'A fertile functioning or corrosive disadvantage': adult reflections on placement in low 'ability' groups in non-selective post-primary schools in Northern Ireland

Drawing on qualitative interview data with eleven adults who were placed in a low ability group.in non-selective post-primary schools in Northern Ireland, this study builds on current literature by exploring the lived experience of placement from an adult perspective.<br><br>Three aspects of placement in a low ability group were considered adult recollections of the experience of placement in a low ability group; adult reflections on the practice, and the use of Nussbaum's Capabilities Approach as an evaluative framework to explore the extent to which placement in a low 'ability' group acts as a 'fertile functioning' or a 'corrosive disadvantage'.<br><br>A qualitative study was conducted using online face-to-face interviews with a purposively selected sample of eleven adults.

An interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA) was adopted in order to focus directly on the lived experience of adults affected by placement in a low ability group.<br><br>Four key themes were generated from adult recollections. Firstly, group placement was a practice over which participants had no control, despite the significant consequences accruing from it. Secondly, placement engendered feelings of shame and stigma, hindering the development of positive relationships with others.