Summary

Using data from international research studies, international comparisons can give insight into how New Zealand’s practice compares in this respect. The relationship between ability grouping and academic and non-academic outcomes is also analysed.

Key Findings

• Ability is often used to group students between classes at the secondary level, but this is not as common at the primary level.
• Grouping students with others of similar ability within classes is used in primary reading and maths classrooms the most, and far more often than in most other countries.
• Younger and newer Year 5 maths teachers use mixed-ability groupings less often and same-ability groupings more often compared with older and more experienced teachers. In Year 9 maths classes, students in lower decile schools are more likely to have both mixed and same-ability grouping.
• Larger schools and schools with lower disciplinary climates use between-class grouping practices more often, most likely because there are enough students to split across classes in these larger schools; it may also be used as a behaviour management technique.
• No significant relationships were found between academic and non-academic outcomes across year levels and subjects except for Year 5 science. Students whose teachers used mixed-ability grouping for half the lessons or more scored nine points higher in science, after accounting for decile.