Ground Rules for Group Work

It is an effective way of using language to think collectively, and the process of education should ensure that every child is aware of its value and able to use it effectively. However, observational research evidence suggests that very little of it naturally occurs in classrooms when children work together in groups.
(Mercer, 2000: 153)

The following problems could arise during group work:

• One or two pupils in each group are not contributing
• One group is stuck and looking quite awkward and embarrassed
• When you join the groups, they get self-conscious and stop talking
• You were hoping for an exploratory discussion of possibilities, but they seem to have reverted to banter and lists of known facts
• You have allowed fifteen minutes for in-depth discussion, but they ran out of steam once they had aired the obvious issues in the first three minutes
• They seem to enjoy talking about the subject but when it comes to feedback, nobody wants to volunteer and you end up making all the running

Here’s how I would deal with 3 of these problems:

- One or two pupils in each group are not contributing

In this case I would observe the group more. If the problem persists I will assign the problem students to a different group where they either feel more comfortable of they are at the same level.  If the group will work together for an extended time I will  get the group to fill in a log each time they meet of what each pupil has contributed.

- One group is stuck and looking quite awkward and embarrassed

I will promt the group and assist them with any difficulty.

- You were hoping for an exploratory discussion of possibilities, but they seem to have reverted to banter and lists of known facts

Brainstorm at the beginning of the lesson so they exhaust all these facts. Set some parameters.

Here are my ‘Golden Rules’ for group work:

• All group activities, even short ones, should have clear and explicit outcomes.
• Tell the groups how long they have for the task.
• Allocate roles to group members – e.g. group roles (chair, observer, timekeeper, spokesperson, minute-taker) or discussion roles (proposer, devils' advocate, opposer, supporter, summarizer, sceptic).
• Stage or structure the talk around a prompt list or task guidelines or the oral equivalent of a writing frame.
• Use one group member as an observer to give feedback on the way the group worked together and how they might improve
• Debrief the activity by reflecting on the kinds of group strategies that work best for the task in hand