Mixed year entry level

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The mixed-year entry level is a school-based form of organization in German-speaking countries, in which equal parts of students from grades 1 and 2 are taught together as a cross- grades learning group . As a rule, participation in the entry level takes two years, but in individual cases it can take one or three years.

With regard to the international perspective, a distinction can be made between three types of organization within the mixed-year entry levels. Simon Veenman differentiates between “multi-grade classrooms” and “non-graded classrooms”. The first form of organization justifies the amalgamation of the years for organizational or educational reasons. In the non-graded classrooms, age-independent lessons take place, with the learning groups being grouped into homogeneous learning groups according to their level of competence.

In Germany, mixed-year classes can take place for demographic and / or pedagogical reasons. However, the pedagogical intention of mixed-year classes is becoming more and more relevant.

History of the mixed-year entry level

Ever since the idea of ​​a “school for everyone”, as Comenius describes it in his Great Didactics in the 17th century , schools have sought to homogenize school classes . Before this, however, there was no such endeavor to achieve homogenization, as the teacher in an existing learning group only ever turned to one learner while everyone else waited.

Comenius has taken on one of the important key roles that contributed to the introduction of the year classes. He strived for both sexes to be equally educated and introduced a standardization in the method and organization of schools. The problem of moving to the next school year was first recognized in the 18th century . In most cases, “not moving” amounts to just 2 or 3 subjects in which learners show poor performance. Due to the lack of transfer of some students, an age-heterogeneous learning group is formed despite the year classes. August Hermann Francke wanted to counteract this problem at the beginning of the 18th century and developed the subject class system. Depending on their knowledge of the respective subject, each pupil could be independently transferred to other subjects in the appropriate class. The different capabilities could thus be taken into account. However, this subject class system could not prevail and the year class system established itself at the beginning of the 19th century. At first only grammar schools followed the introduction of the year class system. Primary schools followed suit over the 19th century . Only small schools in rural areas taught age-different grades together due to the small size of the classes.

Reform schools began in the first third of the 20th century to break up grade classes and offer mixed-grade classes. The progressive education by Maria Montessori is just one example of the progressive educational approaches to learning that includes the inter-year-border learning. Many mainstream schools are gradually following suit and, depending on the country, offer classes across grades. Above all, multi-year teaching is introduced in the school entry phase (grades 1 and 2).

By 2008, all federal states, with the exception of Saarland, had taken measures to enable entry levels across all grades to be introduced. According to Berthold (2008), 12 of the 16 federal states in Germany provided for the school entry phase under different names and with different degrees of obligation.

opportunities

The introduction of the mixed-year entry level is justified by the many opportunities at different levels.

The cross-year teaching in the mixed-age entry level is primarily intended to support the mutual help of the students among each other. The children who have just started school have the opportunity to learn from the older children which rules apply in the class or in school. Newcomers to the group come into an existing network of rules, rituals and working methods, the learning of which is supported by the older children. The knowledge that one child explains to the other child can also be consolidated by helping each other in class. According to Hesse, children can often make the content to be learned more understandable or more accessible to each other, as they use child-like language to explain and do without explanations from an adult perspective. The distance between the two children is less than that of a teacher. B. queries is lower. The assigned responsibility of the explaining child can also strengthen self-confidence and personal skills.

According to Laging, another chance of a mixed-year learning group is that the children increasingly perceive the difference in the class and learn that differences among others are normal. There is permanent communication between the older and the younger, which stimulates interaction with one another. The fact that the children perceive the differences should reduce competition and pressure to perform. The performance of the children is not measured against given class goals, but assessed individually. If an increasingly heterogeneous group deals with a topic, it also enables an exchange of different patterns of interpretation, perspectives and approaches. In this way, your own perspectives can be expanded with new and different ones.

The mixed-year entrance level, which can be completed individually in 1–3 years, and the close cooperation with kindergartens should offer the students a smooth transition between kindergarten and school.

Laging emphasizes another opportunity for the mixed-year entry level. He speaks of the fact that many children are under high pressure of expectations from their parents, school and themselves. As a result, some children have a fear of failure, which would not go without a negative effect on identity and school performance. One possible consequence is staying seated . In society this is often condemned with social devaluation and negative labeling. The students themselves also have a negative attitude towards the school and their own achievements. According to Laging, this can be counteracted with the help of the cross-year classes. In a mixed-age group (e.g. grades 1 and 2) there is no repetition of a school year, as there is also no transfer to a new class. The students are not downgraded, but only stay one year longer in their old study group, which changes by half the number of students every year. A transfer can only take place in a next higher mixed-age learning group if this is considered sensible by the teachers and parents.

