Why Don't Your Group Activities Work Well

8/2/2019 Why Don't Your Group Activities Work Well

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Why don't your group

activities work well?Adam Simpson

Sabanc University, Turkey


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When we do group work in class, it isntalways successful.

Is this due to the task, the students, or is it

perhaps connected to ineffective groupformation?

This presentation will examine the literature

behind group formation and group tasksand compare this with the findings ofclassroom-based action research.


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A quiz: Can you put a year tothese pictures?

1 9 _ _?


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A quiz

2 0 _ _?


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A quiz


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A quiz


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An analogy

When the conditions are right,anything is possible.

In language teaching, what arethe right conditions when itcomes to group work?


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Why do we do it?

Consider the following two quotes andthink about your own experiences in theuse of group work.

The closest I ever came to failing acourse was actually my high schoolphysics class. Every day we did groupwork, so obviously nothing ever gotdone.

Greg Bernhardt, physics studenthttp://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=118616
http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=118616http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=118616http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=118616http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=118616


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Why do we do it?

The proven benefits of cooperative learningnotwithstanding, instructors who attempt itfrequently encounter resistance and sometimesopen hostility from the students.

Bright students complain about being held back bytheir slower teammates, weaker or less assertivestudents complain about being discounted orignored in group sessions, and resentments buildwhen some team members fail to pull their weight.

Instructors with sufficient patience generally findways to deal with these problems, but othersbecome discouraged and revert to the traditionalteacher-centered instructionalparadigm, which is aloss both for them and for their students.

Richard M. Felder, Department of Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State Universityhttp://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Papers/Coopreport.html
http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Papers/Coopreport.htmlhttp://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Papers/Coopreport.htmlhttp://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Papers/Coopreport.htmlhttp://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Papers/Coopreport.html


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What influences the waygroup tasks work?

What the literature says: There aretwo considerations

1. The task itself

2. The learner

Today Im going to suggest thatthere may be an important thirdfactor.


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1. The task

Brown & Ciuffetelli Parker (2009)the 5 basic and essential elementsof cooperative learning:

1. Po____ in_______________2. Gr________ pr_________3. Face-to-face pr_____________

in_________4. Appropriate use of co________

sk________5. In______ ac_____________


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1. The task

Brown & Ciuffetelli Parker (2009)the 5 basic and essential elementsof cooperative learning:

Positive interdependence Group processing Face-to-face promotive

interaction Appropriate use of collaborative

skills Individual accountability


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1. The task

How have these manifestedthemselves in ELT coursebooks?

Jacobs and Ball (1996)


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1. The task

In some ELT coursebooks,group activities appear to havebeen created merely by putting

the words 'in groups' or 'in pairs'in front of what were formerlyindividual activities, without

making any changes toencourage learners to co-operate with one another.


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1. The task

Jacobs and Ball (1996)

On the cusp of communicative

language learning and TBL

Focus on

Individual accountability

Positive interdependence


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2. The learner

1. Cultural factors

2. VAK

3. Multiple intelligences

4. Confidence

The list (can) go on


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1. Cultural factors

Reid (1987: 100) advocatesdeveloping a 'culture-sensitivepedagogy'.

Group work is particularlydesirable in certain cultures.


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3. The third factor

Hazal:

We really like working in

groups in your classes

because you give us achance to grow as a

group.

You dont force us to work

with people we dont likeand we can easily

establish how our groupwill work.


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3. Group formation

Bruce Tuckman (1965)

4 stages of group formation:

1. F ________ ing

2. S ________ ing

3. N ________ ing4. P ________ ing


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3. Group formation

Bruce Tuckman (1965)

4 stages of group formation:

1. Forming

2. Storming

3. Norming4. Performing

ALL are necessary


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3. Group formation

1 Forming

The group comes together andmembers begin to develop theirrelationship with one another.

Team building begins and trust startsto develop.

Group members will start

establishing limits on acceptablebehavior through experimentation.

The tasks of the group and themembers will be decided.


