Getting the most from it

published:December 2009

How can you help pupils to get the most from group work?

Research evidence
Pupils need specific training and support from teachers to get the most out of co-operative group learning.  You need to support pupils to:

• ask questions
• give reasons for statements
• ask other pupils what they think, and
• make sure everyone in the group agrees before making a final decision.

Your evidence
You might find it helpful to explore what types of talk your pupils engage in when working in groups.

You could tape record or video a role-play of a group work activity in which pupils have been given secret roles such as ‘always agree’, ‘argue’, ‘say nothing’, ‘ask for information’, ‘ask for clarification’, ‘take up what somebody else has said’  (perhaps you and they can think of others).

Afterwards, you could discuss the role-play with the group, reflecting on both the helpful and unhelpful interactions.

Next steps
Now your pupils know more about ways of talking productively with each other, could you help them to put their knowledge into practice? Could you work individually with groups to train them to ask for clarification, extend each other’s ideas, follow up or add to each other’s suggestions, use their imagination to make more elaborate suggestions and invite everyone in the group to participate in the discussion?