Limits

The concept of a mixed-year entry level not only offers opportunities for teaching and learning at German primary schools , but also borders.

On the one hand, there are limits on a socio-educational level. Within a mixed-year entry level there is a higher fluctuation than in year classes. According to Wagener, the joint development of the students in a class can be hindered by the annual entries and exits. This can trigger general unrest within the learning group and reduce personality development.

The newly schooled children face a special challenge. They have to build relationships not only with their peers, but also with older students, which can be made more difficult by the existing group relationship between the older ones.

On the didactic-methodical level, there are also some limits of a mixed-year entry level. Many teachers in Germany have hardly received any further training on the subject of multi-year teaching and learning. The low level of experience, low level of further training and increased differentiation of the teaching content can result in a higher workload and excessive demands on the part of the teachers.

Another point of criticism relates to the potential excessive demands on the part of the students. In mixed-age classes, learning landscapes are often presented which have freely accessible materials, topic areas with different learning requirements, individually editable weekly or project plans , etc. This design allows the students the freedom to deal with topics and problems independently. In this respect, Hinz and Sommerfeld see a problem with the fact that not all students can handle it adequately. Children who need a fixed teaching structure for learning can be overwhelmed with the given freedom in mixed-year classes.

In addition, Hinz and Sommerfeld add the point of criticism that many German (elementary) schools lack the financial means to provide appropriate learning materials. There is also often a lack of space to design a learning environment appropriately for the mixed age group.

Summary

The previous points show that the limits of a mixed-year entry level primarily relate to the general school conditions. Many teachers are not yet adequately trained in the cross-year group of topics and therefore have increased requirements to meet all students in the mixed-year learning group. In addition, there would be a lack of funds in schools that would enable the appropriate design of a mixed-year learning environment.

As the previous points show, the chances tend to lie on the pedagogical justification. Students could benefit from helping each other among classmates and strengthen their social skills and self-confidence. In addition, the students would become more aware of the diversity within a class and learn that differences within a group are normal.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ The entry level Lower Saxony Ministry of Culture. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  2. ↑ Thorsten Giesecke-Kopp: Reforms of the beginning of school . 2006, p. 21 .
  3. ↑ Poldi Kuhl, Anja Felbrich, Dirk Richter, Petra Stanat, Hans Anand Pant: The mix of years put to the test: Effects of multi-year learning on the skills and socio-emotional well-being of primary school students . September 25, 2013, p. 300 .
  4. ↑ Margarete Götz , Katharina Krenig: Mixed classes in elementary school. 2011, p. 92-98 . ( Grundschule-schwebenried.de [PDF]).
  5. ↑ a b Ralf Laging: Mixed- age learning in school: Basics - school models - teaching practice . June 1, 2010, p. 7 .
  6. ↑ Ralf Laging: Mixed- age learning in school: Basics - school models - teaching practice . June 1, 2010, p. 8 .
  7. ↑ Ralf Laging: Mixed- age learning in school: Basics - school models - teaching practice . June 1, 2010, p. 9 .
  8. ↑ Ralf Laging: Mixed- age learning in school: Basics - school models - teaching practice . June 1, 2010, p. 11 .
  9. ↑ Poldi Kuhl, Anja Felbrich, Dirk Richter, Petra Stanat, Hans Anand Pant: The mix of years put to the test: Effects of multi-year learning on the skills and socio-emotional well-being of primary school students . September 25, 2013, p. 307 .
  10. ↑ Thorsten Giesecke-Kopp: Reforms of the beginning of school . 2006, p. 20 .
  11. ↑ Elisabeth Rathgeb-Schnierer, Charlotte Rechtsteiner-Merz: Learning mathematics in the cross-year entry level - together, but not in lockstep . 2010, p. 26th ff .
  12. ↑ Gabriele Hesse: Seize opportunities . 2005, p. 25 .
  13. ↑ a b Sonja Trube, Julia Huebner: Help learning . 2006, p. 132 .
  14. ↑ Ralf Laging: mix of ages - an educational opportunity to reform school . 2010, p. 18th f .
  15. ↑ Elisabeth Rathgeb-Schnierer, Charlotte Rechtsteiner-Merz: Learning mathematics in the cross-year entry level - together, but not in lockstep . 2010, p. 23 f .
  16. ↑ Ursula Carle: Curricular and Structural Development in Germany . 2010, p. 65 .
  17. ↑ Laging, R .: age mix - an educational opportunity to reform school. In: Laging, R. (Ed.) (2010): Mixed- age learning in school . Schneider Verlag, Baltmannsweiler 2010, pp. 6–29.
  18. ↑ a b Ralf Laging: Age mix - an educational opportunity for school reform . 2010, p. 21 .
  19. ↑ Matthea Wagener: Mutual Helping - social learning in mixed-year classes . 2014, p. 31 .
  20. ↑ Hans-Jürgen Lambrich: Redesign the beginning of school. The child-friendly, flexible school entry phase (FLEX) in Brandenburg . 1997, p. 53 .
  21. ↑ Poldi Kuhl, Anja Felbrich, Dirk Richter, Petra Stanat, Hans Anand Pant: The mix of years put to the test: Effects of multi-year learning on skills and socio-emotional well-being of primary school students . 2013, p. 321 .
  22. ↑ Matthea Wagener: Mutual Helping - social learning in mixed-year classes . 2014, p. 32 .
  23. ↑ Ralf Laging: mix of ages - an educational opportunity to reform school. 2010, p. 23 .
  24. ↑ a b Renate Hinz, Dagmar Sommerfeld: Cross-year classes. 2004, p. 181 .

