The formation of effective work groups within an FE classroom

Abstract

Fascinated by the diversity of composition in effective work groups in Further Education (FE) classrooms, I studied group formation and composition in level 3 Biology classes over an academic year. Using information from the class teacher, observers and students, the importance of effective work groups (defining effectiveness in terms of 'workability') in the life of the class became clear. As suggested in the literature, group composition was impatient of formulae, trial and error and an informed subjectivity was recommended. Relational issues were seen as key features in group composition by teachers and students alike. Students themselves, though seldom consulted, held distinct and often considered and mature views on effective work groups. The need to give work group composition a higher profile in classroom management, and for staff and students to acquire the skills needed to form and maintain effective work groups, should be reflected in both policy and practice.

The Impact of Group Formation Method (Student-selected vs. Teacher-assigned) on Group Dynamics and Group Outcome in EFL Creative Writing

“…Particularly, high degrees of cooperativeness, goal commitment and the feeling of group member's indispensability were among the major benefits that students linked to self-selection. More recently, the result of studies by Hilton and Philips (2008) and Russell (2010) led to the same conclusion.…”

“…At the same time, group effectiveness has been looked at from two different perspectives. A number of studies (Bacon, Stewart, & Silver, 1999;Hilton & Philips, 2008;Mitchell et al, 2004;Russell, 2010) have examined effectiveness in terms of group dynamics which concerns "group's internal characteristics" that encompass factors such as group members' cooperation, trust, acceptance, commitment, teacher's role and any further feature which is internally linked to group work (Dornyei and Murphey, 2003, p. 4 Cohen's (1994) concept of productivity of small groups which she argues either refers to academic achievement or issues related to group dynamics (e.g. cooperativeness, degree of participation, workload sharing, commitment, etc).…”

“…The theoretical advantages typically associated with group learning suffer from what Bossert (1988, as cited in Cohen, 1994) calls "a black box approach" (p. 23) in which the necessary conditions for the realization of the reported benefits are ignored . Whatever the countless benefits of group work in educational setting, Light and Littleton (1998, as cited in Russell, 2010) warn against regarding it as a kind of educational panacea. In other words, simply putting students in groups of 3 or more does not guarantee the benefits which are usually associated with cooperative learning.…”

The Scientific Creativity of Fifth Graders in a Stem Project-Based Cooperative Learning Approach

“…As a result, the group members formed by the fifth graders might have different or similar creative abilities. Several studies reported selfselected grouping as positively associated with best team experiences, such as high degrees of cooperativeness, goal commitment and the feeling of group member's indispensability (Bacon et al, 2019;Hilton & Philips, 2010;Russell, 2010).…”

Enhancement of Professional Behaviours and Perceptions of Critical Skill Job Preparedness through the Use of a Group Work Contract in Fourth-Year Nutritional Science Students

“…When conducting group work there are benefits associated with both self-selected and instructor-selected group members. Previous studies have shown that when students are able to select their group members, the primary criterion that they rely upon when forming groups is having a pre-existing friendship, which is perceived to facilitate communication, cooperation and proved satisfaction with the outcome of group work (Bacon, Stewart & Silver, 1999;Chapman, Meuter, Toy & Write, 2006;Hassaskhah & Mozaffari, 2015;Mahenthiran & Rouse, 2000;Mushtaq, Murteza, Rashid & Khalid, 2012;Russell, 2010). Due to the pre-existing social relationships between group members in self-selected groups there can be challenges with remaining on task while conducting group work (Hassaskhah & Mozaffari, 2015;Mitchell, Reilly, Bramwell, Solnosky & Lilly, 2004) and lower acquisition of skills (Basta, 2011) compared to instructor-assigned groups.…”