Dutch pre-service teachers’ retrospective perceptions of their own academic tracking experiences

Early academic tracking, in which students are placed into different classes or tracks based on academic ability, has been shown to reproduce social inequalities and shape long-term educational opportunities. Although the effectiveness of tracking has been widely studied, less is known about how future teachers recall and interpret their own tracking experiences, who may unintentionally perpetuate inequalities they themselves have possibly experienced. This study investigated retrospective perceptions of full-curriculum tracking experiences to explore issues related to educational equity. A content analysis of 93 questionnaire responses from pre-service primary teachers enrolled in non-academic bachelor’s degree programmes in the Netherlands revealed positive socio-affective, cognitive, and relational perceptions, along with negative perceptions regarding (academic) self-concept and identity. Trends across three retrospective moments were also identified and categorised as consistently positive, consistently negative, and mixed perceptions. Most respondents reported mixed perceptions, suggesting that tracking experiences are highly individualised and shaped by a combination of interrelated factors. These findings highlight the need for teacher education programmes to encourage critical reflection on tracking and its implications for educational equity.