The conundrum of multi-grade Teaching in Zimbabwe’s satellite primary schools: Quality multi-grade Education crisis

Abstract This qualitative study was prompted by the need to establish the challenges and prospects of quality Multi-grade Teaching in satellite primary schools. Through in-depth interviews with the Teachers in Charge of the schools and Focus Group Interviews with teachers, data were generated and analysed thematically. The Three-level Typology created by Dyson, Gunter, Hall, Jones and Kalambouka in 2007 provided the theoretical lens of the study. Regardless of the existence of multi-grade classes in the schools, all the Teachers in Charge and teachers staffing the schools were not trained in Multi-grade Teaching. Even the Cluster Heads and School Inspectors who should provide them with Multi-grade Teaching support also lacked training in Multi-grade pedagogy. Due to a lack of multi-grade teaching preparation and support, the teachers and Teachers in Charge only teach the curriculum content for higher grades in multi-grade classes. The learners in the lower grades experience learning content backlogs which affect their mastery of concepts as they go through the spiral primary school curriculum. Pre-service and in-service teacher development programmes in multi-grade pedagogy are recommended to address the multi-grade teaching crisis and enhance the provision of quality multi-grade education. The study adds knowledge to the discourse of quality multi-grade education.


Introduction
The Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP) which the Government of Zimbabwe (GoZ) implemented in 2000 before the establishment of schools culminated in the emergence of satellite primary schools in former White-owned Large-Scale Commercial Farming Areas (LSCFAs).The term satellite primary school entails an unregistered educational institution established in Fast Track Land Reform Resettlement Areas (FTLRRAs) formerly White-owned LSCFAs to provide education to the children of the fast track land reform beneficiaries (Jakachira, 2020).Owing to low learner enrolments, multi-grade classes are prevalent in satellite primary schools.
Under the FTLRP, over 700 million hectares of land previously owned by only 4,000 White commercial farmers were rapidly redistributed to over 300,000 indigenous Zimbabwean households (Moyo, 2011).In a short period, the former White-owned LSCFAs reconfigured into FTLRRAs.A dire shortage of schools for African learners in the former White-owned LSCFAs areas created an urgent need for the government to establish schools for the children of the fast-track land reform beneficiaries (Parliament of Zimbabwe [PoZ], 2012).However, the government could not construct schools in FTLRRAs due to financial constraints created by the economic sanctions imposed by Britain and her allies over the FTLRP, and a decade of economic meltdown that ended in 2009 (Zhou & Zvoushe, 2012).The only option for the government was to "fast track" the establishment of schools in FTLRRAs.
According to the PoZ (2012), the government authorised the use of make-shift teaching and learning infrastructure in FTLRRAs and promised to construct conventional schools within 10 years.Existing infrastructure such as farmhouses, tobacco barns, farmworkers' houses, storerooms, offices, and garages was converted into teaching and learning infrastructure.Where no infrastructure existed, the land beneficiaries erected pole, dagga, and grass-thatched structures so that their children could carry out their learning activities in some form of shelter (Mavhunga & Mazodze, 2014).These measures culminated in the emergence of 1,016 unregistered primary schools in FTLRRAs that are officially known as satellite schools (Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education [MoPSE], 2017).The schools are still functional over two decades after their establishment in 2000.For purposes of providing management support and paying salaries to teachers, the MoPSE attached each satellite school to the nearest registered school, which acts as the "mother school" (PoZ, 2012).This arrangement makes the satellite school an appendage or extension of the registered school in terms of staff and learners.The MoPSE also appoints a Teacher in Charge (TIC) for each satellite school to ensure effective school leadership and management (PoZ, 2012).The TIC doubles as the Head of the satellite school and the class teacher of one of the classes at the school.Put in other words, the TIC is the Teaching Head of a satellite primary school.
Many satellite primary schools were established in remote and sparsely populated FTLRRAs where learner enrolments did not warrant the organisation of mono-grade classes (PoZ, 2012).The stipulated mono-grade teacher-learner ratios for public primary schools in Zimbabwe are 1:20 at the Early Childhood Development (ECD) level and 1:40 for Grades 1 to 7 (Ministry of Education Sports Arts and Culture [MoESAC], 2013).The MoPSE previously the MoESAC uses the same teacher-learner ratios to deploy teachers to the unregistered satellite primary schools.The staff establishment of a school is determined by dividing the ECD and Grade 1 to 7 enrolments of the school by 20 and 40, respectively.Schools with low learner enrolments particularly satellite primary schools and other small rural schools are allocated fewer teachers than the available grades.To provide the learners access to a full cycle of primary education, satellite primary schools with low enrolments establish multi-grade classes.Existing studies (Mutema, 2014;PoZ, 2012) confirm the existence of multi-grade classes in satellite primary schools.However, those studies did not explore the challenges and prospects of quality Multi-grade Teaching (MGT) in the schools.The thrust of the current study is to fill this knowledge gap.

