Exploring Motivation, Self-Concept, and Self-Esteem
Assigning students to groups based on academic or other abilities is a contentious and widely debated issue in the field of education. The practice, known by various terms such as streaming, ability grouping, banding, or tracking, raises questions about its benefits or drawbacks for students. Although streaming is a prevalent practice worldwide, its impact on students is challenging to quantify and establish.
Historically, discussions on streaming have predominantly centered around its influence on academic achievement, often treating it as the sole predictor of student success. However, this narrow focus overlooks the crucial psychosocial impact of streaming and implies that students are static in their developmental levels, with their worth determined solely by their grades. Notably, there is a dearth of research on streaming in the Caribbean, particularly in Trinidad and Tobago.
Two opposing perspectives on streaming exist: one arguing for its positive effects on academic achievement and another expressing concern about its negative impact on students' psychosocial development, advocating for alternative methods. The debate remains divisive, with streaming practices varying widely within individual schools and classes. Students find themselves in either high-stream classes, characterized by challenging content and highly motivated peers, or low-streamed classes with lower expectations, diminished self-esteem, and decreased motivation.
Conversations with teachers in the Caribbean revealed an informal system of streaming at various educational levels, often based on subjective classifications of students as "bright" or "dunce." This informal classification becomes synonymous with intelligence and status when students are placed into the "A" or "C" classes. At the secondary level, streaming appears to be done more objectively, relying on test scores rather than perceived arbitrary methods used for low-streamed students. Some teachers acknowledged classifying students based on behavior and perceived class, treating them accordingly.
As a teacher who has worked with both high and low-streamed students, I observed that even in higher-streamed classes, students displayed varying academic abilities, with some performing below expected levels. This raised questions about the selection and placement methods at my school. Of greater concern was the noticeable struggle of many students placed in lower-streamed classes, grappling with the stigma and perceiving themselves as less capable. This self-perception manifested in their work, and they often exhibited apathy towards their studies.
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