THE GROUPING OF STUDENTS

the Curriculum Branch should prepare m a t e r i a l on these problems, t o be a v a i l a b l e f o r p a s t o r a l teachers t o use as r e q u i r e d . I n no way should such an approach be p r e s c r i p t i v e .

P a s t o r a l - c a r e r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s should be given increased r e c o g n i t i o n so t h a t they cease t o be

"tacked on" t o the other d u t i e s o f teachers.. The prime importance o f ' p a s t o r a l care w i l l be accepted by a l l when a l l s t a f f are i n v o l v e d . The Committee's view i s t h a t a l l members o f s t a f f have a r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r p a s t o r a l care and senior s t a f f should take respon- s i b i l i t y f o r a p a s t o r a l - c a r e group as p a r t o f t h e i r

d u t i e s . Given the importance o f p a s t o r a l care and i t s dependence on the competence and enthusiasm o f t e a c h e r s , the Committee considers t h a t i t should have a high,

p r i o r i t y i n teacher development a c t i v i t i e s . .

In a r r i v i n g a t a p o s i t i o n on the grouping

of students the Committee gave p a r t i c u l a r weight t o the adverse e f f e c t s o f c a t e g o r i s i n g students and to the potent e f f e c t o f teacher e x p e c t a t i o n s i n a streamed s i t u a t i o n . The way i n which t h i s process of c a t e g o r i s a t i o n operates i s w e l l described by the B r i t i s h s o c i o l o g i s t , David Hargreaves:

The teacher must ....beware of those o r g a n i s - a t i o n a l devices o f schools which are a s s o c i a t e d itfith c a t e g o r i s a t i o n . Streaming i s o b v i o u s l y one such device. Once the p u p i l i s assigned t o a stream, the teacher tends t o p e r c e i v e him i n terms o f the c o l l e c t i v e category o f the stream r a t h e r than i n terms o f h i s i n d i v - i d u a l c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s . The streaming system encourages t h e making o f g e n e r a l i s a t i o n s

about streams which are then a p p l i e d t o i n d i v i d u a l p u p i l s i n t h a t stream . . . I t i s h a r d l y s u r p r i s i n g i f the p u p i l s take t o them- selves the a t t i t u d e s , expectations and

p r e d i c t i o n s e x h i b i t e d by the teachers and

i n s t i t u t i o n a l i s e d i n the o r g a n i s a t i o n a l s t r u c t u r e . A s e l f - f u l f i l l i n g prophecy seems almost i n e v i t a b l e . Nor are these matters e a s i l y r e c t i f i e d . A b i l i t y grouping w i t h i n an unstreamed c l a s s poses

e x a c t l y the same s o r t o f dangers. (42)

The way i n which t h i s s e l f - f u l f i l l i n g prophecy a f f e c t s l e a r n i n g has been the subject o f much research since the p u b l i c a t i o n o f the well-known "Pygmalion i n t h e Classroom" i n 1968. (43) The most r e c e n t review o f t h i s research confirms the importance o f teacher e x p e c t a t i o n s :

Evidence i n d i c a t i n g t h a t teachers do form e x p e c t a t i o n s f o r students' performance i s abundant. As noted above, teachers tend t o t r e a t students d i f f e r e n t l y depending on t h e i r expectations f o r the students' performance.

Moreover, these e x p e c t a t i o n s , and presumably t h e i r b e h a v i o u r a l m a n i f e s t a t i o n s , have been shown t o r e l a t e t o students' academic

achievement. (44)

I t i s also important t o r e f e r to evidence t h a t t h e r e i s an a s s o c i a t i o n between a "pro-school

s u b c u l t u r e " i n higher streams and an " a n t i - s c h o o l s u b c u l t u r e " which was strong i n the lower streams.

