Activity 1 Learners’ perspective Objective: to let participants explore how learners feel in a mixed ability class
Time: 25 min
Materials: DVD, DVD player, handout 1 per participant
Procedure:
☺ (5 min) Ask participants the following questions:
1. How do you think students feel in mixed ability classes?
2.What impact do you think the teacher’s attitude has on learners? How do learners feel if the teacher focuses mainly on stronger/weaker/average students?
3.Have you ever asked your learners about it?
Possible answers
Weaker students might feel demotivated. Stronger students might mock at weaker ones.
The teacher might encourage rivalry or friendship in a classroom. If the teacher focuses mainly on stronger students weaker ones might be discouraged from learning. If the teacher focuses mainly on weaker students, stronger ones might loose motivation to make any further progress.
Answers may vary.
Elicit random answers. Tell participants that they will watch a video fragment where a group of learners are talking about their feelings and attitudes towards working in mixed-ability groups. Distribute handout 1 and ask participants to take notes.
(10 min) Play the video.
Summary of the video fragment:
Jahongir –His teacher used to focus on weaker ones and used to say that stronger students can work autonomously; his teacher used to assess the whole group performance to motivate stronger students to help weaker ones and encourage team work. The teacher should pay more attention to weaker students.
Rushana – studied in a mixed ability class where stronger students didn’t help weaker ones, now she regrets that her teacher paid more attention to stronger ones. She thinks that teachers should find the golden middle and encourage friendship among students.
Nargiza – she has changed schoolsseveral times and in some she was a weaker student and in others a stronger one. When she was regarded as strong and received less attentionshe had stopped learning, “didn’t put much effort”. She would like to get extra tasks. Teachers should treat all students equally, stronger students should be challenged to achieve more, and weaker ones should be helped so that they are able tocatch up with others.
☺☺☺ (5 min) Ask participants to share answers to the tasks on handout 1 in their groups.