Statement of the problem
Several research studies (Hlupo & Tsikira, 2012;Jenjekwa, 2013;Mavhunga & Mazodze, 2014;Mwiinde & Muzingili, 2020;PoZ, 2012;Tarisayi, 2015) report that satellite schools provide the poorest quality of education in Zimbabwe.The studies attribute the poor quality of education to factors such as dilapidated school infrastructure, poor living conditions, financial challenges, lack of pedagogical resources, and long distances to school.Regardless of the existence of multi-grade classes in satellite primary schools (Mutema, 2014;PoZ, 2012), existing studies are generally silent about the nature and quality of MGT in this school type.There is a need to understand the challenges and prospects of MGT in the schools to adapt support for the provision of quality multigrade education.

Research questions
The study sought to address the following research questions: • Which challenges do teachers confront when teaching multi-grade classes in satellite primary schools?
• How are the challenges of teaching multi-grade classes currently managed?
• How can the quality of Multi-grade Teaching be improved in satellite primary schools?

Definition of multi-grade teaching
The term Multi-grade Teaching refers to a setting where a single teacher is responsible for teaching learners of different grade levels at the same time in the same environment (Joubert, 2010).Similarly, Taole (2017) defines Multi-grade Teaching as a set-up where teachers teach simultaneously in the same classroom, learners in different grades.These definitions emphasise that MGT occurs in one classroom where a single teacher is responsible for teaching learners of two or more grades.

Factors that influence education systems to adopt multi-grade teaching
MGT is a common phenomenon in both developed and developing countries.It is often associated with small rural schools located in remote and sparsely populated communities where there may be one, two, or three teachers offering a complete cycle of primary education (Berry, 2010).Two basic factors influence education systems in various parts of the world to adopt MGT, namely necessity and choice (Little, 2005).In other words, MGT can be adopted either as the pedagogy of choice or necessity.
According to Vithanapathirana (2006), MGT is regarded as the pedagogy of choice when education stakeholders deliberately select it owing to the pedagogical advantages that it provides.For instance, developed countries such as England (Little, 2006b) and Finland (Brown, 2010) adopted MGT as the pedagogy of choice to implement learner-centred pedagogical approaches.Little (2005) argues that if teachers in consultation with parents adopt MGT as the pedagogy of choice, then the pedagogical transactions in multi-grade classes are likely to be of good quality.If MGT was adopted as the pedagogy of choice in satellite primary schools, there is a need to establish the extent to which the pedagogical transactions in multi-grade classes are of good quality.Tambulukani (2004) states that many African countries adopted MGT out of the necessity to increase access to education in less populated areas and understaffed schools.Juvane and Joubert (2010) corroborate that in African contexts, MGT is often implemented as a necessity to address teacher shortages in rural and hard-to-reach communities with low school enrolments.Berry (2010) shares similar sentiments.He states that in much of Africa, the major rationale for MGT is to increase access to a full cycle of primary education for learners in remote and sparsely populated areas.The government of Zambia authorised the establishment of multi-grade classes to extend educational access to learners in low-population areas (Kivunja, 2014).Similarly, the GoZ approved the establishment of satellite schools in sparsely populated FTLRRAs to ensure access to education by the children of the fast-track land reform beneficiaries (PoZ, 2012).By implication, several African countries adopted MGT out of the necessity to attain universal access to primary education.Vithanapathirana (2006) argues that in education systems where MGT is utilised out of necessity, the pedagogical transactions in multi-grade classes are often of poor quality.As noted earlier, MGT teaching was adopted as the pedagogy of necessity in satellite primary schools.Therefore, there is a need to establish the challenges and prospects of MGT in the schools so that they can be adapted to the provision of quality multi-grade education.

Prevalence of multi-grade teaching
A large proportion of primary school teachers worldwide are involved in teaching several grade levels in one classroom throughout the school year (Brown, 2010).The implication here is that MGT exists in the educational systems of both developed and developing countries.Little (2006bcited in Brown, 2010) states that 25,4% of all primary education classes in the year 2000 in England were multi-grade classes, 29% in France, and 34% in Norway.The same author further states that 42% of primary school classes in Ireland were multi-grade classes in 2001.This suggests that MGT is prevalent in developed countries.
MGT is also a common phenomenon in African countries.The Centre for Multi-grade Education estimates that 7,000 South African schools used MGT in 2009 (Joubert, 2010).Approximately 40% of Namibian schools have multi-grade classes (Haingura, 2014).Multi-grade classes are also prevalent in schools located in remote areas of many other Sub-Saharan African countries such as Zambia, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Sierra Leone (Kivunja, 2014).In Zimbabwe, the PoZ (2012) and Mutema (2014) acknowledge the existence of multi-grade classes in satellite primary schools, but there are no statistics on such classes in the country.Brown (2010) rightly notes that there are generally insufficient published statistics on the prevalence of multi-grade classes in most African countries.This makes MGT an invisible pedagogical approach at the administrative level in many African countries (Little, 2006bas cited in Brown, 2010).The limitations of MGT in the study area must be made visible and addressed so that learners in multi-grade settings are accorded their inalienable right to quality education.Raffo et al., (2007) provided the theoretical lens of the study with their Three-Level Typology (TLT).The theory classifies challenges to MGT into three levels: micro, meso and macro.Micro-level challenges also known as individual-level challenges entail impediments to MGT intrinsic to the teacher (Raffo et al., 2007).These are personal or individual-based challenges.A typical example of a micro-level challenge is negative teacher attitudes towards MGT.Meso-level challenges refer to school-based factors that militate against effective MGT (Raffo et al., 2007).One example of a meso-level or school-based challenge is negative parental attitudes towards MGT.In their study of MGT in Uganda, Senegal and The Gambia, Mulkeen and Higgins (2009) verified this challenge and observed that if schools make efforts to explain the nature and purpose of MGT to parents, they tend to embrace and support it.The quality of MGT is also undermined by macrolevel or system-wide challenges (Raffo et al., 2007).These are challenges posed by factors external to the school organisation.For example, the lack of MGT pre-service training for teachers in multigrade settings is a macro-level challenge The TLT was deemed the most comprehensive theoretical framework for the study because it guides the researcher to establish MGT challenges at the micro, meso, and macro levels.

