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6.2.1 Co-operation between students

The National Education Commission (2003) identified that education has failed to promote nation building by fostering mutual understanding and tolerance and respect for the rich cultural diversity of Sri Lankan society and that the education process has made little contribution to ensuring social cohesion. It is therefore important that students have the opportunity to work together in co-operative learning situations in classrooms under the supervision of the teacher.

Data from the student questionnaire indicated most students from all ethnic groups agreed that after lunch all students are encouraged to mix with other ethnic groups in their free time in the five schools (Table 25, Appendix D). A chi square calculation indicates that there was no significant difference between the groups’ perceptions by ethnicities (p = 0.121) (Table 25a, Appendix D) or by gender groups (p = 0.341) (Table 5a, Appendix E). The majority of students from all ethnic groups also agreed that students often work with partners or in a peer tutoring relationship in the five schools (Table 26, Appendix D). A chi square calculation indicated there was no significant difference between ethnic groups’ perceptions (p = 0.315) (Table 26a, Appendix D). A higher proportion of female (74.7%) students were very positive than with male students nearly 60% (Table 6, Appendix E). A chi square calculation indicated there is a

significant difference between perception of the gender groups (p = 0.004) (Table 6a, Appendix E). This finding reflects Cohelho’s (1998) conclusion that peer tutoring is one of the strategies of an inclusive school. However, there was a difference between

schools. There was a significant difference between Girls school 1 and 2 and Boys school 1 and 2 (p = 0.003) (Table 7a, Appendix E).

The majority of students from all ethnic groups agreed that students often work in co- operative learning groups in the five schools and that the teachers helped students to manage group work and share responsibilities. According to students in the focus group interviews ‘teachers are the very best thing in the school’. Teachers treated everyone the same way in the Girls’ School 2 and the Boys’ schools. Teachers in the Mixed School said every student was equal in the classroom.

The majority of male and female students in all five schools replied ‘Always’ or

‘Usually’ to the statement ‘Students often work in co-operative learning groups’ . These positive views were reflected in students’ individual comments. One Muslim student said that she learned how to work as a team member and developed her leadership skills

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in the Girls’ School 1. Two Sinhala and three Muslim students in Girls’ School 2 replied that they learn team work from their school. One Muslim student felt that she has good friends with different backgrounds in Girls’ School 1.

According to the focus group interviews all ethnic groups mixed together for every event in the Mixed school. Students had strong friendship among ethnic groups, and students liked teachers’ friendly behaviour. Students also had good relationships with teachers. There was a view that every student gets treated equally in Girls’ School 1. Friends were the very best thing in the school. There was strong friendship with students from different groups in Boys’ School 1. Friends and teachers were the very best thing in the school. All students work together in the classroom. However, selection of the members of student groups in the classroom might depend on the subject and attitude of the teacher in Boys’ School 2.

In the focus groups, teachers in all five schools said that students always mixed in the school. However, some teachers in Boys’ schools 1 said that the big challenge was that students always got on with their own ethnic groups and there were difficulties with cooperation with students with different characters, likes, dislikes and habits. Some students did not respect Sinhala cultural values and teachers needed to think carefully about teaching aids. The principal of the Mixed School said his school staff are cooperative. A lot of students were Buddhist and Muslim. Some were Christian, Tamils and Hindu. The atmosphere was friendly and all study together, peacefully. Data from the English school shows that students from different backgrounds had a good relationship. For example: One fifteen year old Asian British female student said that she liked school because she could communicate with others, one seventeen year old White British male student said that the majority of them particularly in the sixth form, were a close community, no matter what their background/beliefs and they feel comfortable to talk about them to one another, and one thirteen year old White British student said that she was new to the school and feels settled.

The students also felt their classroom environment was friendly. For example, Year Nine focus group students worked in groups collaboratively in most lessons. Students were allowed to work together with friends if they behaved well. However these lessons were set by attainment level. Students had the freedom to be themselves, to go around with their friends. They are treated more like adults. They socialised across different year groups and with students from different backgrounds. In mixing with people from different backgrounds they could find out more about different people.

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Year Eleven focus groups said the school really supported its students with whatever they wanted to do. There was a climate for learning with procedures put in place. One student said: ‘They have this thing called ‘Climate for Learning’. You have to follow it or you get sanctioned in a way. [ … ] so I work my hardest, and they actually push you as well. [The climate for learning] makes everyone work together.’ The school had an online reward system and awards nights where everyone received an award if they were good at something. The students liked to come to the school.

Year Twelve focus group students said teaching was the best thing in the school. Teaching quality is ‘really good’. Students had positive attitudes to the school. Teachers treated everyone fairly and equally. Students felt different in a good way in the school. There had been no arguments in the school but had some experience outside of school. Students at the school had strong friendships with people of different backgrounds. One commented: ‘We have got a friend of ours, she’s Hindu’.

Teachers explained group selection depended on the task or the year group, for example random selection, ability, or certain skill sets. At the beginning of the task or beginning of the year students worked with whom they felt comfortable in making them feel confident. Group selection which was used in both dancing and music teacher was quite similar behaviour or outcomes for the tasks that the teacher asked them to do. Asking everyone as a group to share their work and then depending on the size of the group or the personality of the whole group collectively, they would both put their hands up and ask if they can play their music.

Those that don’t I then pick out students that I have. Usually it’s three or six groups and those are the weaker ones, the middle range and the higher abilities, so we listen to all types of music and we assess using the positives about the music, [highlighting] the improvement that can be made but never the negatives.

Students were friendly with each other and they understood each other really well. Students could work with each other and work with groups where they felt comfortable. Therefore the best work was produced by them. Challenges came in how teachers dealt with the students in the class and the behaviour of students. Getting students to work together was a challenge for the teacher in the classroom and, as one teacher said, an even greater challenge is that ‘I don’t notice it [non-co-operative behaviour] in the school’.

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6.2.2 Perceptions that classroom routines were clearly organized and

responsibilities shared out fairly

The majority of students from all ethnic backgrounds in the schools in Sri Lanka and the English school had positive perceptions about whether the classroom routines were clearly organized and responsibilities were shared out fairly between all students. The Sri Lankan students’ questionnaire indicated the majority of students from all ethnic groups felt that classroom routines were organized and responsibilities were shared out fairly between all students in the five schools. Cohelho (1998) noted that classroom routines are one of the strategies of an inclusive school, so this finding across the schools is important.

The students’ questionnaire in England indicated that the majority of students felt that classroom routines were clearly organized and responsibilities were shared out fairly between all students. There were no differences between males and females.Year Nine and Twelve focus group students said there was also a strong ethic of fairness whereby teachers treated all students equitably. The outlook of the school was quite good and teachers were positive towards all the students. The schools’ main theme every year was ‘community’. There was a sense of feeling of togetherness.