[etni] Fwd: re: Problems in multi-level classes
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- Date: Sun, 17 Oct 2010 12:40:07 +0200
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From: Marlene <marlenegay@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Problems in multi-level classes
I remember Adah Krell, a former principal of a religious girls'
elementary, talking about heterogeneous teaching as against the Torah
- being similar to the law against "kilayim" - where a farmer is
forbidden to plow the field with a horse and an ox. The ox is so much
stronger than the horse and so it is a cruel treatment of the horse.
Similarly, the weak student who is not receiving sufficient attention
for his/her needs in the large heterogeneous class. Thus, wise
principals who did not heed the edict against streaming were (are?)
acting counter to Ministry demands. As a result, full time teachers
with some 160 students (4 classes X 40 students per class) quite often
suffered burnout...
Marlene
Jimmy wrote:
> The information presented in the Telegraph article about problems in mixed
> ability classes should come as no surprise.
>
> Not so far back, but before the NBA, Projects, and HOTS; there was a rather
> important discussion about heterogeneous classes, at the end of which the MOE
> decided that heterogeneous classes were preferable. (Or, was it a foregone
> conclusion with a discussion to explain it?)
>
> If you remember before the policy change, teachers in "streamed classes"
> (i.e.,
> classes at different ability levels) could more easily cater to the needs of
> the
> students because of the narrower gap between the strongest and weakest. But
> no,
> for some reason (perhaps budgetary) the MOE decided to create heterogeneous
> classes and proclaim them pedagogically better (and produced some
> documentation
> to support this view).
>
> I think we have seen the results here in Israel. Here's my hypothesis: In
> part,
> heterogeneous classes have lead to poorer teaching, poorer learning, and
> faster
> teacher burnout.
>
> That may be a hypothesis worthy of some study. David, perhaps we could do a
> pilot for that study with a ENTI Survey. For the sake of creating good
> research
> questions, I suggest the following survey questions:
>
> 1. How do heterogeneous classes influence student learning EFL in Israel?
> Positively / Negatively / No influence / No opinion
>
> 2. How do heterogeneous classes influence teaching EFL in Israel? Positively /
> Negatively / No influence / No opinion
>
> 3. To what extent do heterogeneous classes influence teacher-burnout among EFL
> teachers in Israel? Contributes greatly / Contributes somewhat / No
> influence /
> Alleviates somewhat / Alleviates Greatly / No opinion
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