The question of grouping students into homogeneous and heterogeneous groups is not new, but it does not find an unambiguous answer in the literature, especially in mathematics. In this paper, we address the question of whether grouping students into homogeneous and heterogeneous groups in mathematics improves their knowledge. The quasi-experiment…

The purpose of the study was to examine if there was a significant difference between first-grade English Learners (EL) who constitute a majority (greater than 50%) of the English language mainstream classroom (homogeneous grouping) and first-grade EL who constitute a minority (less than 50%) of the English language mainstream classrooms…

This paper addresses the controversy regarding the use of cooperative learning with gifted elementary students, by means of participant observation methodology. The study had three segments: (1) observation of fourth through sixth grade gifted students working in cooperative groups at a pullout site; (2) interviews with students to assess student…

Tracking is a predominant method used by American public schools to instruct children of multiple abilities. Tracking has been highly criticized by scholars, however, for its detrimental effects on children's education. This paper investigates practitioners' rationale for using tracking and explores the effects of tracking in the classroom and on…

A study of 786 fourth-grade students (229 gifted and 557 nongifted) assessed the effects of both heterogeneous and homogeneous grouping in cooperative learning settings on the performance of gifted and nongifted students. Results found that gifted fourth-grade students experienced no adverse effects as a result of interacting with nongifted…