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3. Group formation

2 Storming

Interpersonal conflicts arise and

differences of opinion surface (thegroup may collapse at this point).

Members work through the conflict at

this time and to establish clear goals. Discussion is necessary - so

everyone feels heard and can cometo an agreement.


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3. Group formation

3 Norming

The group can now establish patterns ofhow to get its work done.

Expectations of each other are clearly laiddown

Formal and informal procedures areestablished in delegating, responding to

questions, and in the process by which thegroup functions.

Members come to understand how thegroup as a whole operates.


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3. Group formation

4 Performing

The group is now focused on its task,working intentionally and effectively to

accomplish its goals. After a group enters the performing stage,

it is unrealistic to expect it to remain therepermanently. When new members join orsome people leave, there will be a newprocess of formation.

When conflict arises in a group, do not tryto silence the conflict or to run from it.


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3. Group formation

A fifth stage: Tuckman andJensen (1977)

Adjourning

This involves completing thetask and breaking up the team.


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Method

Ethnographic research

1st semester of the 2011-12academic year

30 students

Classroom observations Group interviews


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Method

Example:


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Results

Tuckmans stages of groupformation serve as the basis forcategorizing the students

responses.

Selected comments have

chosen to display the themesthat became evident during theinterviews.


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Forming

Sometimes we spread around class becausewe know the teacher will make groups and weknow where to sit so we can be in a group

together. We dont feel confident speaking with some

people. If I dont talk with them normally whywould I talk with them in a group?

Some students dominate and some hide and

do nothing. It isnt like a group really.


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Storming

We like to work with people who are ourfriends.

When the teacher puts us in a group, I ammostly unhappy. Some people in class Idont feel happy working with. If I am in agroup with these people, I cannot work.


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Norming (1)

I prefer working alone. We cannever distribute roles in a group.

If we are in a group with friends, we

can easily say, OK, Ill do this andyou can do that.

Sometimes you say to us we can

work with the people we want towork with and this is effective. Wecan immediately divide the work andbegin.


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Norming (2)

One time you gave us papers withdifferent job descriptions and this wasgood. We could choose a job and staywith it in the group. Also, I knew

responsibilities of others at this time.

I cannot work effectively in a group. Wespend most time doing unimportant

things, like who is first to speak andother things like this. I always want towork alone and be efficient.


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Performing

There is no motivation for us toperform: we know the groupwork will end and we will just

return to our seat in the class. Sometimes teacher moves us

to join another group. This killsme, because I feel souncomfortable. I need to reallystart again from nothing.


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Adjourning

Sometimes we just wait for time

to pass. Why? Because we cangive an answer to the teacher

easily at the end without workingand we know the teacher willmove on to a new activity

anyway.


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Discussion

How can we help our studentsget through the stages of groupformation?

Here are a few suggestions


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Some things Ive been doing

Allow my students to choose

their own groups Dont insist on a set number of

members

Make sure there is a positivedefinite outcome to the groupactivity


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What friends are doing

Sharon Turner: Secret facebookgroups

Tyson Seburn: Academicreading circles


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We we should persist


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Thank you


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My email

[email protected]

Social media contactwww.facebook.com/theadamsimpson

www.twitter.com/yearinthelifeof

My blog

www.yearinthelifeofanenglishteacher.com/
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.facebook.com/theadamsimpsonhttp://www.facebook.com/theadamsimpsonhttp://www.twitter.com/yearinthelifeofhttp://www.twitter.com/yearinthelifeofhttp://www.yearinthelifeofanenglishteacher.com/http://www.yearinthelifeofanenglishteacher.com/http://www.yearinthelifeofanenglishteacher.com/http://www.yearinthelifeofanenglishteacher.com/http://www.twitter.com/yearinthelifeofhttp://www.twitter.com/yearinthelifeofhttp://www.facebook.com/theadamsimpsonhttp://www.facebook.com/theadamsimpsonmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

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Why Don't Your Group Activities Work Well