This document discusses strategies for dealing with heterogeneous student groups in the classroom. It begins by defining heterogeneous groups as those with students of varying instructional levels. Some advantages are improved reading levels through teamwork and skill-building. Key strategies discussed include cooperative learning, adapting materials to different ability levels, ensuring all students have chances to participate, and maintaining interest and discipline. The conclusion states that heterogeneous classrooms can help ensure no student is left behind, though students may not perform better academically but likely will not perform worse either.

1. NEW B.Ed COLLEGE
NELLIMOODU
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695524
RECORD ON
ONLINE ASSIGNMENT
(Semester II)
B.E.D Course 2013-2014
NAME OF THE STUDENT TEACHER: Jermina Joseph K.
SUBJECT: English
CANDIDATE CODE: 165/13 376 012
Certified Record of ……………………………………………………………………………………..
Candidate code…………………………………………………………………for the year 2013-2014
Lecturer Principal

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Online Assignment
Dealing with heterogeneous
Group

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Introduction
Heterogeneous student groups are groups that include students
with a wide variety of instructional level. It is a type of distribution of
students among various classrooms of a certain grade within a school.
In this method, children of approximately the same age are placed in
different classrooms in order to create a relatively even distribution of
different abilities as well as different educational and emotional needs.
Heterogeneous groups stem from the education precept that a
positive interdependence can arise from students with varied learning
levels working together and helping each other to reach an instructional
goal.
There are several advantages to heterogeneous grouping such as
improved reading levels due to team work, skill building, expected and
increased one-on-one time with students and teachers. Students also get
to share and teach each other. There might be some concerns with the
validity of Heterogeneous grouping, but when used approximately and
with diligence, it broadens all expectations.
The Basics of Heterogeneous groupings:
Heterogeneous grouping is also known as mixed ability, collaborative
grouping, or achievement grouping. So called because the style of
teaching/ learning takes students from all levels of the learning spectrum
and places them within the same class, where they all work together on a
curriculum that is both challenging and rewarding. This is done by not
singling out the “gifted” and the “slower” students from the average
students and using techniques that will benefit all. Heterogeneous
groupings present to the class a wide variety of choices to make. These
choices might include which roles to focus on within the group, or at
what level of difficulty that a student might challenge himself / herself.

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These challenges broader the field as to what the student is able to
achieve.
One of the key issues when dealing with teaching Heterogeneous
group is to decide whether or not to treat diversity as a burden or
resource. Students differ widely in their attitudes beliefs and previous
knowledge. One strategy is to manage this diversity by grouping
together students who share similar characteristics and providing
material suitable for their particular knowledge base. It is also the case
that the important differences between the students are, not so much the
differences in their knowledge base but in their attitudes and beliefs
about learning and the external pressures they experience.
Learners are different from one another in all sorts of other ways
that affect how they learn and need to be taught. First step the teachers
suppose to do in his/her heterogeneous class is to collect the learner’s
profiles.
Learner’s Personal Profile
A learners profile is a collection of information relating to an
individual learner. Its purpose is to provide a picture of the learner’s
previous and current development and future potential in terms which
relate to self access learning. Besides, it also gives an overall picture
about the learner (his schooling, family background, knowledge about
the language and so on).
Advantages to Heterogeneous groupings
These are several advantages to Heterogeneous groupings when it
caters to individual students. One such advantage is teamwork. Studies
have known that if a common goal is worked toward students tend to
regulate each other. In other words, if something that is difficult is given
to a group of students, it is likely that they will be able to do it together

