Teacher Strategies and Pupil Identities in Mixed Ability Curricula: A Note on Concepts and Some Examples from Maths*

In this article we present some exploratory descriptions of mathematics teaching in mixed-ability secondary school classrooms. Central to them is the understanding that classrooms cannot be studied without reference to the history of a subject area within the overall organization of the school. The relations of pupils and teachers in the classroom are framed by themselves, by the larger school and even LEA and DES practices and organization.