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It is common to group students with a similar level of education so that they can share their academic skills and areas of knowledge. The level of development may vary between students. Thus, if students are tested and followed up long-term, the best way to group them can be determined. These groups are called skill groups or homogeneous skill level groups.
The converse of this approach would be to group students into heterogeneous ability groups, with students of different ability levels. This can happen randomly.
What would be the scenarios of the homogeneous clustering method?
Some examples of its application are listed below:
In a mathematics class, students can be classified into three groups based on their previous grades; Accordingly, materials with exercises of different levels can be distributed, depending on each of the groups. This method implies that the group with the lowest scores should be emphasized. This group must also make more effort than the others because they will have to practice more those already learned in which they had failures. Then they must make a brief introduction to the next topic and take work home. This is necessary so that they gradually catch up. At the same time, care must be taken that the other two groups do not stop exercising at their respective levels so that their grades do not drop.
The teacher should avoid using alienating language with all groups of students. Language should be used that unifies the dynamics in the classroom, despite the fact that they are three separate groups.
On the other hand, in a literature class the teacher can divide the class into groups according to the reading fluency of the students. She should assign texts of different difficulties so that each group works with texts that have the appropriate level of difficulty. Said text must be on the border between what is known and what is challenging. The teacher must intervene in each group frequently to guide the students and control the pace of the class.
Points against the homogeneous grouping method
There has been some pressure to prevent this method from being implemented in the classroom, or at least to lessen its application in schools. Critics of the method argue that students with special needs, whether mental, emotional, or physical, often end up in the bottom-tier groups. It is argued that they bear the brunt of this method because the low expectations that teachers place on their groups end up demotivating them. Furthermore, it is said that the method may lead to poor instruction.
Improperly implemented, the method proposes activities that are not challenging for students. The goals are too easy and students lose interest in reaching them. Furthermore, this method is considered too rigid in the way it groups students according to their abilities.
Another possible point against is how grouping and highlighting less advantaged students could pose a problem for social relationships outside the classroom. Inadvertently, situations that give rise to bullying could arise.
Points in favor of the homogeneous grouping method
The activities proposed to each group are adapted to the proven abilities of the majority of its members, and the doubts that the students present tend to coincide quite with those of the rest of the group. For this reason, teachers are better able to accommodate the individual needs of each student.
It is also said that students will feel more comfortable participating in classes because they are surrounded by other students with the same range of abilities and who work at the same pace as them. This could have a long-term positive effect, softening the sense of alienation of a student who is not up to speed with her classroom. Grouping students based on their abilities could significantly increase their performance by helping to mitigate stress.
References
- Abacus Cooperative (2019). Educational innovation: grouping school students into heterogeneous groups . Available at: https://cooperativa.abacus.coop/es/comunidades/comunidad-educativa/conocimiento-compartido-educativa/innovacion-educativa-agrupar-a-los-alumnos-de-la-escuela-en-grupos-heterogeneos /
- González, L. (2012). Homogeneity or heterogeneity in the classrooms? Who do we educate? Available at: https://edgarmorinmultiversidad.org/index.php/aportaciones/472-161.html