literature

  • Barbara Berthold: Enrollment regulations and flexible entry level. Research for the National Education Report 2008 on behalf of the German Youth Institute (status: February 2008), Schneider, University of Bremen 2008, ISBN 978-3-9357-0136-5 .
  • Ursula Carle: Curricular and Structural Development in Germany. In: Miriam Leuchter, (Ed.): Didactics for the first years of education - Lessons with 4- to 8-year-old children. Kallmeyer in conjunction with Klett, Seelze 2010, ISBN 978-3780010148 , pp. 58-70.
  • Thorsten Giesecke-Kopp: Reforms of the beginning of school. In: Nicole Kastirke, Sven Jennessen (ed.): The new school entry phase as a topic of school development. Research - stumbling blocks - practical recommendations. Schneider Verlag Hohengehren, Baltmannsweiler 2006, ISBN 978-3-8340-0097-2 , pp. 9–31.
  • Margarete Götz , Katharina Krenig: Mixed classes in elementary school. In: Wolfgang Einsiedler, Margarete Götz, Andreas Hartinger, Friederike Heinzel (eds.): Handbook for elementary school pedagogy and elementary school didactics. Julius Klinkhardt, Bad Heilbrunn 2011, ISBN 978-3-8252-8577-7 , pp. 92-98.
  • Gabriele Hesse: Seizing opportunities. In: Reinhold Christiani (Hrsg.): Teaching across grades. Goals, experiences. Organize, inform, differentiate, assess. Cornelsen Scriptor, Berlin 2005, ISBN 978-3-589-05098-7 , pp. 22-27.
  • Renate Hinz, Dagmar Sommerfeld: Cross-year classes. In: Reinhold Christiani (ed.): School entrance phase: redesign. Cornelsen Scriptor, Berlin 2005, ISBN 978-3-5890-5098-7 , pp. 165-186.
  • Poldi Kuhl, Anja Felbrich, Dirk Richter, Petra Stanat, Hans Anand Pant: The mix of years put to the test: Effects of multi-year learning on the competencies and socio-emotional well-being of primary school students. In: Rolf Becker, Alexander Schulze (Ed.): Educational Contexts . Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-531-18226-1 , pp. 299-324.
  • Ralf Laging: Age mix - an educational opportunity to reform schools. In: Laging, R. (Ed.) (2010): Mixed- age learning in school. Schneider Verlag, Baltmannsweiler 2010, ISBN 978-3-8340-0275-4 , pp. 6-29.
  • Hans-Jürgen Lambrich: Redesign the start of school. The child-friendly, flexible school entry phase (FLEX) in Brandenburg. In: The primary school magazine (Volume 11, No. 104), Friedrich Verlag, Seelze 1997, pp. 22, 51–53.
  • Lower Saxony Ministry of Culture: The entry level . Online: 2017 (last accessed: January 5, 2017).
  • Elisabeth Rathgeb-Schnierer, Charlotte Rechtsteiner-Merz: Learning mathematics in the cross-year entry level - together, but not in lockstep. Oldenbourg, Munich 2010, ISBN 978-3-6370-1094-9 .
  • Sonja Trube, Julia Hübner: Helping learning. In: Nicole Kastirke, Sven Jennessen (ed.): The new school entry phase as a topic of school development. Research - stumbling blocks - practical recommendations. Schneider Verlag Hohengehren, Baltmannsweiler 2006, ISBN 978-3-8340-0097-2 , pp. 125–152.
  • Matthea Wagener: Mutual help - social learning in mixed-year classes. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden 2014, ISBN 978-3-658-03401-6 .