Cognitive and Psychological Factors Underlying Secondary School Students' Feelings Towards Group Work

Abstract

Two-hundred-and-ninety secondary school students from Years 7, 9 and 11 completed questionnaires relating to motivational goals, metacognitive awareness, need for af liation, social anxiety and feelings towards group work. Factor analysis revealed three attitudes towards participation in group work: a preference for group environments, a preference for individual work environments, and a sense of discomfort in group environments. Students reporting a preference for group work also indicated higher levels of sociability, lower levels of social anxiety, stronger mastery and performance goals, and greater levels of metacognitive awareness. Students expressing a preference for individual work environments reported lower levels of sociability and higher levels of social anxiety, but were not differentiated on any of the cognitive measures. Students reporting discomfort in groups similarly reported enhanced levels of social anxiety combined with lower levels of sociability, but also indicated lower levels of metacognitive awareness. Results are discussed in the context of current theoretical and empirical work on group-based learning.This paper examines the role of individual differences in explaining secondary students' attitudes towards engaging in group-based learning. There is a strong literature suggestive of bene ts to students of group based learning (for a review, see Slavin, 1996). From a Vygotskian perspective, there are clear and well documented cognitive advantages to establishing group based learning environments. King (1997), for example, points to the metacognitive advantages of using group learning contexts as a means of facilitating higher-order learning. However, we suggest that little attention in this literature has been given to the underlying cognitive and psychological factors that may in uence both the willingness of students to take part in group learning, and the degree to which group learning might effectively occur. We propose that the use of groupbased learning is premised on three assumptions: rst, that all children are comfortable

Teachers’ leadership and students’ experience of group work

“…Even if group work in education has been examined in numerous studies, there is still much to be discovered concerning students' experiences of group work in schools. There are few reports from a student perspective (Cantwell & Andrews, 2002;Hansen, 2006;Peterson & Miller, 2004;Underwood, 2003). To sum up the results, positive experiences resulted from the necessity of all group members participating and showing respect for each other.…”

Management of Group Work as a Classroom Activity

“…Furthermore, the teachers express apprehension about students encompassing a negative attitude towards group work and the advantages of individual work. Conversely, previous studies regarding student's attitude towards group work, display both positive and negative considerations (Cantwell, & Andrews, 2002;Forslund Frykedal, 2008;Hammar Chiriac, 2011;Hammar Chiriac, & Einarsson, 2011;Hammar Chiriac, & Granström, 2012;Hansen, 2006;Peterson, & Miller, 2004;Underwood, 2003). In accordance with the teachers' presumptions, the contextual difficulties, including time and space, might hamper the teachers' employment of group work in classroom management.…”

“…In recent years, a number of studies focusing on students' experiences and attitudes towards group work have emerged (Cantwell, & Andrews, 2002;Forslund Frykedal, 2008;Hammar Chiriac, 2008, 2010Hammar Chiriac, & Einarsson, 2011;Hammar Chiriac, & Granström, 2009, 2012Hansen, 2006;Peterson, & Miller, 2004;Underwood, 2003). Overall, the studies show a moderate enthusiasm for working in groups and the participants disclose both positive and negative experiences of this mode of working (Cantwell, & Andrews, 2002;Peterson, & Miller, 2004;Underwood, 2003).…”

“…Overall, the studies show a moderate enthusiasm for working in groups and the participants disclose both positive and negative experiences of this mode of working (Cantwell, & Andrews, 2002;Peterson, & Miller, 2004;Underwood, 2003). The students seem to prefer group work as a means of learning and well-being, but also emphasize that their learning profits from collaboration in groups (Gillies, & Boyle, 2010;Hammar Chiriac, 2011;Hammar Chiriac, & Einarsson, 2011;Hammar Chiriac, & Granström, 2012).…”

Validity and Reliability of an Adaptation of Personal and Social Skills Scale for K-Students for Use in 2.691 Greek Elementary Students

“…Work Questionnaire (Cantwell & Andrews, 2002, in Magotsiou, 2007and in Filippou, 2013, and the Social Skills Rating System (Student Form-Elementary Grades) (Gresham & Elliott, 1990, in Statiri, 2015.…”