能力分班與常態編班：美國經驗的啟示

Ability Grouping and Heterogeneous Grouping: The Implications of American Experiences

戴曉霞(Hsiou-Hsia Tai)

《課程與教學》 1卷1期 (1998/01) Pp. 123-141

https://doi.org/10.6384/CIQ.199801.0123

摘要

教育部長吳京於八十六年七月一次教育行政主管會議中，公開宣讀了一封國中後段班學生的來信。信中語句所流露出的強烈的忿恨不平，不但震撼了社會各界，也使教育部決心強力推動常態分班。能力分班與常態編班之爭，並不是我國獨有的問題。以美國為例，自二十世紀初期，依照學生所展現的學術能力將其分流或分班的作法，已經普遍為中、小學接受。長久以來，此一作法也被許多教育相關人員及社會大眾認為是既能滿足學生個別差異，又能符應社會分工需求的教育措施。但是在大量研究披露能力分班的缺失之後，能力分班的相關問題近年來也在美國引起激烈的辯論，甚至醞釀出一股「消除能力分班」的風潮。本文由美國經驗，探究能力分班的歷史、理論基礎、實施情形及其優缺點，並分析成功消除能力分班的必要因素，以供我國實施常態編班之參考。

關鍵字

分流 ； 能力分班 ； 常態編班

並列摘要

Since the disclosure of a letter sent to The Minister of Education by a low track student of junior high school in July 1997, the society of Taiwan was shocked by the hatred and discontent filled with the letter and the harm ability grouping may have done to low-track students. The Ministry of Education therefore determined to put heterogeneous grouping back into junior high schools.Actually, for more than a decade, the Ministry of Education has prohibited all junior high schools from grouping students according to IQ tests and academic performances. However, most schools takes some form of ability grouping in order to win in the keen competition of senior high school entrance examination. Taiwan is not unique in suffering from the problems caused by ability grouping. A study of American educational literatures reveals that ability grouping has been institutionalized in American schools since the turn of the century.This study first of all intends to show that ability grouping is an educational practice socially, politically and economically constructed. As ability grouping is increasingly believed ineffective in promoting students' academic achievements, while reinforcing eucational inequalities, opponents of the practice has gather momentum in detracking schools. An examination of the experiences of some of the school districts that have successfully detracked schools may shed some light on Taiwan's effort in detracking.

並列關鍵字

Tracking ； Ability Grouping ； Heterogeneous Grouping