Individual vs. Group Work In The Classroom

Heather Casey Sam Houston State University

The Purpose

The purpose of this research is to discover if students learn best working individually

or as a group in the classroom. Students can benefit from the research that is done because teachers will be able

to implement methods of learning that work best for their students

We Have A Significant Problem

Teachers go back and forth between

individual and group work with their

students, not always knowing which one is the most effective method for learning.

Advantages of Group Work Heller (2010)

Students have the opportunity to learn from one another

Students learn team skills

Stronger students can help the weaker students

Teacher grading time is reduced

Disadvantages of Group WorkHeller (2010)

Learning can be inconsistent with stronger students doing more and learning more

Hard to find time to meet outside of class thus wasting too much class time

Teachers have to “police” the groups

Evaluations by students towards other students in the group can be judgmental.

Advantage & Disadvantages of Individual Work

ADVANTAGES

DISADVANTAGES

Students are able to pace themselves according to their ability

Allows for a larger diversity in responses Allows for a more accurate evaluation of

each student Encourages more depth and complexity

Kingore (2004)

Individual work can feel isolating if overused Less motivated students may underachieve or

show lack of commitment to the group. Kingore (2004)

So Which Method Is It??

What researchers tell us: “Regardless of the subject matter, students working in small groups

tend to learn more of what is taught and retain it longer than when the same content is presented in other instructional

formats” (Beckman, 1990).

“There is persuasive evidence that cooperative teams achieve at higher levels of thought and retain information longer than

students who work quietly as individuals. The shared learning gives students an opportunity to engage in discussion, take

responsibility for their own learning, and thus become critical thinkers” (Johnson & Johnson, 1986).

“Students achieve more in cooperative interaction than in an individualistic one. Students are also more positive about school, subject areas, their peers and teachers or professors when they

are structured to work cooperatively” (Johnson, 1997).

What does Group Work Take?

For students to work in groups they must learn the different

requirements to be a part of them.

Teachers Implementing Group Work

Teacher Strategies: Plan for each stage of

group work - Organize, provide

feedback and evaluate group work

Explain to the students how the groups will operate and be graded

- Explain objectives and group task

Help the students to succeed

- Discuss the skills to group work and reinforce them

Consider written contracts

- So each student knows their role in the group

Student/Teacher Group Work Guide

Conclusion What the research found was that

students tend to work better in group settings. Mainly that students achieved more, learned and retained more, and had a general more positive attitude towards class work.

Research also showed that there are simple ways for teachers to implement group work in the classroom.

Bibliography

Gokhale, A. A. (1995). Collaborative Learning Enhances Critical Thinking. Journal of Technology Education, 7(1). Retrieved from  http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/jte-v7n1/gokhale.jte-v7n1.html

Heller, P. (2010). The unfortunate motivation behind assigning group work. Retrieve from http://paulrheller.com/2010/08/the-unfortunate-motivation-behind-assigning-group-work/

Johnson, D. W. (1997). Cooperative Learning, Two heads learn better than one. Transforming Education, p.33. Retrieved from http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC18/Johnson.htm

Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., and Smith, K. A. Cooperative Learning:Increasing College Faculty Instructional Productivity. ASHE-FRIC Higher Education Report No.4. Washington, D.C.: School of Education and Human Development, George Washington University, 1991.

Kierstead, J. (1986). How Teachers Manage Individual and Small-Group Work in Active Classrooms. Educational Leadership, 44(2), 22. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Kingore, B. (2004). Differentiation: simplified, realistic, and effective. Professional Associates Publishing. Retrieved from http://www.bertiekingore.com/sm_group_applications.pdf