And they need to explain and model how to think critically and how to work collaboratively. Supporters of the collaborative classroom value heterogeneous grouping so all students can share and learn. Another view, however, is that sometimes homogeneous grouping for instruction is needed. In two small rural schools, teachers increased their use of some of the techniques of effective instruction. The lesson is that educators should not assume that change in a few variables will improve achievement.
Real improvement requires the interaction of many variables.
Improving students' management skills, for example, may not help them think and solve problems. The characteristics of small schools can be a teacher's ally. In small schools, one teacher, using a variety of successful techniques, can exert influence across the entire range of variables that cumulatively lead students toward high achievement. A review of research on teaching. Teacher behavior and student achievement.