Acta Iadertina, Vol. 20 No. 2, 2023.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.15291/ai.4386
Branch Elementary School and Multigrade Clasroom: A Case Study. Reincarnation of the Didactic Ideas of John Dewey, Peter Petersen and Célestin Freinet in Croatia
Lucija MARTINKO
orcid.org/0009-0009-5202-1421
; Kindergarten Balončica, Hum na Sutli, Croatia
Tomislav TOPOLOVČAN
orcid.org/0009-0005-8813-9465
; Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Branch elementary schools and multigrade teaching are specific in
terms of school and didactic-methodical features. The aim of this ethnographic,
naturalistic and phenomenological case study by triangulation
of qualitative methods was to examine the characteristics of a
branch elementary school and multigrade teaching and to investigate
whether there are similarities with the didactic-methodical and educational
ideas of Dewey’s, Freinet’s and Petersen’s theories of teaching.
It has been shown that in this researched multigrade teaching of the
branch elementary school student-oriented teaching, extracurricular
learning activities, individualized work, coexistence of students at
school, cooperative learning, school cooperation with parents and the
local community, combination of different teaching activities, and optimally
equipped learning environment are often organized. These are
precisely certain elements of Freinet’s and Jena’s school plans and Dewey’s
pedagogical ideas. Comparing the results of this case study with
the results of previous studies on this research problem, it is justified
to point out that branch elementary schools with multigrade teaching
offer opportunities to organize teaching according to these concepts of
education. Although it is not necessary that branch elementary schools
and multigrade teaching follow any of these didactic and pedagogical
concepts. It is possible to say that it is not the rule, but it is not the
exception either. The research results are elaborated, explained, compared
and interpreted in the study.
Keywords
multigrade teaching; elementary district school; reform pedagogy; teaching; qualitative methodology
Hrčak ID:
313991
URI
Publication date:
7.2.2024.
Visits: 636 *