Ability as legitimation of tracking: Teachers' representations of students in vocational and academic tracks

The division of educational systems into different tracks—academic and vocational—represents one the key elements in explaining social stratification inequalities. Previous research identifies teachers' expectations as a critical factor to understand relationship between tracking inequality. This paper discusses how ability is represented discourses whether what extent it works legitimation systemic forms tracking. Using in-depth interviews with 35 secondary school tutors, we analyse teachers draw on concept explain students' unequal transitions from lower comprehensive an upper tracked education system Barcelona (Spain). results indicate three main elements: highly naturalistic conception abilities among teachers; remarkably dichotomised theoretical practical that match academic vocational tracks; direct association types student track based at cognitive, behavioural personal level. Overall, analysis contributes opening ‘black box’ notion by identifying call ‘mechanisms misrecognition’ which serve naturalise, legitimise reproduce segmented post-16 system.