554 Book reviews / International Journal of Educational Development 22 (2002) 551–558

Ability Grouping in EducationJudith Ireson and Susan Hallam; Paul ChapmanPublishing, London, UK, 2001, 228 pp., ISBN 0-7619-7209-9, paperback.

National systems of education around the worldare coming under increasing scrutiny. This is inresponse to international comparisons of outcomesthat stem from concerns over global competi-tiveness. In the United Kingdom, government anxi-ety about the performance of schools has led to thepublication of ‘ league tables’ and a correspondingfocus on the effectiveness of schools at ‘addingvalue’ to students. These pressures appear to beleading some schools in the United Kingdom to re-evaluate the way in which they organize pupils forinstruction. The authors of this book present atimely review of the research into the academic andnonacademic effects of pupil organisation into dif-ferent types of ability groups, together with theresults of their own research conducted in this area.This research was carried out in both secondaryand primary schools. Both quantitative and quali-tative evidence is presented, although the emphasisis on the former rather than the latter.

In the first chapter, the authors give a clear over-view of the historical context for the study. Thisis followed in chapter 2 by an analysis of the evi-dence regarding the cognitive effects of abilitygrouping. A commonly cited rationale for introduc-ing ability grouping arrangements such as settingand streaming is that work can be geared moreclosely to the pupils’ cognitive level and theirattainment can therefore be enhanced. However,using multilevel modeling techniques, the authorsare able to demonstrate that setting and streamingin the secondary schools in their sample do notraise overall attainment in comparison to mixedability grouping. What ability grouping may do,however, is to raise the attainment of high achiev-ers at the expense of low achievers.

Chapter 3 explores the effects of different group-ing arrangements on the development of pupils’self-image. This casts light on why ability groupingmay not be an effective method of raising attain-ment. Using a multi-faceted measure of self-con-cept, the authors show that high levels of settingin secondary schools create a less favourable

environment for developing self-image. They alsopresent data from primary schools showing thatsetting increases the teasing that low-attaining stu-dents receive. They point out that school ethos isan important variable in this regard. Interestingly,the school in which students report the lowest levelof teasing is a small primary school in which onemight expect a positive ethos.

In chapters 4 and 5, the authors explore pupiland teacher perceptions of ability grouping. Theresearchers find that, on the whole, both pupils’and teachers’ views on the merits of differentgrouping arrangements are most affected by theorganisation of the school they are in. Those stu-dents and teachers who favoured setting tended todo so because it allowed work to be set at the rightlevel and pace. However, at the same time, doubtswere raised about the accuracy of group place-ments. The authors report that these misplacementsare potentially exacerbated by the difficulties thatare sometimes encountered in moving pupils fromone group to another.

Chapter 6 compares pedagogy in mixed abilityand set classes using self-report data from teacherinterviews in both primary and secondary schools.The results confirm previous studies that haveshown the curriculum offered to pupils in low andhigh sets is qualitatively different. In set classes,high attaining pupils tend to be set a faster pace ofwork than in mixed ability classes. Low attainingpupils, however, appear to be challenged less whenthey are set in comparison with pupils in mixedability groups. Evidence is also presented indicat-ing that mixed ability grouping is less likely thansetting or streaming to lead to discipline problemsand pupil disaffection.

In chapter 7, the authors examine issues aroundschool ethos and grouping practices. They useinterview data collected from headteachers andstaff in both primary and secondary schools inorder to support their arguments. They find thatschools with a strong adherence to either mixedability grouping or rigorous setting often arguetheir case on the basis of their values. Mixed abilitygrouping is seen in some schools as more inclusiveand less privileging of certain groups. Conversely,other schools may view ability grouping as a wayto prepare pupils for entry into a society structured

555Book reviews / International Journal of Educational Development 22 (2002) 551–558

on the basis of ability. In many secondary schools,however, a pragmatic approach is taken and a var-iety of grouping practices are accommodated indifferent subject departments. Staff in severalschools reported that pressure to set pupils in theschool came from parents—a surprising findingwhen one considers the potential for negativeeffects of placement in a lower set.

In the penultimate chapter of the book, theauthors discuss a variety of approaches to within-class and between-class grouping. They stress theimportance of taking a flexible approach to group-ing, and in particular taking into account not onlyacademic attainment but also the promotion ofpositive social and emotional development. Oneavenue that they think worth exploring, especiallyin secondary schools, is the development of sys-tems that allow pupils to take more control of theirlearning. This can be achieved through modularis-ation of the curriculum, or the creation of individu-alised study programmes. The authors conclude byre-examining some of the key issues raised inthe book.

This book is essential reading for those involvedin the business of school improvement and devel-opment. It provides a clear and up-to-date reviewof the literature on ability grouping, while at thesame time presenting the results of new systematicresearch on the topic. It is important that schooladministrators weigh the evidence presented herebefore they proceed to implement ability groupingsaimed at raising pupil attainment.

Chris Berry,Institute of Education, University of London,

London, UK

PII: S0738-0593(02)00015-9

Challenge and Change in the Euro-Mediter-ranean Region: Case Studies in EducationalInnovationEdited by Ronald G. Sultana; Peter Lang, NewYork, 2001, ISBN 0-8204-5248-3, US$75.95.

This diverse and often lively collection of some19 studies, drawn from a 1999 seminar, reflects the

extreme variety of the region it deals with.Extending somewhat beyond the shores of theMediterranean itself to include Portugal and Jordan(which have, as Sultana puts it, access to itshinterland), the countries represented in this bookhave a clear geographical relationship and animportant common historical dynamic in theremote past, but a less clear commonality in thepresent day and in their educational experience.

Regional studies can serve to bring together thecommonalities of the area under investigation or,indeed, to reveal underlying similarities, in orderto see how practice can better be understood in thewider context of the region as a whole, or howpractices can transfer between countries with ahigh level of congruence or compatibility withintheir systems and policy. This cannot be the casewith the Mediterranean. The region as defined heredoes possess common features, as indicated above,but it is the international differences that are farmore obvious. Certainly one can see sub-regionalgroupings where there are indeed significant sharedcharacteristics—the North African states, forinstance, or the Middle Eastern states, or, to someextent, the two of these together. But the greaterimpression of the region is that of its disharmony.

This does not invalidate a collection such as this,however. The real proximity and interaction of thecountries of the Mediterranean makes the contrastbetween their backgrounds and systems all themore interesting. The region offers a huge rangeof experience, provided by G8 members Franceand Italy, on the one hand, and by an entity with aper capita GNP of around one twentieth of theirs—Palestine; by long established democracies such asMalta, states not long emerged from dictatorshipsuch as Albania, and others with authoritariangovernments such as Libya. The region provides,in the most exact of senses, a microcosm.

The contributions are as varied as the states towhich they relate. Few are actually quite asfocused as the subtitle of the book suggests, as theytend to give a brief account of the educationalbackground of the country concerned and toexplore some of the wider context of innovationthere before talking, sometimes quite briefly, abouta specific innovative activity. But this contextualis-ation, well done, as it mostly is, provides a worth-