TEFL Thompsontown Pennsylvania

When polled, most teachers and dministrators assert that grouping children with other students of a similiar ability level has the beneficial effect of narrowing the achievement gap between high and low achieving learners. Recent research; however, points to the fact that “attempts to narrow the achievement gap organisationally through... grouping appear to have had little effect on the achievement spectrum that they were designed to reduce“ (Kutnick, et al, 2006). Do these finding mean that grouping has no place within the classroom? Kutnick and his fellow researchers conclude that this is , in fact, not the case, that, “within-class ability grouping may have greater potential to raise standards through personalising the learning experience,“ but, they cauthion, “grouping effects, especially on attainment and attitudes, are sensitive to types of group, teacher attitude and practice, resources for group working, pupil attitude, pupil group work skills, training for group working, and teacher support for group working“ (2006). Additionally, research into collaboration between students has also shown that students naturally want to help one another and that peer collaboration “...motivates them [students] to want to learn and to put in a greater effort in their own schoolwork“ (Williams and Sheridan, 2010). So, while grouping may not narrow achievement gaps between students, it can have a positive effect on the academic success of the individual and should have a place within every classroom. This leads to the question of how teachers should group their students? Unfortunately, as Kutnick el al state, “there is no one-size-fits-all grouping policy“ (2006). According to the researchers, “a review of the research evidence concerning the impact of pupil grouping practices...concluded that no one form of organisational grouping benefits all pupils;” therefore, teachers would be trained to reflect upon grouping arrangements and use those that best suit the task being undertaken (Kutnick et al., 2006). The key to successful group work lies with teachers (and students) being trained to work with groups, the teacher reflecting upon the needs of the students and being flexible. The researchers did, however, lead us to certain conclusions, suggesting that mixed ability grouping may produce the best results overall as, “Key finding[s]... noted potential negative effects of grouping low ability pupils together: aside from low motivation and poor behaviour, low ability pupils working together are unlikely to share a range of knowledge and understanding that would enhance discussion and communication for learning within a group” (Kutnick, et al., 2006). The researchers also found that minorities and boys tend to be overrepresented in low ability groups and that this can lead to those students becoming unmotivated to learn. Therefore, if it is the teacher's goal to help the class as a whole, mixed ability grouping would seem the best answer. teachers must be creative to accomodate those students who either need additional support or a further challenge. This could involve something like using investigative centers to move individuals away from the group at different times. For example, children could collaborate on a worksheet within their group, yet any child who needed additional help could move to a work station for more assistance. Alternatively, a child who had mastered the concept could move to a work station for more challenging work. Investigative centers of this type allow for mixed ability groups, but provide the help or challenge needed without a student losing feelings of inclusivness with the group. In conclusion, ever since Vygotsky's ground-breaking work on the social aspects of learning, educators are gaining a greater understanding of the importance of learning in a social environment (Smith et al., 1997) and research such as that conducted by Kutnick and his fellow researchers support collaborative learning theories. Group work is an important tool that can be used to enhance a student's academic success; however, grouping can not simply be a seating arrangement; it must be properly used and teachers must take the time to learn how to group properly and make the most of group work References Kutnick, P., el al., 2006., Pupil Grouping Strategies and Practices at Key Stage 2 and 3: Case Studies of 24 Schools in england., Research Report Number 796., Department for Education and Skills., 2006. Smith, Leslie; Dockrell, Julie; Tomlinson, Peter. 1997., Piaget, Vygotsky and Beyond. [online]. Taylor & Francis. Available from: 28 September 2011. Williams, P. & Sheridan, S., 2010., Conditions for collaborative learning and constructive competition in school, Educational Research, 52:4, 335-350.