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and alone. This goes with the idea of skill building. Skills can be
attained and put to good use if the class is set up for it. One way to do
that is to have a class room that is literacy balanced, where children are
able to grasp different strategies. Working alone or in groups, they learn
comprehension skills and engage in talks.
Whether it is known as Heterogeneous groupings, mixed ability,
collaborative grouping or achievement grouping, there can be no
question that some students flourish. Team work, skill building, students
and teacher expectation, and increased one-on-one time between
students and teachers are advantage to Heterogeneous groupings
The concerns of heterogeneous groupings are understood. Some of
that the “slower” will be left in the dust and the “gifted” will be held
back but studies are showing increasingly that all students reach the
expectations and more when they are given goals to achieve, and the
proper tools to work with. Students challenge each other to improve, as
they challenge themselves individually and succeed, and that’s what
makes it worthwhile.
Strategies for mixing abilities
Always it is a question that, ‘what teaching method work best in
mixed ability classroom? One common solution is the classroom
practice known as “cooperative learning” or “collaborative learning”
which has enjoyed wide vogue in the last decade. According to this
more able kids will inspire and lead the slower ones, the cooperative
learning theory has it and every student will contribute his or her own
particular strength and flavor to the learning stew. There will be a lot of
interdependency among the students”.
Another key factor is support from other teachers in planning
lessons that can challenge all students in identifying students who need

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extra attention, and in cooperating so they can get it without delay.
Finally classroom management skills can make or break the mixed
ability class. So classroom management is very important.
The mixed ability increases student’s self-confidence because
those who once behaved as if they didn’t have anything to contribute are
now feeling a greater desire to participate and contribute ones share to
the group.
Some general problems in the Heterogeneous classroom:
1. Effective Learning:
It is well known that every student has a different way of learning,
and learns and progresses at different speeds. This while some students
may find learning task very easy to deal with, others may find it difficult
to understand. It is important for teachers to monitor each and every
student and to reach their needs in a variety of ways to achieve effective
teaching.
Suggestions
Diversity:
If we plan to profit from heterogeneous groups we need to believe
that diversity is not a drawback.
Participation:
It is important to create an opportunity for every member of the
class to participate.

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Graded tasks:
We need to think of tasks in terms of the appropriate degree of
challenge for each level group. Text level of challenge + task level of
support = student success.
Environment:
An atmosphere of support, collaboration, and respect learner
autonomy should be fostered. This is vital if mixed level classes are to
work effectively.
2. Materials:
Since most language text books are designed for an ideal
homogenous class room environment teachers always have to deal with
the problem that students react to the text book differently due to their
individual differences. Some may find it hard and boring while others
may find it very interesting and easy. So it is necessary for the teacher
to evaluate and adapt the materials according to his/her class by putting
the students in three main groups, i.e. ‘low’, ‘average’ and ‘good’ and
grading the tasks according to these groups.
3. Participation:
Since the classroom is the first and only environment for many
good language learners, they should use this chance as much as possible.
However some of the students find it difficult to speak in the target
language for many reasons ranging from interest to confidence, from age
to knowledge. Other students however would like to express everything
they think or feel by using the new language. As a result some students
may take many turns, while others do not speak for the entire lesson.

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So teachers should instruct them to avoid from speaking before the
other person has finished. Emphasize that turn-taking is a true form of
respect.
4. Interest:
Interest problems may arise due to difference among students in
terms of their attitude towards the subject matter or the teacher, their
knowledge of language and their personality. Hence teachers should be
aware of the different interest of the students to organize and to arrange
activities accordingly.
5. Discipline:
Often the quicker students finish the tasks given before the other
students. As a result they may misbehave while waiting for the others to
finish. The weaker students on the other hand, cannot finish the tasks as
quickly as the strong ones and may lose their confidence or show ill-disciplined
behaviour for a variety of reasons related to that. So it can
also cause classroom management problem.
Conclusion
The results of many studies mentions above indicate that educators
cannot assume that students who are heterogeneous classrooms will
perform better academically, but they can safely conclude that students
probably will do no worse. It can be an effective way of dealing with
the different rates of development so that instruction is appropriate for
all students. As we enter the new millennium we must work even harder
to ensure that no student is left behind. Heterogeneous class rooms can
help make this goal a reality.

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References:
1. Designing group work:
Strategies for the Heterogeneous class room January 01-2003.
2. Multi-age Grouping : An old practice Becomes a new trend – Baker
Sandy OCM BOCES publications home page.
3. http/www. Heterogeneous group of students.com
4. http/www dealing with the heterogeneous students.