ABSTRACT
Pupils need to be grouped so that their education can be organized in an appropriate way. In fact, grouping and organization influence mathematics teaching more than most people realize. This chapter will describe the various methods of grouping and also the uses of these groups in the organization of mathematics teaching and learning. To start with grouping, let us consider a typical G.C.E. mathematics fifth form which is, in many ways, similar to its counterpart in other schools following a broadly similar curriculum. We shall call this group the ‘fifth form G.C.E. class’. This title gives useful, but limited, information which might be sufficient for someone who is enquiring about the organization of mathematics in the school. However, anyone who is to teach that class needs more explicit information, for example about smaller groups of pupils in that class or even about individuals, before he or she can successfully do so.
