Ability and its use in schools

Abstract

This chapter attempts to answer two questions ‘Why examine ability?’, and ‘How is ‘ability’ used in schools?’. It provides a more detailed explanation of the logic of focusing on one key concept and considering its operation at a particular historical time. This then leads onto an overview of the historical context for concepts of ‘merit’ and ‘ability’. Drawing on research data drawn from a survey of over 1000 teachers, the chapter also discusses what is particular about the current use of ability. It is argued that the very ambiguity of the term adds to its power as an organising concept which disadvantages some groups of students. Two key conceptions of ability emerge – ability as innate, and ability as positional. Finally, the last section focuses on research data on how the terms are used in schools as justification for pedagogical practices such as ability grouping. Here I set out the findings from my own research on primary education to emphasise the importance of ability in the organisation of students in classrooms. It is argued that ability works powerfully to justify systems of grouping and labelling pupils which limit expectation and attainment, often in inequitable ways.