Methodology
This study was guided by the qualitative research approach and multiple case study design.The qualitative research approach which is informed by the interpretive paradigm holds that reality is socially constructed and the role of the researcher is to make sense of it from the perspectives of the research participants (Denzin & Lincoln, 2018).In line with the qualitative-interpretive methodology, the researchers made sense of the challenges and prospects of quality MGT in satellite primary schools from the perspectives of the teachers and TICs who were involved in teaching multi-grade classes.The study involved four satellite primary schools, making it a multiple-case study.In a multiple case study, the results of two or more cases are compared to generate a more comprehensive picture (Yin, 2018) of the challenges and prospects of quality MGT in satellite primary schools.
Most satellite primary schools are located in remote and hard-to-reach-hard former whiteowned LSCFAs (Mutema, 2014;PoZ, 2012).This scenario forced the researchers to conveniently sample four satellite primary schools, their TICs, and 16 teachers, that is, four teachers from each school.Data were generated from the TICs and teachers using in-depth interviews and FGIs, respectively.These qualitative research methods comprise open-ended questions that enable research participants to express in detail their lived experiences (Taylor et al., 2016) of the challenges and prospects of quality MGT in satellite primary schools.The open-ended questions made it possible for the researchers to probe the teachers and TICs for greater clarity and depth on the challenges and prospects of quality MGT in the schools.During the FGIs, the research participants triggered one another's memory of specific events and facts on the research problem (Taylor et al., 2016), increasing the depth, richness, and credibility of the research findings.Data saturation was reached after two rounds of in-depth interviews and FGIs, and the interviews were terminated.
For synthesising and analysing the data, Braun and Clarke's (2006) Thematic Analysis (TA) which involves identifying recurring themes or patterns of meanings from the data set was utilised.In line with TA, the researchers coded data segments with a similar theme using the same colour code; integrated the coded data segments into emerging themes and sub-themes; reviewed the themes and sub-themes; and established overarching themes and sub-themes.In this way, the challenges and prospects of quality MGT in the schools emerged from the data generated through in-depth interviews and FGIs.
The researchers sought permission to conduct the study from the MoPSE and the TICs of the selected schools and it was granted.They explained the nature, purpose, risks, and benefits of the study to the research participants, emphasising that participation was voluntary, and they were free to withdraw at any point.The research participants voluntarily signed informed consent forms and participated in the study.To ensure privacy, anonymity, and confidentiality the researchers used letter codes to identify study sites and concealed the names of the research participants.

Study sites
The study was conducted at four selected satellite primary schools coded School A to D in Table 1.The table shows data on the prevalence of mono-grade and multi-grade classes in the selected schools.Each satellite school had at least three multi-grade classes, indicating the high prevalence of such classes in this school type.As shown in Table 1, all schools combined ECD A and B, making it the most common multi-grade configuration.Some multi-grade configurations were common to two schools: Grade 1 and 2 at Schools A and B; Grade 3 and 4 at Schools C and D; as well as Grade 6 and 7 at Schools A and D. The remaining grade combinations were peculiar to a single school: Grade 2 and 3 as well as Grade 4 and 5 at School A; and Grade 5 and 6 at School B. There was no specific grade combination policy followed by the schools, each school configured multi-grade classes in response to the nature of its enrolment pattern.

Findings and discussion
The findings are presented and discussed under the following themes: Challenges of teaching multi-grade classes; Management of Multi-Grade Teaching challenges; and Strategies for improving the quality of Multi-grade Teaching.

Challenges of teaching multi-grade classes
This section addresses the first research question: Which challenges do teachers confront when teaching multi-grade classes?

Macro-level challenges
It emerged that most challenges militating against effective MGT in schools are at the macro-level.The challenges are presented and discussed in turn below.

