I’m very interested in learning from the findings for the study of the two schools and the different approaches to teaching mathematics in the text by Boaler (2002). I’ve been questioning the effects of ability grouping with students and through my readings have come across some interesting ideas and findings. Marsh (989) interpreted such findings as “big fish little pond” (BFLP) effect: An individual’s self-esteem is strongly influenced by the group that individual uses as a reference.” (Kemp & Watkins, 1996).
I’d been aware of how low-ability students may compare themselves to high-ability students in a heterogeneous classroom and how this may affect their self-esteem. I’ve also been aware of how low-ability students develop high self-esteem when they get to work with students who have a similar ability to theirs and them working at a level which brings them success. However, in reading this particular article this week I have for the first time began to think about how students in a high-ability class have only high-ability students to compare themselves to and therefore, “views their own academic competence less highly than they would if they were in a class with students of varying ability levels.” (Kemp & Watkins, 1996). I'd never really thought that grouping high-ability students together would affect 'their' self-esteem. Something new to ponder.
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