Little fish, big streams: how do early in-class maths ‘ability’-groups and early teacher judgements relate to primary school children’s later maths self-concept?

This paper summarises research examining predictors of primary school children’s maths self-concept at age 11. It finds that the in-class ‘ability’ group children were placed in four years earlier, at age seven, strongly relates to whether they later think they are good at maths. Teachers’ beliefs about the children at age seven are also strongly associated with later children’s maths self-concept. These patterns hold even when accounting for a range of factors, including children’s maths skills as measured at seven. Associations are more pervasive and complex for girls.