Lack of training in multi-grade teaching
Regardless of the existence of at least three multi-grade classes at each school, all the teachers and TICs staffing the schools were mono-grade teachers who lacked professional training in MGT.They expressed desperation about teaching multi-grade classes without professional training in multi-grade pedagogy.One of the teachers complained, "You are just allocated a multi-grade class without pre-service or in-service training in multi-grade teaching, and there is no one to provide you with support or guidance."Another teacher lamented, "I was trained to teach mono-grade classes, The findings show that teacher development programmes in Zimbabwe exclusively focus on training mono-grade teachers.The pre-service and in-service training that the teachers undergo does not equip them with the theoretical and practical aspects of MGT.Multi-grade pedagogy is also not addressed in the teacher development programmes of other African countries such as South Africa (Joubert, 2010), Uganda and Zambia (Kivunja, 2014), as well as Namibia (Haingura, 2014).In their current state, the teacher development programmes can be described as "multigrade blind".They are "blind" to the need for multi-grade teachers in small rural schools with multi-grade classes.Taole and Mncube (2012) argue that there is a taken-for-granted assumption that mono-grade teachers can adapt to MGT without necessarily undergoing pre-service or inservice training in multi-grade pedagogy.The findings of this study contradict this taken-forgranted assumption.Even teachers and TICs with more than 10 years of teaching experience in multi-grade settings reported that they are experiencing challenges in teaching multi-grade classes.This verifies the claim by Kivunja and Sims (2015) that MGT is a specialised pedagogy with a demanding conceptual architecture that requires intensive pre-service or in-service training for teachers.A shift from a single focus on preparing all teachers for mono-grade teaching to developing versatile teachers who can handle both mono-grade and multi-grade classes is required in countries and communities with multi-grade classes.

Curriculum adaptation challenges
Even though multi-grade classes are a common feature in satellite primary schools, the findings show that the country's national primary school curriculum is premised on mono-grade pedagogy.The MoPSE expects the teachers and TICs to adapt the mono-grade curriculum to multi-grade settings.Given that the teachers and TICs are mono-grade teachers who are not professionally trained in multi-grade pedagogy, they face curriculum adaptation challenges.In this regard, one TIC remarked, "Schools Inspectors expect us to integrate the curriculum content of grades constituting a multi-grade class and teach it from simple to complex . . .several teachers have tried this approach for over two decades with limited success . . ." These sentiments were echoed by several teachers during the FGIs."Due to the lack of multi-grade curriculum integration skills, we only teach the curriculum content of the higher grade to all the grades in a multi-grade class," revealed one teacher.Another teacher concurred that "Lack of content integration expertise is forcing most TICs and teachers to teach the curriculum content of senior grades in multi-grade classes."The TICs and teachers agreed that this approach to MGT creates learning content backlogs among the learners in the lower grades of multi-grade classes that affect their mastery of concepts in higher grades.
Two critical issues emerged from the findings.First, Zimbabwean primary school teachers are not trained in multi-grade pedagogy even though some of them are deployed to teach multi-grade classes in small rural schools.Secondly, the national primary school curriculum is exclusively designed for mono-grade classes and therefore blind to the reality of several multi-grade classes in satellite primary schools and other small rural schools.Consequently, learners in multi-grade classes are excluded from quality education.A national multi-grade primary school curriculum is also non-existent in other African countries such as South Africa (Taole & Mncube, 2012) and Nambia (Siririka, 2018).Even in Zambia, where MGT was formally introduced in several schools, the only curriculum available is the national primary school curriculum designed for mono-grade classes (Kivunja, 2014).Therefore, in most African countries multi-grade classes are dealt with within the confines of the mono-grade curriculum framework.This is why Little (2006a) argues that MGT is an invisible pedagogical approach at the administrative level in most African countries.Countries with multi-grade classes must ensure that learners in such settings have quality multigrade education through the development of a multi-grade curriculum framework and the professional development of multi-grade teachers.

Timetabling challenges
It also emerged that the teaching timetables for multi-grade classes are premised on mono-grade pedagogy.Henceforth, they are "multi-grade blind"."We are using mono-grade teaching timetables because we didn't receive any pre-service or in-service training on timetabling for multi-grade classes . . .," remarked one TIC.The teachers and TICs reported that utilising mono-grade teaching timetables in multi-grade settings creates instructional time constraints.This problem was aptly expressed by one teacher in this way, "The problem with the mono-grade teaching timetables is that you share instructional time for one lesson period equally between two grades and fail to complete the syllabuses of both grades . . .as a result, some teachers teach examinable subjects only."The majority of the teachers and TICs contend with the timetabling challenge by only teaching the curriculum content of senior grades in multi-grade classes.In the words of one TIC, "Most teachers in multi-grade classes tend to follow mono-grade timetables and only teach the curriculum content of the higher grade to both grades."The teachers and TICs also expressed the concern that the time constraints caused by using mono-grade teaching timetables in multi-grade settings make it difficult for them to attend to the individual needs of learners.Consequently, learners with learning difficulties are excluded rather than included in multi-grade classes.
The findings show that timetabling for multi-grade classes is another challenge that confronts teachers and TICs who are not trained in MGT.They follow mono-grade timetables and only teach the curriculum content of higher grades in multi-grade classes.Similar timetabling challenges were noted in studies of MGT in other African countries such as Uganda and Zambia (Kivunja, 2014), South Africa (Gasa, 2016), and Namibia (Siririka, 2018).The problem of timetabling for multi-grade classes can be traced to the "multi-grade blindness" of teacher development programmes and the national primary school curriculum frameworks in many African countries including Zimbabwe.Therefore, timetabling for multi-grade classes is another area that needs attention in the discourse of quality multi-grade education in small schools.

