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¶ … Group Instruction and Ability Grouping in the Classroom
Each child has his own level of ability in school. Some may be a quick learner while others may be a slow learner. Hence, when it comes to teaching strategy, it is essential that the best teaching technique is applied. One method that many teachers use is group learning. Group learning may involve teaching the whole class as one group, or it may also involve the formation of groups of students and providing each group with instructions based on their level of ability.
One situation in which class grouping would be applicable is when the majority of a class does not fully understand a lesson, and does not show the same understanding of subject, despite of a few repeated teaching sessions. Grouping a class based on their level of ability allows a teacher to formulate teaching instructions that are comprehensible to each group. In this way, students can minimized or eliminate their confusions about a lesson. In a whole-class instruction, confusion can largely occur especially when the level of understanding of every students vary greatly from that of the others. According to Sigmon, in her online article,
You can not teach the same thing in the same way to a heterogeneous group of children and expect them all to be successful -- plain and simple!
Whole-group instruction would be applicable when the level of skills and ability of the students has been established to the same level. This establishment of ability and skills can be achieved through class groupings as discussed in the preceding paragraph. In whole-group instruction, an instructor must ensure that his teaching styles and the content of his instructions must be understandable to all his students. Basically, whole-group instruction is suitable to use to a group of students whose level of skills, ability, and understanding, on the current lesson does not greatly vary.
Flexible grouping can be used after class-groupings. This is to test whether the students were able to reach the same level of skills, ability, and understanding on the present lesson.
Bibliography
Sigmon, Cheryl. Whole Group Instruction: The Whole Truth. http://www.teachers.net/4blocks/article7.html
Huitt, W. Considering Individual Differences. http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/edpsyc/indvdiff.html
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