ABSTRACT
The concept of ability, despite its changing definitions, remains deeply embedded in the discourse and practice of education, with in-class ability groupings commonplace from as early as nursery onwards. These groupings raise concerns about the way ability is measured, perceived and implemented which often reflect trends in socio-economic and cultural contexts. This ‘pedagogic device’ (Bernstein 1996), along with its debilitating effect, conflicts with the dominant social message of inclusion, opportunity and participation. The use of homogenous groups raises questions about what Bernstein (1996) calls the continuing lack of educational social justice as they further entrench deterministic views of children’s learning and achievement. Drawing on a qualitative study, this chapter explores the voices of 5–6-year-olds in the Welsh Foundation Phase and their ‘experience-derived’ understandings of ability groupings in the classroom. At its core is a focus on ‘the interests at hand’ (Schutz 1972) at the micro-level, as well as the interpretation of the internal and external stimuli that are present during the pedagogic interaction. The chapter discusses the impact these in-class groupings have on children’s inclusion, participation and interaction, in a bid to emphasise children’s agency and voice to achieve greater mutuality between adult and child subjectivities.