Grade combination challenges
It emerged that some grade combinations make it difficult for teachers to handle multi-grade classes.A recurring grade combination at all the study sites as shown in Table 1 was ECD A and B. One teacher commented that the grade combination is not compatible, "ECD A learners learn through play while the focus in ECD B is to gradually prepare learners for formal learning in Grade 1 . . ." The same teacher revealed that due to the lack of curriculum integration skills, most ECD teachers teach the ECD B curriculum content to both grades.This means that the whole ECD A curriculum is not covered, and the learners are taught ECD B curriculum content that is above their level of cognitive development.
Another grade combination that the teachers and TICs expressed concern about is Grades 2 and 3.This combination which most TICs indicated they try to avoid only obtained at School A. When probed concerning this combination one TIC responded by saying, "The Grade 2 learners must be taught in their mother tongue Chishona while the Grade 3 learners who are on the transition from their mother tongue to English should be taught in English . . ." When the teachers mentioned the same problem during the interviews, they were asked how they were handling it.One teacher remarked, "Many teachers are forced to teach both classes in Chishona so that they don't exclude the Grade 2 learners."The other teachers argued that if Chishona is used as the language of instruction, the transition of the Grade 3 learners from their mother tongue to English is impeded.The Grade 3 learners may fail to master concepts in higher grades where the language of instruction in all learning areas is English except for indigenous languages.It finally emerged that in such grade combinations, the TICs and teachers often teach the Grade 3 curriculum content to both grades.As a result, the learners from Grade 1 are taught Grade 3 content and the Grade 2 curriculum is not covered.
Examinable and non-examinable grades are also combined into multi-grade classes.The teachers and TICs reported that Grades 6 and 7 which are examinable and non-examinable respectively are often combined in most satellite schools.According to Table 1, this multigrade configuration existed at Schools A and B. One TIC commented, "Due to examination pressure, teachers focus on teaching the curriculum content of the examinable grades ignoring the content of the non-examinable grades."A teacher who said, "Ministry officials and parents are more worried about Grade 7 results so the teacher has no option but to focus on Grade 7 content," expressed similar sentiments.In this setup, the learners from Grade 5 are taught Grade 7 content without covering the Grade 6 curriculum content.
Evidence from the data shows that incompatible grade combinations, examination pressure, and the lack of curriculum integration skills force the teachers and TICs to only teach the curriculum content of higher grades in a multi-grade class.The learning content gaps that are created make it difficult for learners in the lower grades to master concepts as they progress with the primary school cycle.This problem is not confined to satellite primary schools.A study by Taole (2014) in South Africa identified two problematic grade combinations.One combination was of Grade R learners who learn informally through play and Grade 1 learners who should be taught formally.The second one is for Grade 3 and Grade 4 learners who are supposed to be taught in their home language and English, respectively.The study also corroborates findings by Kivunja (2014) in Uganda and Lingam (2007) in Fiji that examination and non-examination grades are combined.The evidence from this study and the existing studies show that examination pressure compels teachers to focus on teaching the curriculum content of the examination grade.This compromises the learning progress and academic achievement of the learners in the nonexamination class.

Lack of multi-grade instructional materials
Successful MGT depends on instructional materials that are designed for multi-grade classes.However, the findings show that teachers and learners in multi-grade and mono-grade classes use syllabuses, teachers' guides, and textbooks designed for mono-grade classes.One TIC revealed, "There are no syllabuses, textbooks, and teachers' guides designed for multi-grade classes in this country . . .we use mono-grade syllabuses and textbooks . . ." The teachers and TICs reported that they are experiencing challenges in adapting the mono-grade instructional materials to multigrade classes.In the words of one teacher, "Many teachers teach the content of one grade in a multi-grade class because there are no integrated multi-grade syllabuses and textbooks to guide them . .."Since Zimbabwe's primary school curriculum is spiral, the learners whose curriculum content is not covered find it difficult to master some concepts in higher grades.
The lack of curriculum material designed for multi-grade classes is another testimony that Zimbabwe's primary school curriculum is "multi-grade blind".Owing to the lack of multigrade curriculum materials teachers often teach the curriculum content of higher grades in multigrade classes.This compromises the conceptual mastery and academic achievement of learners in the lower grades of multi-grade classes.Existing literature acknowledges that in many African countries instructional materials designed for mono-grade classes are used in multi-grade classes.For instance, in their study in South Africa, Taole and Mncube (2012) found out that learners in multigrade classes use the same textbooks used in mono-grade classes.Similarly, none of the schools studied by Siririka (2018) in Namibia had textbooks suitable for MGT.The same trend was noted in studies of MGT in Uganda and Zambia (Kivunja, 2014), as well as Senegal and The Gambia (Mulkeen & Higgins, 2009).The implication here is that MGT has low priority in many African countries including Zimbabwe, a situation which denies learners in multi-grade classes access to quality education.

