Experiences of Detracking: Teachers' Fears and Students' Attitudes to Heterogeneous Grouping

• In Event: Tracking Students by “Ability”: Discourses, Practices, and Impact on Young People

Abstract

Heterogeneous classes is the prevalent mode of grouping students in arts and humanities in English secondary schools (Kutnick et al. 2005). However, it is rare to find this practice extended to the ‘core’ subjects, especially mathematics (OECD 2013). Drawing on the ‘Best Practice in Mixed Attainment’ part of the study, this paper explores (i) why mathematics and English teachers see heterogeneous grouping as problematic, and (ii) how students perceive detracked classes by their level of prior attainment.

We draw on survey data from a total of 1284 students in Year 7 (11-12 years old) from 10 state schools practicing heterogeneous grouping in mathematics and English. The qualitative research with students took place in eight secondary schools. The paper is based on the analysis of 20 focus groups and nine individual interviews with a total of 89 students (32 boys and 57 girls) aged 11-12 years.

Authors

• Antonina Tereshchenko, UCL Institute of Education

• Jeremy Hodgen, University College London