Effective Teaching Strategies for Multilevel Classes: A Focus on Alternating Instructional Modes

Abstract

This paper explores a teaching strategy in multilevel classes (MLCs) to tackle learning time loss and teacher strain. Focused on Moroccan primary education, the strategy involves alternating traditional and virtual teaching methods. Expanding previous research, this work 3rd year primary Arabic language and 4th year primary Islamic Education double-level classing. Using NetSupport School software, lessons were conducted with real and virtual teachers’ presences, analyzing impacts on lesson duration, teacher effort, and learners’ time on task. Results demonstrate the strategy significantly increased effective lesson duration in experimental groups, reducing teacher intervention time and increasing learner task duration compared to controls. Virtual teacher presence showed promise in managing time-out and enhancing student engagement, particularly with the learners' permanent teacher. Challenges emerged when learners interacted with alternative virtual teachers, highlighting the significance of the teacher's perceived status on student engagement and non-adaptation of the learners to a new virtual teacher. For a deep interpretation of this non-adaptation, the importance of the perceived "status" of the teacher has been developed. This study underscores strategic teaching's importance in MLCs to optimize learning outcomes and mitigate time constraints. It emphasizes the pivotal role of the teacher's perceived status in student engagement dynamics.