Ability grouping to improve teaching and learning in large classes in Tanzania: An empirical study

• In Event: Improving teacher education

Proposal

Introduction. Organizing instruction for effective learning in large classes is challenging. Research conducted in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has found that in large classes, teachers experience difficulties managing behavior, using interactive strategies, individualizing instruction, organizing students in groups, and assessing learning (Marais, 2016; Adamu, Tsiga & Zuilkowski, 2020). Nevertheless, in some instances, teachers have been able to use instructional grouping as a strategy to improve learning in large classes. Instructional grouping, where students are organized in small groups for learning, has been found to have beneficial effects on both teaching and learning (Ward, 1987; Hart, 2011; Blake, 2011; Logsdon, 2022). One way to group students in instruction is ability grouping (AG), where students are grouped according to ability. When done flexibly – that is, when students are grouped by ability, assessed, then regrouped based on the results of these assessments, AG can contribute to positive outcomes (Lofton, 2013; Watson, 2018; DeHartchuck, 2021). This paper will present the results of an empirical study where we found that AG is possible in large classes and that it can improve teaching and learning.
Description of the intervention. In primary schools in Tanzania, many teachers must manage classes of 150 students or more per class. In these conditions, teachers tend to rely on whole-group instruction and rarely conduct continuous assessment to track learning. To respond to this situation, we developed an approach where teachers first organize whole-class instruction, then group students randomly in groups of up to ten and introduce a learning activity to be carried out in those groups. Students then respond to several assessment questions and a group leader tallies the results. After the lesson, teachers analyze assessment results, then based on assessment results, group students in mixed fashion or according to higher and lower abilities. If assessments show most students achieved the objective, teachers move on to the next lesson.
Theory of change. We theorized that if teachers were trained to use AG and student-led continuous assessment strategies, then were provided with follow-up support, they would implement AG in their classrooms, which in turn would lead to improved student learning, even in large classes.
Research design. This study sought to answer two questions: (1) To what extent did teachers adopt the AG strategy? and (2) What challenges did teachers face when using AG? The study used a mixed methods design, combining quantitative and qualitative measures, including classroom observations to measure fidelity of implementation (FOI) and interviews with teachers and Head Teachers to capture their perspectives concerning this new practice. In all, 19 teachers and six Head Teachers were included from six primary schools in the Arusha District of Tanzania. FOI results were calculated as percentages, indicating the extent to which each step of the new practice was conducted as intended. Interview data were analyzed by identifying patterns across schools, class levels, and subjects taught, then deriving themes across the entire population.
Findings. Following the training of teachers and Head Teachers, project staff made three visits to all six schools. During these visits, researchers found that all trained teachers had adopted the AG approach, and all teachers faithfully implemented the first two steps – teaching an initial lesson (whole class followed by mixed groups), then conducting assessments in groups. Fidelity decreased with step 3, where two-thirds of teachers experienced difficulties determining how to organize students in ability groups; nevertheless, about one-third of teachers were able to implement all six steps of the strategy faithfully. In interviews, teachers reported that AG helped them had increased student-to-student interaction and, in their view, had made learning more effective and fun. They also noted that AG works best in groups of less than 10 – that in larger groups, students were less interactive. Importantly, teachers noted that AG was difficult to implement in P1 as students were still learning to read at that stage.
Contribution to the literature. The findings from this study contribute to two literatures. First, it responds to the literature where researchers argue that AG leads to learning disparities and lower learning expectations. In contrast, this study found that the tested AG approach makes it possible for struggling learners to receive additional support, thus addressing the needs of learners struggling most. Second, the study responds to the literature on large classes, some of which speaks to the difficulty of grouping and continuous assessment in these contexts. This study found that with time and support, teachers were able to group students with increasing ease, and more frequent assessment became possible because the teacher did not have to mark each paper individually.

Authors

• Mark Mark Lynd Lynd, School-to-School International

• Amani Nicolas, Joshua Foundation