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Instructional Strategies for Large Classes: Baseline Literature and Empirical Study of Primary School

Teachers in Uganda

Mary Goretti Nakabugo & Charles Opolot-Okurut

A-A Dialogue Reflective MeetingKampala Regency Hotel 14-17 November, 2006

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Presentation Overview

1. Background

2. Methodology

3. Findings

4. Conclusions

5. Way Forward

6. Research Team

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1. BACKGROUND

• Part of a Larger Project titled: “Investigating Strategies for Teaching Large Classes for Basic Education Support in Uganda”.

• As a result of UPE launch in 1997, school enrolment figures increased from 2.7 million pupils in 1996 to 5.3 million in 1997, and to 7.1 million in 2005 (MoE&S, 2005).

• The current official average pupil-to-teacher ratio is 51:1 (Crudely arrived at by dividing total pupil enrolment by total teacher population

• The reality, however, is that in many classrooms in various schools across the country, there are over 70 pupils in one classroom (Nakabugo, In-press, O’Sullivan, 2006)

• The focus of this research was on class size i.e. the number of children a given teacher was responsible for in a given classroom setting, rather than on Pupil Teacher Ratio.

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Governments’ Response• provision of essential inputs such as trained teachers,

classrooms, furniture and essential textbooks.

• Prior to UPE, there were 81,564 primary school teachers on government payroll. To-date, the number of teachers on payroll is 129,000.

• The current number of primary school classrooms stands at 82,165, as apposed to 45,000 classrooms before UPE.

• The pupil textbook ratios have improved from 8:1 in 2000 to 3:1, and 1:1 in some schools in 2005 (MoE&S, 2005).

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Justification for the Research

• Quality cannot only be judged by the number of inputs into the system, but also, and most importantly, by how the inputs are utilised in the classrooms of varying characteristics to enhance learning.

• How teachers manage teaching and learning in large classes remains elusive.

• Hence need for research into the process of teaching and learning at the classroom level

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The Research Focus

• Large classes do not necessarily mean poor quality education (Gibbs et al, 1997; Maged 1997; Johnson 1998; Baker & Westrup 2000; MacGregor, et. al. 2000).

• What matters most is the capacity to create a culture for organising large classes in such a manner that learning can be successfully mediated.

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The Research Focus (Cont.)

• Our research therefore focuses on investigating possible instructional strategies suited and/or with potential to enhance teaching and learning in large classes.

• We conceptualise effective teaching and learning as that situated within a social constructivist framework (Cole and Wertsch 2003, Oldfather, et.al. 1999, Selly 1999)

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Research Objectives1. To Investigate, through literature review, issues relating to the

teaching of large classes, with a specific focus on those providing practical teaching suggestions and examples of good practice.

2. To Identify issues emerging in the teaching of large classes in Uganda, the strategies that teachers have developed over time to deal with the situation, and the institutional responses to the challenges.

3. To Implement an action strategy in which teachers reflect on their practice, share with one another, and try out new strategies with a view to enhancing teaching and learning in their large classrooms.

4. To Disseminate identified good practice to the wider circles through targeted workshops.

Note: The Current phase focused on the first two objectives.

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2. METHODOLOGY

Research Design & Study Subjects

• This was basically a baseline study to form basis for the action research phase.

• The literature survey used a content analysis method, while the empirical study utilised a descriptive survey design which enabled generation of quantifiable and qualitative data.

• Using EMIS data, it was possible to select 20 schools with varying characteristics.

• Central Unit of analysis was the “teacher” although stakeholders such as the school administration and learners were also interviewed.

• In each school 1 teacher of Math & 1 teacher of English (a total of 40 teachers in all) at P.3 level were selected

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Research Design & Study Subjects (Cont.)

• Nearly all 40 teachers had class sizes ranging from 70 to 130 learners

• Target was to observe 4 lessons of each teacher (a total of 160 lessons) during the 5-month period (April-August 2006)

• The data presented herein is based on literature review and interviews conducted with 35 teachers, 60 learners, 20 school administrators and 100 lesson observations (on average, each teacher was observed at least twice)

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Teacher Characteristics at a Glance

• 31 (86%) females and 4 (14%) males• All professionally trained: 2 bachelors degree holders (5%), 17

diploma holders (49%) and 16 Grade III certificate holders (46%). • Seventeen teachers taught English while 18 were mathematics

teachers.• Apart from two teachers (6%) in one school who had a class of

61 learners (their class of 122 children had been streamed prior to commencement of the study), the rest of the teachers taught classes ranging between 70-80 learners (one teacher – 3%); 81-90 learners (five teachers – 14%); 91-100 learners (seven teachers – 20%); 101-110 learners (9 teachers – 26%); 111-120 (6 teachers – 17%) and 121-130 learners (five teachers – 14%). The

• The majority of the teachers taught in schools that were either located in the urban (12 teachers – 34%) or peri-urban (16 teachers – 46%). Only seven teachers (20%) taught in schools located in rural areas.

