As a practising teacher you might have taught a class or classes having a large
number of pupils. The situation where the large number of pupils of the same grade
sit together in one classroom and are taught by a single teacher is called a large-sized
class. Hence, “Large Sized Class of the Primary level is a monograde class with more
than 50-60 to 80-100 students either comprising one section or a combination of two
sections. A large-sized class is the result of shortage of space and teacher or both. You
may be familiar with problems of handling large-sized classes. Large-sized classes
are noisy, very difficult for maintaining discipline, and providing individual attention
and individualized instructions. You may also confront the problems from last rows
of your class when they face difficulty in writing from the blackboard. You may be
facing great difficulty even while correcting copies of class work and assigned
homework. Inadequate space in the classroom may be causing an obstacle for you as
well as for the children. The traditional methodology rarely provides a solution to the
problem of handling/teaching a large-sized class.
For your convenience, some of the instructional methodologies have been discussed
in this unit.
Some of the instructional strategies that you can adopt in a large-sized class teaching
are being discussed below:
1 Direct Teaching
Unlike multigrade situation, in the context of large-sized classes you may devote fulltime for a single grade. Although direct teaching is of great significance, it is quite
impossible on your part to do direct teaching all the time. In the context of large-sized
classes, there is no suggestion that it must be abandoned, but it might be usefully
adjusted in such a way as to give initiative and responsibility to pupils and to make
learning process less passive. Direct teaching should be used in large-sized classes
only for a limited time (20-25 minutes) before students lose their attention.
Subsequently, you may follow it up by peer tutoring and group activities. Direct
teaching is of great use in large-sized classes for introducing a concept, topic and
directing the whole class for different activities.
2 Monitorial Assistance
In a large-sized class the teacher-pupil ratio is high. In such a situation, you may be
taking assistance from the monitor of your class. A large-sized class requires more
than one monitor of the same grade depending upon the number of students in a class.
At least one monitor for each row for 10-12 students is needed so as to maintain
discipline, to check C.W./H.W. copies, to display teaching aids etc. You may also take
the assistance of monitors to :
! demonstrate the materials
! lead/supervise the students in outdoor activities/field study
! supervise self-learning/drill ! co-ordinate group learning
! maintain discipline in the classroom
! help you in roll call
! assist you in placement of teaching aids
! assist you in seating arrangement
Rotation of monitors should be a regular feature so as to give opportunity to each
child to develop leadership qualities. You should provide training to different monitors
to perform their assigned task.
3 Group Learning
The large number of students of a single grade/class can be arranged by you in
cohesive peer groups. In such a situation, the cohesive peer group is formed by
grouping bright, average and weak students of the same grade/class together. The
grouping of pupils should be planned in a flexible way depending on the nature of
instructional activity. You can also organize the seating arrangements accordingly,
e.g. if the seating arrangement is in the form of vertical rows, make sure that in each
vertical row combinations of bright, average and weak students are seated, so that all
these students of different abilities can help each other in different subjects / activities.
As and when required you may opt for rotation of group and leaders. These group
leaders may be oriented to conduct group activities.
Group work in a large-sized class is generally organized in the form of map reading,
mutual dictation, solving sums, quiz, antakshari, word games etc. The group
composition can vary from one school to another depending on the size of the class.
Hence, the strategy for organizing group work needs to be dealt with meticulously
by you for effective handling of large-sized classes. Guidelines for organizing group
work need to followed. Efforts should be made to integrate both cognitive and affective
development of pupils while organizing group work.
4 Self Study
Large-sized classes not only consist of students in a large number but also of different
abilities. You must be familiar with the situation when sometimes it becomes quite
difficult to engage such large numbers of students. These groups of students of
different abilities can be engaged in the classroom by assigning self-learning material
to each and every student on the basis of their ability levels. This requires a lot of
initiative on your part, as you have to organize and arrange a variety of self-learning
materials, on the basis of need and ability levels of each and every child. While
assigning self-learning materials for pupils you can also arrange the students in small
groups.
5 Team Teaching and Sharing Responsibilities
Team teaching and sharing responsibility is another strategy where responsibility can
be shared between two teachers. You can use this strategy while teaching science,
mathematics, geography and language. For example, while teaching science one
teacher can take the responsibility of explaining difficult concepts and introducing
topics, the other teacher can assist in conducting activities, maintaining discipline,
observing and monitoring activities, correcting copies. etc. In an other example, a
teacher may take up the responsibility of remedial teaching for weak students for a
short duration while the other teacher can teach the average and above average
students. This process helps the weak students to cope with other students and
facilitate participation in class teaching.