Lack of training in multi-grade instructional strategies
Although the quality of MGT depends on the utilisation of learner-centred instructional approaches, most teachers and TICs indicated that they were employing teacher-centred pedagogical approaches."Due to the lack of training in multi-grade pedagogy many teachers and TICs treat multi-grade classes as mono-grade classes and use the lecture method," remarked one TIC.A teacher who said, "The teachers and TICs mainly employ teacher-centred methods because they are not conversant in multi-grade instructional strategies," echoed similar sentiments.The other teachers and TICs confirmed that they predominantly utilise teacher-centred pedagogical approaches in multi-grade classes because they were never exposed to MGT methods during and after training.When probed about the impact of the lecture method on the learners one teacher responded by saying, "This method is not recommended for primary school learners . . .learners only listen to the teacher and aren't offered the opportunity to apply learnt content, hence they easily forget the taught content . . ." Similar limitations were expressed by most of the teachers and TICs.
Research studies conducted in Fiji (Lingam, 2007), Uganda and Zambia (Kivunja, 2014), as well as South Africa (Mulaudzi, 2016), verify that the lack of training in multi-grade pedagogy influences teachers in multi-grade contexts to employ teacher-centred approaches.Teacher-centred approaches are not effective because learners are not actively involved in the teaching and learning process.Hence, they may fail to master the taught concepts and skills.Mulryan-Kyne (2005) cited in Brown ( 2010) recommends three learner-centred instructional strategies in multigrade settings.These are peer tutoring, in which learners act as teachers for each other; cooperative group work, which involves small groups engaging in collaborative tasks; and individual learning programmes, which involve the learner in self-study.These learner-centred pedagogical approaches change the role of the teacher from being the "giver of information" to the facilitator of learning (Berry, 2010).In this way, learner-centred pedagogy enhances the mastery of concepts by learners.If the teachers in multi-grade settings are not professionally exposed to multi-grade pedagogy, the quality of multi-grade education is likely to remain poor.

Learner assessment challenges
The findings show that teachers and TICs treat multi-grade classes as mono-grade classes in terms of learner assessment.They teach the learners the curriculum content of the higher grade in the multi-grade class and assign them assignment tasks based on the same content.A teacher who was teaching a Grade 3 and Grade 4 multi-grade class revealed, "I assign Grade 4 learners more assignment tasks than the Grade 3 learners . . ." Through probing, the researchers established that the assignment tasks would be of the same level of difficulty.This approach to learner assessment in multi-grade classes was confirmed by the other teachers and TICs.When asked about the efficacy of the approach one TIC said, "The learners in the junior grades of multi-grade classes often underachieve in the cluster and termly tests that are based on the curriculum content of their grade levels . . ." They underachieve because the curricula content of their grade levels is not covered when they are taught the curricula content of senior grades.
The national learner assessment and record-keeping systems in many countries are designed for mono-grade classes (Brown, 2010) and Zimbabwe is no exception.The teachers in multi-grade settings are expected to engage in multi-level assessment of learners' progress against prescribed syllabus outcomes and maintain separate assessment records for each grade (Taole, 2017).In a study conducted in South Africa, Mulaudzi (2016) reports that teachers in multi-grade settings are implementing this mode of learner assessment.This is a result of pre-set assessment tasks for each grade that the teachers in South Africa are provided under the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (Gasa, 2016).Zimbabwe and other countries with multi-grade should consider adopting South Africa's approach to learner assessment in multi-grade classes.

Lack of multi-grade teaching support
The teachers and TICs reported that they are not receiving MGT support from TICs, Cluster Heads, and School Inspectors.One teacher complained, "All School Inspectors are mono-grade teachers . . .they aren't able to assist us with Multi-grade Teaching issues.." It emerged that even the Cluster Heads and School Inspectors were not providing MGT support to the teachers and TICs during on-site supervision visits because they also lack professional training in MGT.One TIC revealed that "Cluster Heads and School Inspectors don't give us MGT support . . .they tell us that we are the people on the ground who should address their Multi-grade Teaching challenges . . ." These sentiments were corroborated by most of the TICs and teachers who participated in the interviews.The quality of education in multi-grade classes is unlikely to be of good quality when School Inspectors, Cluster Heads, TICs, and teachers are not trained in MGT.
Studies conducted in Fiji (Lingam, 2007) and South Africa (Gasa, 2016) substantiate that teaching principals are unable to offer MGT support to teachers because of the lack of training in multigrade pedagogy.For the same reason, education officers focus on assisting mono-grade teachers, leaving teachers in multi-grade settings to fend for themselves (Mulaudzi, 2016;Siririka, 2018).Therefore, there is no one to offer MGT guidance and support to the teachers and TICs in multigrade settings.For learners to learn effectively in multi-grade contexts, teachers need to be welltrained and supported in multi-grade pedagogy (Little, 2005).The TICs, Cluster Heads, and School Inspectors need professional training in multi-grade pedagogy to enable them to provide effective MGT support to the teachers.

Meso-level challenges
At this level, the recurring challenge was the social and professional isolation of the teachers and TICs.

Social and professional isolation
The TICs and teachers reported that many satellite primary schools are located in remote and difficult-to-reach areas in the FTLRRAs.An inaccessible road and prohibitive distance cut off one of the satellite primary schools from the other schools in the district.The TIC revealed that "Cluster Heads and School Inspectors haven't conducted on-site supervision visits at this school for over seven years . . . the quality of education in multi-grade classes is very poor . . ." The same TIC argued that the supervision visits could have equipped the TICs and teachers with multi-grade teaching and class management skills.One of the teachers explained, "We are geographically, socially, and professionally isolated from other teachers in multi-grade settings whom we can share with the challenges and solutions to Multi-Grade Teaching."Without supervision visits and interaction with teachers in similar settings to share effective multi-grade pedagogy, the teachers in remote and isolated schools with multi-grade classes are unlikely to provide quality multi-grade education.
A survey conducted by the PoZ (2012) in Zimbabwe corroborates that School Inspectors do not frequently visit satellite schools located in remote areas due to the unavailability of vehicles, financial constraints, and inaccessible roads.Similarly, Jenjekwa (2013) reports that some satellite schools in the remote areas of his study area had not been supervised by school inspectors for two years.The major limitation of the existing studies is that they did not explore the impact of professional and social isolation on the nature and quality of MGT in schools.The current study shows that professional and social isolation leads to poor quality of education in multi-grade classes due to the lack of MGT support.