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Instruments

– Interview schedule for teachers: The teachers’ interview schedule focused on probing their experiences of teaching large classes, and how they went about teaching them.

– Interview schedule for school administrators to document institutional responses

– Lesson Observation protocol: A structured lesson observation template that enabled the capturing of information on the teacher’s type of teaching, how teachers managed the classroom, what type of resources were used in the teaching and how the prevailing classroom atmosphere and learner participation and engagement in the lesson was used.

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Data AnalysisData Analysis

– Empirical Data was analysed using the constant comparative method (Glaser & Strauss1967) and in some instances descriptive statistics

– Literature review utilised content analysis

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3. FINDINGS3. FINDINGS

• What Practical Suggestions Are Available in the Literature for Teaching and Learning in Large Classes?

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Table 1: Teaching-Stance and Suggested Activities

Target Teaching-Stance Suggested Activities

1. Creating a small-class atmosphere in a large-class setting

- learn student names- move around the classroom- elicit students’ feedback- freely interact with the students

2. Encouraging class Participation

- divide class into small groups- plan participation- students contribute materials for

the lesson- award participation points

3. Promoting Active Learning - write the lesson outline and objectives on the board or transparency

- give a “think break” - show your own enthusiasm for the

subject- design a lesson around a problem-

solving model

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Alternative approaches to handling large classes

1. Peer Tutoring– “The basic principle of this method consists in

reciprocal instruction, the pupils teaching one another and the more able among them acting as teachers for those who are less able”, while “the pupils who are acting as teachers instruct themselves as they teach” (Valerien, 1991, p. 36),

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Alternative approaches contd…2. Issues Acquiescent for Change

– (1) Teaching methodology, – (2) the teaching aids,– (3) the pupil-teacher ratios, – (4) the use of school premises, – (5) the use of time, – (6) the relations with the education authorities, – (7) the improved utilisation of resources of the immediate

environment, – (8) the introduction of certain practices borrowed from the

non-formal education,– (9) the search for outside national and foreign aid, – (10) the assessments, tests and examinations, and – (11) the in-service teachers training.

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What Instructional Strategies have Ugandan Teachers Adopted to Promote Learning in Large Classes?

• Some strategies identified had pedagogical merit and potential to facilitate learning in large classes.

• Other strategies were of limited pedagogical merit

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Strategies with Potential

- Group work

- Team Teaching

- Attracting Learners’ Attention

- School-Based Staff Development

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Strategies with Minimal Potential to

Promote Learning - Lesson Duration– Daily Homework– Little Classroom Exercises Given to

Reduce Marking Burden – Increased Number of Exercise Books– Extended School Opening and Closing

Time

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4. CONCLUSIONS

• Some of the strategies developed have great potential to facilitate teaching and learning in large classes if well nurtured.

• As teachers grapple with the large class problem, there is need to shift focus from content coverage to quality and quantity of what is covered.

• Teachers were pressurized to cover as much content as possible (breadth as opposed to depth).

• What is required now is cultivating strategies that ensure not only broader coverage of content, but are also capable of promoting deeper understanding and application of what is covered.

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5. WAY FORWARD

• Developing some of the potentially identified good strategies in 4 pilot schools through reflective practice/action research/lesson study to create “models” against which other teachers can observe and reflect on their own practice.

Note: In this phase we will collaborate with our Naruto University counterparts with extensive experience in action research

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Way Forward (Cont.)

• How to measure the impact of the piloted strategies in enhancing teaching and learning in a large class?

• Students’ performance: Pre- and Post-achievement test: Need to develop the tests

• Teacher’s self-assessment: Need to develop the assessment tool

• *Content analysis of teachers’ journal/free description of their lesson experience.

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7. RESEARCH TEAM

1. Mary Goretti Nakabugo (Team Leader)2. John S. Maani (KYU)3. Albert Byamugisha (MoE&S)4. C.S. Masembe (Dean, Educ. Mak)5. E.L. Gumisiriza (Dean, Educ. KYU)6. Charles Opolot-Okurut (Mak.)7. David H. Ngobi (Mak.)8. Robinah Mbaga (KYU)9. Christine Alupo (KYU)10. Ruth Ndawula (Mengo P.S.)11. Deogratius Bbosa (Mugongo P.S.)12. Rose Bisikwa (Shimon PTC)13. Julius Tukesiga (MoE&S)