Will Ability Grouping Cause Educational Inequity? Analysis From Group Dependence to Path Dependence

• In Event: Tracking Inequity: Ability Grouping and Institutions

Abstract

Based on fuzzy discontinuity regression design and mediating effect analysis, this paper explores the group-dependent equity and path-dependent equity of the influence of ability grouping teaching practice on students' academic performance in Chinese high schools. The study found that ability grouping is an extremely unfair teaching practice activity: (1) There is obvious group heterogeneity in the performance effect of ability grouping, and students who are assigned to high-achieving classes are compared with low-achieving students. Students in the high-achieving class can get more; (2) In the path selection mechanism, ability grouping is mainly achieved by changing the quality of peers, rather than relying on the teacher's adaptive teaching to improve the performance of the students assigned to the high-achieving class.

Authors

• Qian Ajian, Beijing Normal University

• Qian Zhao, Beijing Normal University