reported the benefits for younger children being in mixed-age settings alongside older children, only a minority of case study school teachers demonstrated how it is possible to promote classroom climates which were provided multiple opportunities for younger children to engage fully in classrooms. The findings reveal constraints on pedagogical practice which included: time pressures within the job, an increase in diversity in pupil population, meeting special needs, large class sizes, high pupil/teacher ratios, and planning/organisation of tasks which intensified the complexities of addressing the needs of children who differ significantly in age, cognitive, social and emotional levels. An emergent and recurrent theme of this study is the representation of Junior Infants as apprentices in their ‘communities of practice’ who contributed in peripheral ways to the practices of their groups (Lave and Wenger, 1991, Wenger, 1998). Through a continuous process of negotiation of meaning, these pupils learned the knowledge and skills within their communities of practice that empowered some to participate more fully than others. The children in their ‘figured worlds’ (Holland, Lachiotte, Skinner and Caine 1998) occupy identities which are influenced by established arrangements of resources and practices within that community as well as by their own agentive actions. Finally, the findings of the study also demonstrate how the dimension of power is central to the exercise of social relations and pedagogical practices in multigrade classes.

Alfabetização matemática no contexto ribeirinho: um olhar sobre as classes multisseriadas da realidade amazônica

Esta dissertação, intitulada “Alfabetização matemática no contexto ribeirinho: um olhar sobre as classes multisseriadas da realidade amazônica”, teve como objetivo investigar abordagens teórico-metodológicas para o ensino e aprendizagem de matemática, no âmbito da alfabetização matemática, possíveis de serem estabelecidas em classes multisseriadas de escolas ribeirinhas da realidade amazônica. Nesta pesquisa, a visão de alfabetização matemática foi construída levando em consideração não só as primeiras habilidades de leitura e escrita inicial da linguagem matemática escolar pela criança (DANYLUK, 1997), mas como um caminho para a aprendizagem do homem e mulher no mundo das relações matemáticas, a partir de concepções teóricas de D‟Ambrosio (2002), Domite e Mesquita (2003), Sebastiani Ferreira (1997), I. Mendes (2009) e Freire (2002). A pesquisa foi realizada no município de São Domingos do Capim, Estado do Pará, Brasil, entre outubro de 2010 e agosto de 2011. Na investigação sobre a alfabetização matemática em classes multisseriadas de escolas ribeirinhas, foram realizadas interações com representantes da Secretaria Municipal de Educação, visitas às escolas ribeirinhas multisseriadas, entrevistas com professores deste município. Como instrumentos de construção de dados foram utilizados diário de campo, entrevistas e observações. A análise da pesquisa de campo foi organizada nos seguintes itens: a) As classes multisseriadas e a alfabetização matemática no contexto ribeirinho; b) Recursos didáticos e alfabetização matemática; e, c) Cultura e educação matemática na Amazônia: entre saberes científicos e saberes da tradição. É possível afirmar que a alfabetização matemática expressa no contexto ribeirinho ainda restringe-se as experiências matemáticas referentes estritamente ao currículo escolar sem levar em consideração a riqueza de possibilidades de conhecimentos das experiências dos estudantes em seu contexto diário como localização espacial no deslocamento pelos rios, nos elementos matemáticos envolvidos na comercialização de frutos e pescado, por exemplo.

Multigrade teaching in primary education as a promising pedagogy for teacher education in Austria and Finland

This chapter focuses on teaching practices used in multigrade classes and the importance of them being incorporated in teacher education as promising pedagogies for future use. Multigrade classes - defined as classes in which two or more grades are taught together - are common worldwide. Hence, there is a need for teacher candidates to become familiar with how to teach in split grade classrooms. However, research on multigrade teaching as well as its development in teacher education studies has been neglected, even though multigrade teachers need special skills to organize instruction in their heterogeneous classrooms. We argue that in successful multigrade teaching practices, the heterogeneity of students is taken into account and cultivated. Based on content analysis of teacher interviews conducted in Austrian and Finnish primary schools, we recommend teaching practices such as spiral curricula, working plans, and peer learning as promising teacher education pedagogies for future multigrade class teaching. We also suggest that the professional skills required in high-quality teaching practices in multigrade teaching should be further studied by researchers and educators.