6 Peer Tutoring
Peer tutoring implies using students as resource to ease the pressure on a teacher’s
time. In large-sized class, the peer tutoring is usually organized amongst the classmates
themselves. In the context of a large-sized class, same age peer tutoring is more beneficial and effective. The tutor and the tutee are of the same class, which helps
them to understand each other better. This also facilitates individual learning. In this
situation, you can combine two vertical rows, one of tutor and other of tutee, so that
they can sit together. Therefore, the tutee can take the help of a tutor whenever
needed and the tutor can also help the tutee without disturbing the class teaching.
Selection of peer tutor largely depends on the skills and competencies of students to
act as peer tutor. The students who are at mastery level and complete the work
quickly can also serve as volunteer tutors for average and below average. Peer tutor
can explain things in a peer language understandable to the students. In the meantime
you can also concentrate on below average students along with monitoring peer
tutors and their progress.
Typical peer tutoring consists of more capable students assisting a less capable one. Tutoring can also involve a team of three members (one tutor and two tutees) or
grouping as many as six to eight students of heterogeneous ability. A teaching strategy
of this kind, of course, require precise objective, meticulous planning and
implementation.
7 Use of Cues
In order to avoid high pitch voice while teaching and handling large-sized classes,
you may use different cues like writing in bold letters on the blackboard, showing
different cards for organizing different activities, clapping by students for a minute,
maintaining silence for a while. The use of cues facilitate further in maintaining
discipline in the classroom and in the teaching-learning process.
8 Pupils Self-help Strategies/Self-Learning
In the context of large-sized class, self-study is considered a potential strategy as it
reduces the burden of teachers and saves their time.
You can try to cultivate a large variety of self-help strategies through self-learning,
silent reading and self-evaluation from blackboard etc. which will not only help you
to handle large size classes more effectively, but also developing self-help strategies
amongst students. Self-learning tasks can be done greatly by the children on their
own with internal feedback system. Through self-learning, activities like silent reading,
mathematics, drawing, drilling should be encouraged.
9 Evaluation and Feedback Strategies
In a large-sized class, on-going evaluation and giving feedback are difficult processes.
You can plan CW/HW assignment meticulously in the context of a large-sized class.
You may assign class-work for only two subjects, mainly language and mathematics
every day and twice a week for other subjects. The same strategy may be followed
for Homework also. You may encourage children for self-evaluation from the
blackboard, cross-checking by the peer, spot-checking by yourself and providing
immediate feedback.
10 Management of Space and Time
As we have discussed earlier, a large-sized class is the result of shortage of classrooms
or school space or both. The classroom, built earlier to accommodate only 40 children,
now accommodate a large number of children ranging from 60-80-100. As we know
shortage of space creates an obstacle in the smooth transaction of curriculum and
classroom management. Hence, you as a teacher may have to resolve this constraint
by adapting/organizing few innovating seating patterns. You may adopt a variety of
seating pattern in order to:
- minimize management problem
- keep all children in attentive
- provide adequate space for seating, writing and keeping bags
- provide space for teachers’ movements
- facilitate peer tutoring and group work
- write conveniently from blackboard
- minimize noise distraction
- facilitate multi-ability grouping
In the context of a large-sized class you may have to adjust your timing for teaching,
followed by group work and peer tutoring. Hence, you may have to prepare a flexible
time table keeping in view the curriculum and progress of each and every child.
11 Seating Arrangements
a) Split Half: For your convenience you may divide the whole class into two
groups (30-35 in each group). One group can be confined to seats in the classroom
whereas the other group can be accommodated in the veranda or in any open
space. In this context, the rotational teaching, with the help of peer tutors, monitors
may be carried out by you to enhance learner’s achievement.
b) Vertical/Single row: You may arrange the seating pattern in vertical/single row by
combining bright, average, below average students (10-12-19 children). This will
facilitate organization of group work, peer tutoring and monitorial assistance.
This facilitates a weak child to take help from peer tutors whenever needed
without disturbing the class.
c) Semi Circular: Depending on the space in the classroom you may organize a
semi-circular seating pattern by removing the furniture from the classroom. The
flexible seating pattern may help the students to write, to participate in-group
activities, and for organizing peer tutoring.