(45)

I t i s the view of the Committee t h a t the damaging' process' of c a t e g o r i s a t i o n or " l a b e l l i n g " i s most

l i k e l y to operate when i t i s b u i l t i n t o the organiz- a t i o n of the school and associated w i t h the f o r m a t i o n of groups f o r t e a c h i n g . F u r t h e r , the process may r e f l e c t d i f f e r e n c e s i n the background which c h i l d r e n - b r i n g to school. I n the model proposed by the

A u s t r a l i a n s o c i o l o g i s t , Tony Knight, streaming i s one of t h e important ways by which disadvantaged

c h i l d r e n become " l o c k e d - o u t " of the p a t t e r n t h a t leads t o achievement i n school and s o c i e t y . (46) Streaming i s not o n l y an i n s t r u m e n t of e d u c a t i o n a l p o l i c y but has major s o c i a l consequences.

Given the damaging e f f e c t s of c a t e g o r i s a t i o n and streaming which have been described i n the preceding paragraphs i t was g r a t i f y i n g f o r the Committee to f i n d

t h a t school p r a c t i c e i n Tasmania r e f l e c t s an avoidance of sharp d i f f e r e n t i a t i o n between groups of students.

In responding t o the Committee's survey of secondary Education n e a r l y a l l schools i n d i c a t e d they had heterogeneous groups f o r p a s t o r a l - c a r e and teaching purposes i n Years 7 and 8. (47) Only two h i g h schools i n d i c a t e d they had homogeneous, streamed groups i n

these.years. The Committee i s aware t h a t , i n other schools, students are separated i n t o homogeneous

teaching groups i n some s u b j e c t s and most h i g h schools

" s e t " or " t i e " groups i n Years 9 and 10 to a l l o w

s u b j e c t s to stream i f they wish. Nevertheless, these r e s u l t s show t h a t Tasmanian schools' are g e n e r a l l y

aware of the damaging e f f e c t s of streaming and l a b e l l - ing students and are anxious to r e t a i n m i x e d - a b i l i t y groups, a t l e a s t i n Years 7 and 8.

The Committee considers t h a t the f o l l o w i n g p r i n c i p l e s should u n d e r l i e p r a c t i c e s f o r grouping secondary students:

1. Although the o r g a n i z a t i o n of schools r e q u i r e s v a r i o u s groupings of students f o r a d m i n i s t r a t i o n and teaching i t i s important t h a t a d m i n i s t r a t i v e convenience does not take precedence over educ- a t i o n a l reasons as the c r i t e r i a f o r group

f o r m a t i o n .

2. The f i r s t two years of .secondary education should

; be seen as a p e r i o d i n which knowledge of

students'' p o t e n t i a l i t i e s i s b u i l t up. During t h i s time schools should ensure t h a t a group i s not created t h a t has. a "low-stream image." (48) This i s p a r t i c u l a r l y necessary on e n t r y to

secondary schools: students should f e e l they have the chance t o " s t a r t again" and t h a t they have not .been l a b e l l e d on the basis of t h e i r

• previous experience.

3. M i x e d - a b i l i t y grouping should be t h e normal p r a c t i c e i n Years 7 and 8 and used where

p r a c t i c a b l e i n Years 9 and 10. The Committee considers t h a t s p e c i a l i z a t i o n and streaming, even streaming f o r some s u b j e c t s , should be avoided i n the f i r s t two years o f secondary education. This i s c o n s i s t e n t w i t h t h e

Committee's view t h a t , i n these years, students should n o t have t o make d e c i s i o n s which have a long-term e f f e c t on t h e i r chances i n l i f e . The Committee would d i s t i n g u i s h between t h e f o r m a t i o n of separate groups on the basis of a b i l i t y or achievement and groupings w i t h i n a c l a s s which may be necessary f o r teaching but which o f

t h e i r nature are f l e x i b l e .

4. The grading process f o r c e r t i f i c a t i o n a t t h e end of Year 10 should not determine t h e way i n which teaching groups are formed. The Committee considers t h a t schools should n o t base t h e i r o r g a n i z a t i o n on whole-class groups, streamed by achievement and u n d e r t a k i n g year-long courses.

5. I n grouping students f o r teaching purposes t h e school o r g a n i z a t i o n must be f l e x i b l e enough to a l l o w f o r the movement o f students from one course t o another. This f l e x i b i l i t y must p r o v i d e f o r students to " p i c k up a s u b j e c t " a t a l a t e r stage so t h a t students do not make i r r e v o c a b l e choices. A t the same time p r o v i s i o n needs t o

be made f o r able students t o be g i v e n experiences t h a t challenge them.

