ERIC Number: ED400997
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1996-Apr-24
Pages: 21
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Effects of the Multiage Classroom on Children.
Elder, Joann; And Others
This study examined the impact of the multiage classroom on second, third, and fourth graders in an Elkhart, Indiana elementary school. One classroom from each grade participated in the multiage classroom. The classroom of 70 students was combined for at least 1 afternoon per week during the 1995-96 school year. During February, the classroom was combined for four afternoons per week. Results indicated that students in the multiage group had better attendance than the general school population. To determine the effects of the multiage classroom on social skills, the teachers maintained a journal on six students who had not shown appropriate social behaviors in the regular classroom. A point system was implemented in which these students were rewarded with points for three desirable social skills. Four of the six target students demonstrated appropriate social skills during the time observed. Parents' responses to surveys suggested that the parents accepted the program and had a positive attitude toward it. At the beginning and end of the study period, children were surveyed orally on their attitudes to the multiage classroom. Results were mixed with regard to whether they liked to be in a multiage class. Sociometric techniques revealed that, across the time of the study, second and third graders' willingness to work with children of other ages increased, and the fourth graders' willingness declined. Appendixes contain the parent and student surveys. (KDFB)
Descriptors: Attendance, Behavior Modification, Educational Innovation, Educational Strategies, Elementary Education, Elementary School Students, Interpersonal Competence, Mixed Age Grouping, Outcomes of Education, Parent Attitudes, Parents, Program Evaluation, Reinforcement, Student Attitudes, Surveys
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A