The Impact of Streaming on Post-Primary Students' Attitudes to Teachers, Motivation and Learning

This is a study of pupils in a streamed environment to see how their motivation, approaches to learning, and general perceptions of their teachers and school environment, differs according to their stream position. The "Review of the Literature" reveals a continuing debate on the efficacy of this form of ability grouping. Much of the criticism of streaming centres on the negative effects it tends to have on the lower stream pupils, in terms of a lowering of academic performance, and eliciting an anti-school, delinguent subculture. The research methodology involved an Inventory chosen for its diversity of measurement, containing scales describing a wide variety of pupil, teacher and school characteristics. The quantitative study deals with a scientifically selected sample of one hundred and nine Third Year Secondary Boys, living in County Kildare. Our findings did not support current research, with regard to bottom pupils being less positive towards teachers and school than their upper stream counterparts. Indeed, they show a distinct willingness to learn, and display a positiveness towards their teachers, second only to the top stream. Our research did show, however, that the lower stream pupils tend to be less competent in terms of their skill in learning. Yet, the top stream did not report themselves to be overly skilful in this area, either. The "Review of Literature" suggests that the negative effects of streaming may be lessened, should enough resources be focused on the pupils in the lower streams. The uncharacteristically positive attitudes of the lower streams appears to suggest that such is the case in this school. We recommend further study in the side effects of this practice, as, while it appears to be benefiting the lower streams, we found an upper stream to be uniguely negative about teachers and school. We suggest that this hostile upper stream may have been unintentionally neglected as a result of an overconcentration of resources in the lower streams.

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

masters

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

National University of Ireland Maynooth

Year dc:date.issued

1995

Author dc:creator

• Barrett, Michael J.

Language dc:language

en