Micro-level challenges
The main micro-level challenge that emerged from the study is negative teacher attitudes towards multi-grade classes.

Negative teacher attitudes towards multi-grade classes
The findings show that the teachers hold negative attitudes towards multi-grade classes.This became apparent when one TIC revealed, "I always experience challenges when allocating classes to teachers . . .no teacher is willing to be allocated a multi-grade class . . ." They consider multigrade classes more challenging to teach than mono-grade classes.Another TIC revealed that the burden of teaching two curricula, maintaining two sets of professional record books, and marking two sets of termly tests influence teachers and TICs to hold negative attitudes towards multigrade classes.During the interviews, most of the teachers acknowledged that they hold negative attitudes towards multi-grade classes.One teacher complained, "We maintain two sets of records books and teach two grades, the workload is unbearable, but we receive a salary for only one grade . . .it's frustrating . . ." Such attitudes affect the teacher's commitment and quality of instruction, compromising the provision of quality multi-grade education.
The findings show that the negative attitudes of the teachers towards multi-grade classes emanate from heavy workloads, lack of training in MGT, and the absence of financial incentives.Studies conducted by Mulkeen and Higgins (2009) in Uganda, Senegal, and The Gambia confirm that heavy workloads influence teachers to hold negative attitudes towards multi-grade classes.For the same reason, most teachers in South Africa view mono-grade teaching as the "normal" way of organising classes and MGT as an unavoidable "nuisance" (Berry, 2010).The researchers agree with Brown (2010) that the negative attitudes that mono-grade teachers take to the multigrade classroom affect the quality of their instruction.Such attitudes need to be addressed to enhance the provision of quality education in multi-grade classes.

Management of multi-grade teaching challenges
This section addresses the second research question: How are the challenges of teaching multigrade classes currently managed?

Multi-grade teaching staff development workshops
It emerged that the lack of MGT support from Heads of "mother schools", Cluster Heads, and School Inspectors compels teachers and TICs to conduct school-based workshops on MGT.In the words of one TIC, "When we approach School Inspectors with the multi-grade teaching challenges we confront, they don't assist us.They always advise us that we are the people on the ground who should devise strategies for addressing the problems."The same challenge was confirmed by several teachers and the other TICs.Through school-based workshops, the teachers and TICs have managed to identify similar and different learning content of the grades comprising multi-grade classes in their respective schools.They noted that the learning content in language learning areas was generally different and, therefore, difficult to integrate.One teacher remarked, "Our main challenge is how to teach similar and different content from simple to complex practically . . .there is no one to provide us with in-service training . . ." This challenge was corroborated by the other teachers.The teachers and TICs agreed that the staff development workshops were not very effective because of the lack of resource persons in the schools who are conversant in multi-grade pedagogy.
For teachers to effectively teach in multi-grade contexts, they need to be well-trained and supported in multi-grade pedagogy (Little, 2005).Henceforth, the Heads of "Mother Schools", Cluster Heads, and School Inspectors could not offer them MGT support because they are also mono-grade teachers who lack professional training in multi-grade pedagogy.In the absence of MGT teaching support the teachers and TICs conducted school-based MGT staff development workshops to address the challenges that they experience in teaching multi-grade classes.Due to the lack of resource persons and MGT expertise in the schools, the workshops are not effective.This confirms the claim by Kivunja and Sims (2015) that MGT is a specialised pedagogy with a demanding conceptual architecture that requires rigorous pre-service or in-service training.The teachers, TICs, Heads of "Mother Schools", Cluster Heads, and School Inspectors precisely need intensive in-service training in multi-grade pedagogy.

Hiring additional teachers
The findings indicate that several parents in the FTLRRAs hold negative attitudes towards multigrade classes which are influenced by the belief that effective teaching and learning take place in mono-grade classes.One TIC revealed that "Parents often withdraw their children from multi-grade classes in satellite schools and enrol them at 'mother schools' where there are no multi-grade classes."The School Development Committees (SDCs) of satellite primary schools occasionally hire additional teachers to reduce the number of multi-grade classes in the schools and combat the negative parental attitudes towards such classes.This strategy was mentioned by the teachers and TICs during the interviews.In response to a question concerning the benefits of hiring additional teachers, one teacher said, "Multi-grade classes are separated to form mono-grade classes that the teachers are trained to teach . . ..so quality education is provided . . ." However, one TIC underlined that "SDCs of satellite schools have severe financial constraints and can only hire a few additional teachers for very short periods . . ." Existing literature confirms that parents tend to hold negative attitudes towards multi-grade classes.They perceive MGT as a "second-rate" or the inferior option to mono-grade teaching (Kivunja, 2014;Siririka, 2018).Due to these perceptions, the SDCs of satellite primary schools are compelled to hire additional teachers to reduce the number of multi-grade classes.It should be noted that the SDCs of public schools, including satellite primary schools, are expected to remunerate the additional teachers they hire.Due to their status as unregistered educational institutions that are not eligible for government per capita grants in aid, satellite primary schools grapple with limited cash flows (Mavhunga & Mazodze, 2014).More so, the majority of fast-track land reform beneficiaries live in abject poverty and do not afford to pay school fees (Tarisayi, 2015).Hence, the SDCs are not able to hire adequate additional teachers.

