Problem Statement
One of the problems that educators face in the class room can be seen through the differences of students’ skills and learning achievements. Such differences can be reflected on students in either hindering their progress, or leading to that student cannot keep up with the others. A problem can be seen in the differentiation can be seen not only in terms of academic achievements, but also in such factors as background, age , and culture. One of the proposed techniques is flexible grouping, which impact on the achievements of students shall be investigated. Flexible grouping is defined as a “grouping that is not static, where members of the reading group change frequently” (Ford, 2005).
Purpose Statement
The purpose of the study is identifying the perceptions of students about using flexible grouping, outlining the main negative and positive aspects that might result from its implementation in a wider context. The importance of this study can be seen through providing an educational environment, not only beneficial in learning outcomes, but also favorably perceived by students. Grouping and regrouping is tiresome task for teachers, who might not consider such strategy prior to making sure that it will be positively accepted by students (Parker, 2007, p. 32). The study will provide a theoretical framework that will assess the perception of students, in addition to the assumed educational benefits.
Research Question
The main research question in this study: What are the perceptions of students on the flexible grouping method in classroom? Other sub-questions can be derived from this question, such as the following:
- What elements of flexible grouping are more/less favorable?
- Are there differences in the quality of instructions in Flexible grouping method?
An additional quantitative study can be added to the design, in which the achievements of students will be evaluated in a particular discipline. The hypothesis in that regard will state that flexi9ble grouping will have a positive influence on students’ learning achievement in a discipline of choice.
A local school will selected as a particular site for the study, in which a class of elementary school students will be selected as participants. A mixed study design will be used in this study, where qualitative data will be collected through students’ interviews. Quantitative data, on the other hand, will be collected through pre-study and post study test scores, which will be compared between a class of students who were taught using flexible grouping method and a class who were not.
Literature Review Outline
- The preliminary design of the literature review will be divided as follows:
- Overview of flexible grouping
- The differences between flexible grouping and ability grouping
- The academic impact of flexible grouping
- Gaps in knowledge
Conclusion
The review will be conducted through using several databases, among which are Sage, Eric, Jstor, and others. Additionally many of the resources will be searched through Google Scholar, namely those books which are available and accessibly le for free. The timeline for the study will constitute a particular educational period, a semester, or a year. The recommended period for study will be outlined from the literature, indicating any potential limitations of short study periods. The review simply will focus on providing an overview of potential strategies in conducting flexible grouping, attempting to find any indications of previous studies of students’ perception. Additionally, any elements of studies that might modify the proposed research design will be mentioned.
References
Ford, M. (2005). Differentiation through Flexible Grouping: Successfully Reaching All Readers. Learning Point.
Hoffman, J. (2002). Flexible Grouping Strategies in the Multiage Classroom. Theory Into Practice, 41(1), 47-52.
Parker, C. (2007). Applying Differentiation Strategies: Teacher’s Handbook for Secondary. Huntington Beach: Shell Education.