MODULE IV

TEACHING STRATEGIES
FOR MULTIGRADE
TEACHING
 LESSON 3
PEER TEACHING

INTRODUCTION

In a multigrade class children learn from one another. They constantly learn
from one another at play and work, or even in taking care of their basic needs or
being initiated to economic activities of the family and the country. Learning from
children of the same age or of a different age-older or younger is a daily occurrence

OBJECTIVES

At the end of Lesson 3, you should be able to;

 define peer teaching

 enumerate uses of peer teaching

READ

Peer Teaching involves a situation where two or more children cooperate with
and help each other in learning. Learning may take place when (1) one student
assumes the role of teaching a skill (2) pupils are engaged in an interchange where
they assist each other with practicing or enhancing their mastery of a skill or
understanding a topic.
 Both the “tutor” and the “tutee” learn and benefit from a peer teaching
situation. They both develop a more positive attitude towards the subject and
towards learning in general, because of the positive experience and cooperative
learning.
In a multigrade classroom, peer teaching is a necessity. It is a part of
instructional strategy and delivery system. A multigrade teacher is strongly
dependent upon pupils helping one another.

A multigrade class uses peer teaching to;

 drill each other

 help other students learn certain skills other students have
 build the peer tutor’s self-esteem
 model certain skills like singing, dancing, etc.
 ask a student to explain a concept to others in a child’s language so it can be
better understood
 teach others about a topic of study as in social studies
 help each other learn study skills and to do research

It would help if the peer teacher could be developed to be “peer teacher” to assist
and arrange some activities. There are certain activities and subject areas where
structured peer teaching can be used effectively. Teachers can prepare students in
multigrade classroom to participate in peer teaching or tutoring by;

 starting with clear and realistic goals that can be achieved so that the students
feel it a successful experience
 preparing the class by explaining the purposes to them and making it clear
that it is to be part of their classroom life
 providing the appropriate materials and resources that are needed by the
children as they work together
 making sure the peer tutoring pairs or groups can function independently
because they are also self-directed learners who know the goals, strategies
and procedures
  keeping track of the progress of the children’s work
 paying careful attention to selecting and combining students and making sure
all children experience both roles in different learning areas.
 careful scheduling of peer tutoring sessions within the class program within a
day
 providing a clear time and purpose for it. (e.g. for reading: choral reading,
word recognition etc; for math: time to master basic facts, solving problem
etc.)
 providing a predictable and regular time for evaluation with the peer teaching
teams so that immediate feedback can be given to them.

It is important to note that the teacher should be in full control of the peer
teaching situation. It is also important that the children must be involved in the
teaching process because it is a way of making the best of the social situation and
the human resources in a multigrade environment.

SCQ IV–3.1
 POINTS TO REMEMBER

Physical Environment
4. Variables involved in the learning environment of a multigrade classroom

a. teacher direction

b. task orientation

c. positive expectation

d. pupil cooperation and accountability

e. non-negative effect

f. established structures

5. A well-managed classroom depends upon the mutual respect and

cooperation between the teacher and the students

6. In an effective multigrade classroom, which is learner-centered, a teacher

should make the most of every opportunity to observe children at work, at
play and other activities

7. At the center of all educational process is the learner who is the pupil who
grows and develops as a result of interaction between what has been
inherited, the environment and time.