Transgressão do Paradigma da (multi)Seriação como referência para a construção da Escola Pública do Campo

O artigo analisa a realidade das escolas públicas do campo, inserindo suas particularidades nos desafios mais abrangentes que enfrentam os movimentos sociais populares do campo para assegurar o direito à universalização da Educação Básica, com qualidade socialmente referenciada e afirmativa da diversidade sociocultural e territorial que constitui o campo no Brasil. Ele socializa os resultados dos estudos realizados pelo Grupo de Estudo e Pesquisa em Educação do Campo na Amazônia (Geperuaz) sobre a realidade das escolas rurais com turmas multisseriadas, considerando o paradoxo existente entre o abandono e a precarização que caracteriza em grande medida as condições de existência dessas escolas e as ações criativas realizadas pelos professores e estudantes no cotidiano escolar, que desafiam as condições adversas nelas vivenciadas, indicando referências para a transgressão do paradigma seriado urbano de ensino atualmente hegemônico nessas escolas.

Perfil, concepções e práticas pedagógicas de professores que atuam em turmas multisseriadas de escolas públicas de Sergipe

This article examines some aspects of the organization of multigrade schooling, taking as reference the state of Sergipe. It describes the profile, the conceptions and pedagogical practices of teachers working in multigrade classes in public schools. The data presented result from a statistical analysis of information collected by Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixiera (Inep) and from researches realized with public school teachers of Sergipe. The research has shown that the organization of multigrade schooling has different patterns and its central premise is the junction of years/grades, disregarding the age factor and inhibiting a possible pedagogical intervention, which considers the diversity of subjects and their lifetime. Therefore, it is necessary that teachers have a closer look at subjects of education in rural areas and build an educational intervention that goes beyond administrative aspects of formation of classes. The analysis of conceptions and practices of the teachers working in multigrade classes showed that the teaching work is obstructed by external determinations and by administrative barriers, inhibiting new reflections and practices that break up with the traditional logic of grades, permeated of excluding elements. The article aims to contribute to the dissemination of reflections and policies in the area of country education, especially for schools organized by multigrade schooling.

Inclusão de alunos com deficiência em escolas do campo: desafios da docência em contextos multisseriados

The challenges of dealing with diversity in the school, in a society that values standards, which homogenizes subjects, have been one of the main issues raised, both by researchers in the field of education as the segments that produce the policies in our country. The teatchers transformations, in the new needs prevailing in the era of postmodernity have inspired improvements in the teaching- -learning process and provide conditions to seek training professionals aware and critical in the process of being on social diversity. The present study aimed to investigate the challenges of teaching practice in the process of inclusion of students with disabilities in public schools in the Field of Concordia-SC. Such institutions have structures in their multigrade classes and organizations – with one teatcher for all. The methodological approach was qualitative in nature, with the instruments to collect data, semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation. We research subjects, two teachers of multigrade classes, Azucena and Dalia, which have enrollment of disabled students and the schools that comprise the Concordia Field. It was observed that as a result the main themes emerged from the interviews were: 1) Valuing and respecting the characteristics and capabilities of each student, 2) Design of classroom space as heterogeneous, rich in human diversity, 3) Cooperative work as a potentiator rhythms and different styles of learning, 4) continuing training of teachers: ensuring a “know-how”. It is hoped that the results of this study contribute to the formation and performance of the teacher in the process of inclusion of students with disabilities in school areas, especially in schools field.

Contribuições gerais para o trabalho pedagógico em salas multisseriadas

This article aims at reflecting on organization of pedagogical work in multigrade classes in order to contribute to facing core problems in countryside education and public school in general. We place historically and question school grading and then discuss teaching planning (horizontally and vertically); students' grouping (establishing the difference between group and grouping) and the necessary grouping for promoting learning. We seek to provide elements that evoke analyses of graded classroom standardization. We point out that in both multigrade and graded classes there are possibilities and limits for pedagogical practice. In this regard, we invite teachers to operate towards overcoming these limits by optimizing the concrete possibilities they find, mainly those regarding multigrade classes, which are the focus of our attention in this article.

Prevention of postnatal distress or depression : an evaluation of an intervention at preparation for parenthood classes.