Strategies for improving the quality of multi-grade teaching
This section addresses the third research question: How can the quality of Multi-grade Teaching be improved in satellite primary schools?

Integration of multi-grade pedagogy in pre-service teacher development programmes
One of the strategies that the teachers and TICs recommended for improving the quality of multigrade education is the integration of MGT in pre-service teacher development programmes.One TIC remarked, "I wonder why teachers' colleges and universities only train mono-grade teachers when there are a lot of multi-grade classes in satellite schools.It's high time they include multigrade pedagogy in all teacher development programmes."The need to integrate multi-grade pedagogy in teacher development programmes was also mentioned by the teachers during the FGIs.One of the teachers recommended, "There is a need for colleges and universities to include a multi-grade teaching module in their pre-service teacher development programmes . . ." Some of the MGT issues that the teachers and TICs recommended to be covered by the module include grade combinations, timetabling, scheming and planning, and pedagogical approaches.Another teacher added that "The module should also cover lesson presentation, classroom organisation, class management, learner assessment, record-keeping, and teaching practice."If this strategy is adopted, it can ensure that teachers on the pre-service teacher development programme are equipped with appropriate theoretical and practical skills to teach in both mono-grade and multigrade settings.
Research studies conducted in South Africa (Joubert, 2010), Uganda and Zambia (Kivunja, 2014) and Namibia (Haingura, 2014) confirm that in-service teacher development programmes are based on mono-grade pedagogy.Put in other words, during their pre-service training, the teachers are neither exposed to the theoretical nor practical aspects of multi-grade pedagogy.The teachers experience challenges in teaching multi-grade classes due to the lack of training in multi-grade pedagogy.Therefore, there is an urgent need for the inclusion of multi-grade pedagogy in the preservice teacher development programmes of countries with multi-grade classes.The development of multi-grade teachers would go a long way in enhancing the quality of multi-grade education.

Multi-grade teaching in-service training
Another strategy that was mentioned by both the teachers and TICs is MGT in-service training for teachers, TICs, School Inspectors, Heads of "mother schools" and Cluster Heads.One TIC remarked that "School Inspectors, Heads of 'mother schools' and Cluster Heads are all mono-grade teachers.There is no one to provide us with Multi-grade Teaching Support.The ministry and its partners should provide teachers, TICs, School Inspectors, Heads of 'mother schools' and Cluster Heads with Multigrade Teaching in-service training."Similar sentiments were expressed by a teacher who said, "Teachers, school administrators and Schools Inspectors need in-service training in multi-grade pedagogy for them to teach multi-grade classes effectively."The in-service training empowers the school administrators and School Inspectors to provide effective MGT support to the teachers.It also equips the teachers and TICs with the practical and theoretical skills to address the pedagogical and management challenges they confront in multi-grade classes.
The need for MGT in-service training for teachers in multi-grade settings is corroborated by the existing literature.Jakachira (2020) reports that all the TICs and teachers staffing satellite primary schools with multi-grade classes and even the Cluster Heads, Heads of "Mother Schools" and Schools Inspectors who should provide them with Multi-grade Teaching support are not trained in MGT.Research studies conducted in other African countries corroborate that education officers are not able to provide MGT support to teachers because they also lack professional training in this pedagogical approach (Mulaudzi, 2016;Mulkeen & Higgins, 2009;Siririka, 2018).Thus, there is a need for MGT in-service training for teachers, school administrators and education officers for learners in multi-grade settings to have access to quality education.

Conclusion and recommendations
The implementation of MGT in satellite primary schools is hampered by micro, meso, and macrolevel challenges.However, macro-level challenges dominate.The central macro-level challenge is the absence of multi-grade teacher development programmes in the country.Multi-grade classes require multi-grade teachers, but the teacher development programmes continue to churn out mono-grade teachers.This has created a quality education crisis in multi-grade classes.The study concludes that the teacher development programmes are "multi-grade blind".They are "blind" to the need for multi-grade curriculum materials, teachers and school inspectors.The study recommends the mainstreaming of multi-grade pedagogy in both pre-service and in-service teacher development programmes to improve the quality of multi-grade education.A quantitative study is also recommended to confirm or refute the findings of this study.

Table 1 . Mono-grade and multi-grade configurations Grade and enrolment
I was assigned a multi-grade class.I don't have any idea of how to teach this type of class."Similarsentiments were echoed by the other teachers who participated in the study.The TICs confirmed that the lack of professional training in multi-grade teaching was one of the challenges militating against the provision of quality education in multi-grade classes.A typical remark of one TIC was, "As long as TICs and teachers aren't professionally trained in multi-grade pedagogy, the quality of multi-grade education will remain poor . . .learners in multi-grade classes are disadvantaged. .."By implication, the TICs are not able to provide MGT support to the teachers in multigrade settings, in the respective satellite primary schools that they lead. but