Studies of teaching and learning within classrooms rarely consider the multilayered effects of social context, especially involving within-class groupings. Yet, all pupils in classes are placed in some form of grouping throughout their classroom life and this will have an impact on their learning. This article seeks to move forward the understanding of within-class groupings in real classrooms. Five 'core themes' central to pupils' experience of groups in classrooms are identi ed (group size, group composition, learning tasks, within group interaction and adult presence) and used as a basis to collect information on classroom groupings (using a novel classroom 'mapping' survey). Teachers in 187 classrooms from Years 2 and 5 were surveyed and undertook the mapping during normal classroom work time. The most common group size found was the small group of 4-6 pupils. Other group sizes, including whole classes, individuals, dyads, and triads were less frequent. Most pupil groupings were teacher designated and combined girls and boys of similar ability. Groupings mainly studied English and mathematics, and worked on individuated tasks involving the practice or revision of skills/knowledge. Adults were present with one-third of groupings-with particular adults interacting with particular types of groupings (low-ability boys, high-ability girls, and whole classes). When data from the themes are interrelated, especially group size and composition with learning task and interaction type, many points of concern arise. Findings suggest that teachers may not think strategically about the size and composition of groupings in relation to the tasks assigned. Adult presence is associated with control of knowledge and behaviour, and different types of adults are associated with the support of groupings at different levels of ability. Teachers provide little training for children to develop group work skills, and offer little opportunity for these skills to be practised in the promotion of learning. The ndings and discussion combine to identify that the area of 'social pedagogy of pupil grouping' is a new and
Recommendations to use friendship as a basis for classroom grouping for cognitive tasks may facilitate performance of some pairings, but may also inhibit the performance of others. This is shown very clearly with regard to gender. Some of the difference in cognitive task performance may be explained by distinct, cultural (and social capital) orientations to friendship activities, with girls integrating school and educational considerations into friendship, and boys excluding school and educational considerations.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.