Determined the effectiveness of a psychosocial intervention, provided to expectant couples in routine antenatal classes, on the postpartum psychosocial adjustment of women and men. Preparation for Parenthood programs were randomly allocated to one of three conditions: usual service ('control'), experimental ('empathy'), or non-specific control ('baby-play'). The latter condition controlled for the non-specific effects of the intervention, these being: the provision of an extra class; asking couples to consider the early postpartum weeks; and receiving booster information after the antenatal class, and again shortly after the birth. Women and men were categorised into three levels of self-esteem, as measured antenatally: low, medium and high. 268 participants were recruited antenatally. Interview data and self-report information was collected from 202 of these women at 6 weeks postpartum, and 180 women at 6 months postpartum. The intervention consisted of a session focusing on psychosocial issues related to becoming first-time parents. Participants discussed possible postpartum concerns in separate gender groups for part of the session, and then discussed these issues with their partners

Social adaptation of children with mild intellectual disability : effects of partial integration within primary school classes

Examined the social adaptation of 32 children in grades 3–6 with mild intellectual disability: 13 Ss were partially integrated into regular primary school classes and 19 Ss were full-time in separate classes. Sociometric status was assessed using best friend and play rating measures. Consistent with previous research, children with intellectual disability were less socially accepted than were a matched group of 32 children with no learning disabilities. Children in partially integrated classes received more play nominations than those in separate classes, but had no greater acceptance as a best friend. On teachers' reports, disabled children had higher levels of inappropriate social behaviours, but there was no significant difference in appropriate behaviours. Self-assessments by integrated children were more negative than those by children in separate classes, and their peer-relationship satisfaction was lower. Ratings by disabled children of their satisfaction with peer relationships were associated with ratings of appropriate social skills by themselves and their teachers, and with self-ratings of negative behaviour. The study confirmed that partial integration can have negative consequences for children with an intellectual disability.

Using concept mapping to scaffold learning for students who experience learning difficulties in science classes

In order to develop scientific literacy students need the cognitive tools that enable them to read and evaluate science texts. One cognitive tool that has been widely used in science education to aid the development of conceptual understanding is concept mapping. However, it has been found some students experience difficulty with concept map construction. This study reports on the development and evaluation of an instructional sequence that was used to scaffold the concept-mapping process when middle school students who were experiencing difficulty with science learning used concept mapping to summarise a chapter of a science text. In this study individual differences in working memory functioning are suggested as one reason that students experience difficulty with concept map construction. The study was conducted using a design-based research methodology in the school’s learning support centre. The analysis of student work samples collected during the two-year study identified some of the difficulties and benefits associated with the use of scaffolded concept mapping with these students. The observations made during this study highlight the difficulty that some students experience with the use of concept mapping as a means of developing an understanding of science concepts and the amount of instructional support that is required for such understanding to develop. Specifically, the findings of the study support the use of multi-component, multi-modal instructional techniques to facilitate the development of conceptual understanding with students who experience difficulty with science learning. In addition, the important roles of interactive dialogue and metacognition in the development of conceptual understanding are identified.

Engaging students in large classes using Elluminate

The advancement of online teaching environments during the past several years presents an exciting opportunity to extend existing teaching methodologies. The software package known as Elluminate is one example of a virtual classroom, facilitating the provision of real time interaction, collaboration and group meetings. This paper will examine the use of Elluminate in the teaching of large classes. The use of such technology for large classes is of particular interest, as large classes are often, unfairly, associated with a reputation for being impersonal as well as notions of conveyor belt learning. In this paper the potential to extend teaching and learning opportunities using Elluminate, in the context of large classes, will be explored. It will be shown that the use of technology such as Elluminate can assist in providing students with a more flexible means of accessing academic support, as well as allowing for a customised delivery of course content so as to focus learning outcomes.

Strategies to facilitate grading consistency in large classes

First year undergraduate university classes can be very large, and big student numbers often creates a challenge for instructors to ensure assignments are graded consistently across the cohort. This session describes and demonstrates the use of interactive audience response technology (ART) with assessors (rather than students) to moderate assignment grading. Results from preliminary research indicate this method of moderating the grading of assignments is effective, and achieves more consistent outcomes for students.