Ability grouping in the secondary school: attitudes of teachers of practically based subjects

revealed that teachers generally hold positive attitudes towards teaching classes where
pupils are grouped by ability, although variations have been reported based on teachers'
prior experience and the subject that they teach. When mixed-ability teaching was
innovatory in the UK, teachers who had direct experience of it tended to hold more
favourable attitudes towards it (Newbold, 1977; Reid et al, 1982), although there were
differences depending on the subject that they taught. Reid et al. (1982) found that
where subjects were structured in such a way that learning built on previous
knowledge, for example in mathematics and modern foreign languages, teachers
seemed to favour structured ability grouping, while the humanities were perceived as
particularly suitable for mixed ability teaching. Ninety percent of language teachers
were sceptical of the possibility of effective mixed ability teaching. Scientists
occupied a middle position perceiving some difficulties. Those subjects where mixed
ability teaching was perceived as problematic tended to require correct answers and a
grasp of abstract concepts.

More recent research demonstrated that the best predictor of teachers’ attitudes towards
and beliefs about structured ability grouping was the dominant grouping in the school
where they worked, mixed ability, partially set or set, (standardised beta weight .225)
(Hallam and Ireson, 2003). Teachers tended to favour the structured grouping
practices adopted in their school. They perceived the advantages of mixed ability
teaching largely in social terms, while the disadvantage was perceived to be the
difficulty of providing appropriate work for pupils of high and low ability in the same
class. Those critical of mixed-ability teaching suggested that it failed to motivate and
increase the achievement of the highly able, although the less able were perceived to
benefit. The research also found differences in teachers' attitudes towards mixed ability
teaching depending on the subject that they taught. Supporting the earlier findings,
teachers of mathematics and modern foreign languages tended to hold the most

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