ABSTRACT

Grouping by attainment is a relatively new and contested practice in Norway, where strong historical discourses of heterogeneous education are under pressure from international test comparisons, particularly in mathematics. At the same time, research indicates that Norwegian teachers have a high degree of autonomy in education policy enactment. Analysing thirteen Norwegian mathematics teachers’ reflections on grouping practices, we seek to understand their decision-making processes within this context. Our findings indicate that teachers report a high degree of autonomy in grouping practices which is exercised through considerable diversity in practice and defended when necessary. Using an ecological model of teacher agency reveals how teachers explore and explain their highly situated practice and its tensions and contradictions. We find that teachers who are removed from the central locus of autonomy have less to draw on in making and justifying their pedagogic choices, while those who are more central are able to continually reassess in this highly sensitive arena. We note the implications for practice and research on attainment grouping, particularly the need for teacher autonomy and support for professionally-based local decision-making.

摘要

在挪威，按成绩分组是一种相对较新且有争议的做法，在挪威，异质教育的强大历史话语受到国际考试比较的压力，尤其是在数学方面。同时，研究表明挪威教师在制定教育政策方面具有高度自主权。通过分析 13 位挪威数学教师对分组实践的反思，我们试图了解他们在此背景下的决策过程。我们的研究结果表明，教师在分组实践中报告了高度的自主权，这种自主权是通过实践中的相当大的多样性来实现的，并在必要时进行辩护。使用教师能动性的生态模型揭示了教师如何探索和解释他们的高位实践及其张力和矛盾。我们发现，脱离自主中心的教师在制定和证明他们的教学选择时很少有可取之处，而那些更中心的教师能够在这个高度敏感的领域不断地重新评估。我们注意到对成就分组的实践和研究的影响，特别是教师自主权和支持以专业为基础的地方决策的必要性。