Reading Instruction in Multigrade Classes: A Narrative Inquiry

Abstract

The call toward inclusive and equitable quality education has been globally heard. Hence, the Philippines has continued to offer multigrade classes as one of the most practical means of making education available even in remote and sparsely-populated areas. Since it is a prevalent practice, there is a need for a context-specific inquiry into multigrade teachers’ narratives and experiences. Further, with the current concern on students’ reading proficiency, this study explores the experiences of public-school teachers handling reading instruction in a multigrade classroom in the hope to address management and instructional gaps relevant to reading instruction. A total of ten multigrade teachers participated in this study following the principles of data saturation. It utilized narrative research design which aims to conceptualize the accumulated experiences through the teachers’ narratives. Using thematic analysis, the multigrade teachers’ narratives and the meanings deduced were presented in different segments of teaching engagements: classroom management, remedial education, reading pedagogies, and challenges encountered. The findings of this study provide not just relevant insights in improving reading instruction among multigrade classes but also in improving the situation for multigrade classrooms. Thus, the Department of Education may revisit the multigrade programs offered and continuously conduct monitoring in schools to ensure that the needs of both teachers and students are met; and, relevant support and resources are provided.  It is further recommended that multigrade teaching be given considerable attention in pre-service teacher training systems.