Ability Grouping vs. Cooperative Learning

Ability grouping is a common practice in US public schools. The idea is based upon the fact that incoming students come from varied backgrounds. Although research generally has not led to a consensus on whether this mode of teaching is beneficial or harmful, Crosby and Owens (1993) argue that it is harmful and can result in higher dropout rates. They recommend cooperative learning strategies that are effective alternatives for students.

Crosby and Owens (1993) find various reasons for not supporting ability grouping. They cite research reviewed by Massachusetts Advocacy Center (1990) which shows that “cooperative learning may have important benefits for African American and Hispanic students” (Crosby & Owens, 3). Cooperative learning does not imply “simply putting students in groups and calling it cooperative learning” (4); it requires students to develop communication skills, trust building ability, and leadership and conflict management skills.

Massachusetts Advocacy Center (1990, 118-9) found several cooperative learning models have been beneficial to students who had little success with classes that followed traditional instructional approaches.

• Learning Together – Students work in small heterogeneous groups to produce a single product. Overall performance of the group or the single product can be the basis of assessment.
• Group Investigation – In small heterogeneous groups, students hold significant decision-making roles including finalizing what information to gather, how to best communicate and how the task should be split up.
• Jigsaw – In this model, the topic to be learned is divided into sections and each member of a heterogeneous “home base” group is responsible for one such section. Members from different groups with the same topic meet for discussion and share with their “home base” group. Evaluation can be done through individual quizzes etc. An alternate version of Jigsaw incorporates team recognition as a key component.
• Team-Games-Tournament (TGT) – Students work in small heterogeneous groups to help each other learn and compete against other teams. For competitions, each student is grouped with two students from other teams who have a similar skill level. A variation of TGT is Student Team-Achievement Division (STAD), which substitutes the competition for a quiz in order to depersonalize the competitive aspect of TGT.
• Team-Assisted Individualization (TAI) – Focuses on math classes in grades three to six. It is a method that incorporates interactive peer learning as well as individualized instruction: teammates help one another with problems and check each other’s work, while the teacher provides direct instruction. The teacher also invites students from different groups to instruct others at the same skill level. A similar model designed for reading and writing is called the Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC) method where mixed-ability students engage in reading activities and writing in peer response groups.

Tracking/ability grouping has not been supported by any significant research, although it continues to be used widely across the country. Many researchers believe that this method is contributing to the dropout problem. Cooperative learning is an alternative learning method that has been found to be “more effective than traditional methods in increasing the achievement of students from at-risk situations” (Crosby & Owens, 7).

Works Cited
Crosby, M. and Owens, E. 1993. “The Disadvantages of Tracking and Ability Grouping: A Look at Cooperative Learning as an Alternative.” Solutions and Strategies #5, March. National Dropout Prevention Center at Clemson University. Available here.

Massachusetts Advocacy Center. 1990. Locked In/Locked Out: Tracking and Placement in Public Schools. The Free Press: Boston, MA.