ABSTRACT
The chapter outlines the design and methodology of the ‘Best Practice in Grouping Students’ study, which investigated the potential for more equitable practice in grouping students. It sets out the key principles of the two educational interventions, which were evaluated using randomised controlled trials: one large-scale intervention investigating setting across 126 schools in England, and a small-scale feasibility trial investigating mixed attainment across 13 schools. It also provided some detail regarding the main datasets that we analyse in this book, namely the surveys conducted with 12,997 young people aged 11/12 and 9,501 young people aged 12/13 and close to 1,000 of their teachers, as well as the interviews with 245 students and 56 teachers. Some of the approaches adopted in analysing the data, as well as ethical considerations, are discussed and this chapter concludes with a reflection on the limitations of the study.
