ABSTRACT

In the United Kingdom (UK) particularly, grouping strategies in secondary education have attracted considerable political attention. While setting students by ability is frequently adopted in mathematics, English and science, mixed-ability grouping is common in other subjects, including physical education (PE). Educational research exploring grouping has highlighted the need for research to extend understanding of the pedagogical assumptions, challenges and/or opportunities associated with the use of mixed-ability grouping in various subject and school settings. This case study research sought to examine mixed-ability grouping with a particular focus on how this grouping strategy was enacted in Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8 and 9) and Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11) PE lessons in a secondary school in England, and how issues of ability and inclusion are expressed in the enactment of this grouping strategy. Data from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with seven PE teachers is reported. The findings illustrate the various ways in which teachers’ enactment of mixed-ability grouping is framed by discourses of sport performance and gendered discourses, and highlight, in particular, the impact that ‘grouping within groups’ has for the learning opportunities that different students are able to access in PE. The analysis and discussion critically examine the conceptualisations of ability and inclusion inherent in the mixed-ability grouping practices at the case study school. The conclusion identifies a need for further research involving a larger sample of schools and teachers to extend the insights about mixed-ability grouping practices in PE generated by this study.

摘要

特别是在英国（UK），中学教育中的分组策略引起了相当大的政治关注。虽然在数学、英语和科学中经常采用按能力设置学生，但混合能力分组在其他学科中很常见，包括体育 (PE)。探索分组的教育研究强调需要进行研究，以扩展对在各种学科和学校环境中使用混合能力分组相关的教学假设、挑战和/或机会的理解。本案例研究旨在检查混合能力分组，特别关注如何在中学的关键阶段 3（7、8 和 9 年级）和关键阶段 4（10 和 11 年级）体育课中实施这种分组策略在英国，以及如何在该分组策略的制定中表达能力和包容性问题。报告了对七位体育教师的深度、半结构化访谈的数据。研究结果说明了教师制定混合能力分组的各种方式是由体育表现话语和性别话语构成的，并特别强调了“组内分组”对不同学生的学习机会的影响。可以在PE中访问。分析和讨论批判性地检查了案例研究学校混合能力分组实践中固有的能力和包容性的概念化。