Abstract:

The beginning of the school path is a significant period in children’s’ lives. The experiences that child gains during the first school years will form the understanding of one’s learning deeply. When planning learning environments, teachers have to take pupils individuality and needs of every child in consideration. According to the renewed Finnish national core curriculum, which came into effect in autumn 2016 at the center of transformal school culture is a learning community that develops in working together and through inclusion and dialogue. The flexible and advanced study modules are the targets in development of learning environments. It is also crucial that new learning methods and using of various learning environments is research based.

This research was conducted as part of the project, which focused on flexible learning environments and was implemented in four classes in the first and second grade in 2014-2016. The ground for this project was on teachers need and willingness to develop and improve an initial teaching learning environment for children that would serve as most functional and safe environment but also would enable flexible and diverse learning. The aim of this paper is to investigate the model of flexible grouping that teachers developed during project. The focus is on the teachers’ arguments and solutions. While this project was started, the building of the new school was on process and part of the aim of this project was to develop a model that could be applied in this new school with versatile learning environments.

The research was conducted as a case study in the medium-sized school. Data was collected from four teachers by interviews and observations of learning situations. The purpose of this study was to research teachers’ solutions and arguments, therefore, interviews were selected for data gathering. The interviews were recorded and transcribed for deeper analysis. Observations were important in understanding the phenomenon of classroom working in flexible groups.

This study offers some important insights into flexible grouping. The using of flexible grouping was versatile and they were formed on different basis. One aim of this project was to tighten the co-operation among teachers but the most important reasoning was to consider the pupils individual needs and learning goals. During the research period, it came into notion that working in flexible groups was challenging for some pupils. This caution made teachers to consider the reasoning for flexible grouping more profoundly. The study indicates that when flexible grouping is used as a method the readiness of the pupils, co-operation among teachers and the operational principles and structures at the school are in fundamental role. This study strengthens the understanding of the need for flexible learning environments, child-centered learning and the value and power of co-operation among teachers.

Keywords:

Flexible grouping, primary school.