Pupil or tutor? Greater depth pupils’ perspectives on mixed attainment grouping

Abstract

Collaborative learning strategies, such as talk partners and small groups, are routinely used in the primary classroom with a view to enhance learning for all. Ample quantitative research backs this up as an effective approach, but qualitative accounts of pupils’ experiences are rare. Are pupils working at greater depth helped or hindered by mandated collaboration with peers? This research proposal asks whether collaborative learning is a fair approach for pupils working at greater depth, and suggests a mixed-method study aimed at gauging these pupils’ perspectives on working in constellations of mixed prior attainment. A study into greater depth pupils’ perspectives, paired with a philosophical consideration of fairness, could add valuable insights to the discussion of what works, and for whom, in the classroom.