The Politics of Differentiation in Schools

In many English-speaking countries, teachers are encouraged to differentiate their classrooms, and in some cases, through various policy mechanisms. This encouragement is often accompanied by threats and sanctions for not making the grade. By exploring the ways in which one education system in Australia has mandated differentiation through an audit of teacher practices, this book provides a timely engagement with the relationship between differentiated classrooms and social justice. It covers tensions, for instance, between providing culturally-appropriate classrooms, including constructing engaging and relevant curricula, and lowering expectations for students who have traditionally been marginalised by schooling. The data for this book has been collected from the same group of teachers over a period of three years, and offers detailed insights into how a particular politics of differentiation has played itself out in the context of a ‘global reform movement’ that has focused on improving student outcomes.

Martin Mills is a Research Professor in the School of Education at The University of Queensland.

Sue Monk is a Research Fellow in the School of Education at The University of Queensland.

Peter Renshaw is a Professor and Head of School in the School of Education at The University of Queensland.

Amanda Keddie is a Fellow in the School of Education at The University of Queensland.

David Geelan is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Education and Professional Studies in Griffith University.

Pam Christie is a Professor in the School of Education at the University of Cape Town, and an Honorary Professor in the School of Education at The University of Queensland.