Research explores impact of multi-grade classes in Scottish primary schools
Published: 5 September 2023
Research insight
Using Scottish Pupil Census data, researchers have studied the impact of multi-grade classes in Scottish primary schools, finding that exposure to second-graders in the first year of primary school leads to large improvements in literacy and numeracy.
This study used Scottish Pupil Census data to analyse the impact of multi-grade classes in Scottish primary schools, finding that exposure to second-graders in the first year of primary school leads to large improvements in literacy and numeracy.
The authors are:
- Daniel Borbely, Queen University, Belfast
- Markus Gehrsitz, University of Strathclyde
- Stuart McIntyre, University of Strathclyde
- Gennaro Rossi, University of Sheffield
- Graeme Roy, University of Glasgow
Classroom composition and peer effects have been shown to be important determinants of pupil achievement. Several studies have documented the benefits of classroom exposure to high-ability peers as well as the adverse effects of disruptive peers.
In many countries, it can be quite common to have mixed classes of different age groups – for example, first-graders being taught alongside second-graders, and thus being exposed to older, more experienced peers. About 28% of schools in the USA use a mixed class setup and more than a third of primary school pupils in France attend multi-grade classes
But parents of younger pupils in such classes often express concerns about children being exposed to pupils of older age groups.
In a recent paper, researchers at Glasgow, Strathclyde, Belfast and Sheffield studied the impact of multi-grade classes in Scottish primary schools.
Enrolment in Scottish primary schools is, on the whole, determined by random population variation. Every primary school has a catchment area and pupils within a school's catchment area are entitled to attend their catchment area school. Small changes in enrolment can lead to a re-shuffling of pupils into multi-grade and non-multi-grade classes across all grades of the school. The ramifications of this reshuffling are particularly pronounced in first grade.
Using data collected from successive waves of the Scottish Pupil Census from 2007–08 to 2018–19 and assessment data, the researchers were able to test the attainment effects of exposure to older, more school-experienced peers.
The study finds that that exposure to second-graders in the first year of primary school by way of a multi-grade class leads to large improvements in literacy and numeracy. In fact, gains created by multi-grade classes are roughly equivalent to the attainment gap between the average pupil and a pupil in one of the 20% most deprived data zones in Scotland.
Boys and pupils from deprived neighbourhoods appear to benefit more from sharing a classroom with more experienced peers, although neither gender nor socio-economic differences are significant in a statistical sense. There is also no evidence that the achievement gains for school-starters come at the expense of learning progress of second-graders who shared a multi-grade classroom with first-graders. However, the study finds that the benefits for first-graders are short-lived.
The study shows that multi-grade classes save classrooms – and thus costs – while at the same time accruing net benefits in terms of pupil performance. Indeed, the results suggest that multi-grade classes are a viable way to better reconcile policymakers' goals of promoting higher-achieving pupils and pursuing value-for-money in education spending.
Read the full paper on the Enlighten website
First published: 5 September 2023