6. The Committee wishes t o avoid p r e s c r i b i n g any s i n g l e practice, f o r schools t o f o l l o w i n grouping students. I t i s not prepared t o say t h a t a

p a r t i c u l a r form o f grouping i s best i n a l l s i t u a t i o n s . P a r t i c u l a r needs may best be met by a form o f grouping d i f f e r e n t from t h a t n o r m a l l y found i n t h e system or p r a c t i s e d i n the school.

In Year 7 m i x e d - a b i l i t y groups should be t h e norm and i t i s envisaged t h a t students w i l l f o l l o w a common c u r r i c u l u m , grouping i n t o separate courses being

completely avoided. I n both Years 7 and 8 t h e school should p r o v i d e students w i t h as wide a p r o v i s i o n o f courses as i s p o s s i b l e from i t s resources. This p o l i c y i s c o n s i s t e n t w i t h the view t h a t a heavy emphasis on s e q u e n t i a l l e a r n i n g may be i n a p p r o p r i a t e a t t h i s stage.

C49)

In YEAR 8 m i x e d - a b i l i t y groups should again be the usual p r a c t i c e . A t t h i s stage a l s o , d i v i s i o n s w i t h i n an area o f c u r r i c u l u m a c t i v i t y based on d i f f e r e n c e s i n a b i l i t y or achievement should n o t be made. I n Year 8 students should be able t o w i t h - draw from some a c t i v i t i e s though n o t from the major

areas o f t h e c u r r i c u l u m d e f i n e d by the Committee. (50) Students a t t h i s stage should not be r e q u i r e d t o f o l l o w a s p e c i f i c and f i x e d ' g r o u p o f s t u d i e s and i n t h i s way be committed t o choices t h a t determine t h e i r subsequent school experience.

The Committee accepts t h a t , from the beginning of YEAR 9, students should be able t o enter i n t o a

"course", t h a t i s , i n t o a group o f s t u d i e s t h a t r e f l e c t s t h e i r p a r t i c u l a r i n t e r e s t s and a p t i t u d e s . This would seem t o be the time when more d e f i n i t e d e c i s i o n s about courses are made but the Committee does not accept t h a t i t i s necessary f o r e f f e c t i v e teaching t o separate c h i l d r e n i n t o d i f f e r e n t l e v e l s o f a b i l i t y and considers t h a t ' m i x e d - a b i l i t y groups may be adopted a t any stage o f secondary education. The Committee considers t h a t the c o n c l u s i o n o f the B u l l o c k Committee t h a t "where i t i s p r a c t i c a b l e mixed-

a b i l i t y grouping o f f e r s most hope f o r E n g l i s h t e a c h i n g "

can apply t o a l l other s u b j e c t s i n t h e secondary c u r r i c u l u m . (51) Whatever d e c i s i o n a school makes about grouping students i t s o r g a n i z a t i o n must p r o v i d e f o r students to work f o r some o f t h e i r time i n each of the major areas o f the c u r r i c u l u m and be f l e x i b l e enough t o p r o v i d e f o r students t o change from one group to another on the basis o f t h e i r e f f o r t and achievement and t o take up new s t u d i e s i f they wish.

In terms o f the grouping o f students the Committee envisages t h a t YEAR 10 w i l l f o l l o w s i m i l a r g u i d e l i n e s to Year 9. Again i n Year 10 t h e r e i s no evidence

t h a t m i x e d - a b i l i t y groups are n o t a p p r o p r i a t e and t h e need f o r f l e x i b i l i t y to provide f o r changed circum-

stances remains. Again a t t h i s stage, students need t o be able t o take up new s t u d i e s on the basis o f changed m o t i v a t i o n s and needs, f o r example i n r e l a t i o n t o

i n d i v i d u a l requirements f o r j o b entrance. Some choices should o n l y take place a t t h i s stage: i n p a r t i c u l a r those determining the l e v e l a t which a s u b j e c t may be s t u d i e d i n Years 11 and 12.