ABSTRACT
Secondary classroom practices are the consequence of a range of local, institutional and individual variables, for example: the school ethos; the abilities of the pupils and the organisational arrangements to accommodate these (e.g. grouping, setting, banding, mixed-ability grouping); gender relationships; group dynamics; and characteristics of individual pupils and teachers. The pedagogical practices within secondary schools are, themselves, premised on conceptions of aims, theories of teaching and learning, interaction of variables, the learning environment, the task demands, personalities and social relationships; the focus on desired outcomes of learning; assessment and feedback.1
