Academic Levels
Two factors that impact Academic Levels.
Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences
Homogeneous/Heterogeneous Grouping
Heterogeneous or Homogeneous?
In classrooms that are heterogeneous, teacher's have choices in how they group students for group projects and/or seating arrangements in class. Students can be grouped either homogeneously or heterogeneously. If students are grouped homogeneously, it gives the teacher an advantage because the teacher can work with the struggling students at one table and give students who have mastered the content a more challenging task to work on. The disadvantage is that there isn't a way for students to offer peer tutoring to their fellow classmates. This is an advantage of heterogeneous grouping. If students are grouped heterogeneously then students who are struggling can get help from their classmates who have already mastered the content and students who understand the content can achieve a deeper understanding by explaining the content to their classmates.
Each classroom is grouped differently, The way students are grouped has an impact on academic levels. In homogeneous groupings, teachers have the advantage to challenge the students who have already mastered the content to work on a harder task while helping the students that are struggling. In heterogeneous groupings, students have the option to receive peer tutoring. Students who are struggling get help from their classmates, which is sometimes more helpful than hearing the explanation from the teacher. Students who have mastered the content can boost their own academic levels by developing a deeper understanding of the content by having to explain the content to their classmates that are struggling. Likewise, students that are struggling can gain improved academic levels by peer tutoring.