Students’ experiences of ability Students’ experiences of ability grouping – disaffection, grouping – disaffection,

polarisation and the polarisation and the construction of failureconstruction of failure

Key issue addressed by the studyKey issue addressed by the study This small scale study investigated the This small scale study investigated the

ways in which students’ attitudes towards, ways in which students’ attitudes towards, and achievement in mathematics were and achievement in mathematics were influenced by ability grouping as they influenced by ability grouping as they moved from Year 8 into Year 9.moved from Year 8 into Year 9.

Two approaches to grouping pupilsTwo approaches to grouping pupils

– Streaming – Streaming – separating children separating children into groups by global into groups by global ability and teaching ability and teaching them in the same them in the same class for all subjectsclass for all subjects

– Setting – separating Setting – separating children into different children into different groups by ability for groups by ability for individual subjectsindividual subjects

Grouping and teachers’ practice

Ability grouping:Ability grouping:– appears to signal to teachers that appears to signal to teachers that

it is appropriate to use less it is appropriate to use less different teaching strategies than different teaching strategies than they use with mixed ability they use with mixed ability classesclasses

Mixed ability grouping:Mixed ability grouping:– results in students being given results in students being given

more ‘open tasks’ which can be more ‘open tasks’ which can be tackled at a variety of levels. tackled at a variety of levels.

Grouping and students’ attainment?Grouping and students’ attainment?

Setting provides a slight Setting provides a slight gain in attainment for top gain in attainment for top set pupils; butset pupils; but

Students in the lower sets Students in the lower sets can become disaffected as can become disaffected as teachers tend to enter teachers tend to enter whole groups in the same whole groups in the same tier for GCSE, limiting tier for GCSE, limiting chances of achieving chances of achieving higher gradeshigher grades

Pupils’ perceptions of being in the top setPupils’ perceptions of being in the top set Students in the top sets characterised Students in the top sets characterised

their mathematical experience as fast, their mathematical experience as fast, procedural and pressured:procedural and pressured:

– ““I want to get a good mark, but I don’t want I want to get a good mark, but I don’t want to be put in the top set again. It’s too hard, to be put in the top set again. It’s too hard, and I won’t learn anything” (Girl)and I won’t learn anything” (Girl)

– All eight set 1 girls wanted to move All eight set 1 girls wanted to move downdown

– Six out of eight set 1 boys were also Six out of eight set 1 boys were also unhappyunhappy

Pupils’ perceptions of being in the lower Pupils’ perceptions of being in the lower setset Negative experiences included:Negative experiences included:

– Dissatisfaction with paceDissatisfaction with pace– Teachers expectations Teachers expectations – Prospects of movement between setsProspects of movement between sets– Self esteemSelf esteem

““Sir treats us like babies…makes us copy stuff off Sir treats us like babies…makes us copy stuff off the board, puts up all the answers like we don’t the board, puts up all the answers like we don’t know anything… we’re not going to learn from know anything… we’re not going to learn from that…we’ve got to think for ourselves” (Set 6 girls)that…we’ve got to think for ourselves” (Set 6 girls)

What did the authors conclude?What did the authors conclude?

Ability grouping “creates academic success and Ability grouping “creates academic success and failure through a system where students ‘have to failure through a system where students ‘have to be that good’ or ‘have to be that bad’”be that good’ or ‘have to be that bad’”

Between class ability grouping may produce an Between class ability grouping may produce an underestimation of the capabilities of weaker underestimation of the capabilities of weaker students and the setting of overly challenging students and the setting of overly challenging patterns of study for the most able.patterns of study for the most able.

Who were the children in the study?Who were the children in the study?

843 children surveyed across year 8 and 9843 children surveyed across year 8 and 9 from 42 classes in 6 secondary schoolsfrom 42 classes in 6 secondary schools

How was the information gathered?How was the information gathered?

120 hours of lesson observation (10 hours per school per 120 hours of lesson observation (10 hours per school per year); year);

a confidential questionnaire administered to all students in a confidential questionnaire administered to all students in May/June of both years to gain understanding of students’ May/June of both years to gain understanding of students’ attitudes and beliefs in mathematics; attitudes and beliefs in mathematics;

interviews with six pairs of students from each school at the interviews with six pairs of students from each school at the end of Year 9: a pair of girls and one of boys from each of end of Year 9: a pair of girls and one of boys from each of the top, middle and one of the lower sets, and with the top, middle and one of the lower sets, and with students from a comparable range of attainment in the students from a comparable range of attainment in the mixed ability schools; and mixed ability schools; and

students’ GCSE results, together with the value-added students’ GCSE results, together with the value-added element (as from key stage 3) for each school. element (as from key stage 3) for each school.

How can teachers use the evidence in How can teachers use the evidence in this study?this study? The researchers suggest that ability grouping leads to The researchers suggest that ability grouping leads to

students in the weaker sets not being appropriately students in the weaker sets not being appropriately challengedchallenged

You may wish to discuss with a colleague effective You may wish to discuss with a colleague effective strategies you have used to create challenge for less able strategies you have used to create challenge for less able students.students.

The researchers found that some students in both the The researchers found that some students in both the lower and top sets had negative views about their lower and top sets had negative views about their experiences.experiences.

Could you find out about your students’ perceptions of their Could you find out about your students’ perceptions of their learning and use these findings to inform your teaching?learning and use these findings to inform your teaching?

How can school leaders use the evidence How can school leaders use the evidence in this study?in this study? The researchers found that teachers used a narrower range The researchers found that teachers used a narrower range

of teaching strategies in groups set by ability than in mixed of teaching strategies in groups set by ability than in mixed ability groupsability groups

You might want to audit the range of teaching strategies used You might want to audit the range of teaching strategies used in your school. How can you widen the range of teaching in your school. How can you widen the range of teaching strategies used with different groups? strategies used with different groups?

The researchers found that ability grouping can create The researchers found that ability grouping can create academic failure for some students.academic failure for some students.

You may wish to discuss with your leadership team the extent You may wish to discuss with your leadership team the extent to which ability grouping is used in your school. Is it possible to which ability grouping is used in your school. Is it possible to gather data showing its impact on students achievement? to gather data showing its impact on students achievement?

Follow-up readingFollow-up reading

Study reference: Boaler, J., Study reference: Boaler, J., William, D. & Brown, M. William, D. & Brown, M. (2000) British Educational Research Journal, 26 (5) pp. (2000) British Educational Research Journal, 26 (5) pp. 631-648. Avaliable at: 631-648. Avaliable at: http://eprints.ioe.ac.uk/1139/1/Boaler2000Students631.pdf

Summary available at: Summary available at: http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/research/themes/pupil_grouping/FriOct110934232002/

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