The Dark Side of Detracking: Mixed-Ability Classrooms Hurt Low-Achievers’ Math Motivation
We tested how detracking school reforms, which abolish ability grouping and introduce mixed-ability classrooms, affect students’ math motivation. To do so, we made use of data from two unique natural experiments (N Study 1 = 78,376, N Study 2 = 2,257) and compared student cohorts before and after detracking. In both studies, we found low achievers’ math motivation to be substantially lower after the reform, whereas this was not the case for high achievers. Our study reminds researchers and policymakers that detracking school reforms can have unintended side effects on student motivation. Only when such negative side effects are reduced or eliminated, detracking school reforms can unfold their full potential in establishing educational equality.