“It starts with me!” Teachers’ shifting perspectives on developing their practice away from fixed ability grouping

The negative and pernicious effects of fixed ability grouping in primary school classrooms are well-documented internationally. This case study of fifteen primary school teachers in England, used three cycles of practice exploration in mathematics, over a six-month period, providing opportunities for practitioners to consider the barriers and benefits of implementing an alternate, principle-based approach to fixed ability grouping. The teachers’ perspectives highlighted benefits of an adjusted pedagogy and noted that at an individual-professional level they needed to address their implicit beliefs about children’s learning capacity, adjust their professional language and trust children can make effective choices about their learning.