Primary pupils' experiences of different types of grouping in school

This digest found in

Pupil grouping and organisation of classes

The benefits and disadvantages of grouping by ability

The practice of grouping by ability in school was popular after the Second World War. It subsequently fell into disfavour, according to the authors, for a combination of reasons. These included:

evidence of low self-esteem and social alienation of lower stream pupils;
inconclusive evidence for positive effects on attainment;
a shift of educational focus towards equality of educational opportunity.

Over the last decade ability grouping in at least one subject has again become common in primary schools because it is perceived as a means of raising standards.

There are two common forms of grouping primary school pupils between classes:

streaming -separating children into groups by global ability and teaching them in the same class for all subjects;
setting – separating children into different groups by ability for individual subjects.

Within class grouping where the teacher makes ability groups within the class is the most common type of grouping.

Although there has been a lot of research on the academic, social and personal outcomes of grouping pupils by ability, there has been little from the pupils’ perspective. According to the authors, what research there is suggests that:

streaming may play a major role in polarising pro-and anti-school attitudes amongst pupils (with higher level students being pro and lower ones anti);
setting may produce more negative than positive consequences amongst mathematics students, with a high proportion of students wanting to move sets or change to mixed ability teaching; and
ability grouping - when it involves setting – is the preferred form of grouping amongst secondary pupils, but that the greater the level of mixed ability teaching in the school, the more mixed ability teaching is the preferred option among students.

At primary level, the authors cite previous research on ability grouping to suggest that:

(in reading) most pupils wish to be in the top group because it confers status and a feeling of superiority; however, most pupils (excluding the top groups) prefer whole class or individual work for reasons of inclusion;
social adjustment, social attitudes, and attitudes to peers of different ability were ‘healthier’ among children in non-streamed classes;
the more streams, the more negative the attitudes of those in the lower streams;
pupils of below average ability who were taught by teachers who believed in streaming within non-streaming schools could become friendless or neglected by others.

Your path: Home > Welcome to The Research Informed Practice Site (TRIPS) > Themes > Pupil grouping and organisation of classes > Primary pupils' experiences of different types of grouping in school > The benefits and disadvantages of grouping by ability
Research Home Themes \| Find digests \| About the digests resources glossary researchers contact TRIPS Introduction The benefits and disadvantages of grouping by ability What the study found What was the aim and the design of this study? What are the implications of the study? Where can I find out more? Send us your feedback Collated digests To view/remove/add notes and save your collated digests click here Get Word Reader Primary pupils' experiences of different types of grouping in school This digest found in Pupil grouping and organisation of classes Send to a friend Word doc 80KB Printer friendly Collate for later The benefits and disadvantages of grouping by ability The practice of grouping by ability in school was popular after the Second World War. It subsequently fell into disfavour, according to the authors, for a combination of reasons. These included: evidence of low self-esteem and social alienation of lower stream pupils; inconclusive evidence for positive effects on attainment; a shift of educational focus towards equality of educational opportunity. Over the last decade ability grouping in at least one subject has again become common in primary schools because it is perceived as a means of raising standards. There are two common forms of grouping primary school pupils between classes: streaming -separating children into groups by global ability and teaching them in the same class for all subjects; setting – separating children into different groups by ability for individual subjects. Within class grouping where the teacher makes ability groups within the class is the most common type of grouping. Although there has been a lot of research on the academic, social and personal outcomes of grouping pupils by ability, there has been little from the pupils’ perspective. According to the authors, what research there is suggests that: streaming may play a major role in polarising pro-and anti-school attitudes amongst pupils (with higher level students being pro and lower ones anti); setting may produce more negative than positive consequences amongst mathematics students, with a high proportion of students wanting to move sets or change to mixed ability teaching; and ability grouping - when it involves setting – is the preferred form of grouping amongst secondary pupils, but that the greater the level of mixed ability teaching in the school, the more mixed ability teaching is the preferred option among students. At primary level, the authors cite previous research on ability grouping to suggest that: (in reading) most pupils wish to be in the top group because it confers status and a feeling of superiority; however, most pupils (excluding the top groups) prefer whole class or individual work for reasons of inclusion; social adjustment, social attitudes, and attitudes to peers of different ability were ‘healthier’ among children in non-streamed classes; the more streams, the more negative the attitudes of those in the lower streams; pupils of below average ability who were taught by teachers who believed in streaming within non-streaming schools could become friendless or neglected by others.