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Research on Group Work and Collaborative Work and Its Implications For
Primary School Teachers

Article · December 2004

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GAZİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ KIRŞEHİR EĞİTİM FAKÜLTESİ, Cilt 5, Sayı 2, (2004), 27-34 27

RESEARCH ON GROUP WORK AND

COLLABORATIVE WORK AND
ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

Yasemin GÖDEK
Gazi Üniversitesi, Kırşehir Eğitim Fakültesi,
Fen Bilgisi Öğretmenliği Ana Bilim Dalı, Kırşehir/TÜRKİYE
[email protected]

Geliş Tarihi: 12.09.2003 Yayına Kabul Tarihi: 15.06.2004

ABSTRACT

Group work is one of the teaching strategies used by teachers who attempt to make their teaching more
effective. Collaborative work is an important aspect of group work. Even though group work is used by some
teachers in their classrooms, there is a considerable variation in the extent and nature of such work. Therefore, it is
necessary to examine group and collaborative work, to indicate their importance and the variable use of these
techniques.

In this study, firstly, collaborative work has been defined and then its importance, purposes, benefits for
both students and teachers, and some problems that teachers confront in their classrooms have been discussed.
Secondly, the variation between the teachers who are using group work, collaborative work, individual or whole
class work have been explored and different kinds of group work have been described. Then, some research
evidences on group work have been referenced and the consistency of results has been discussed. Finally, some
recommendations for teachers in using group work and collaborative work have been made.
Key Words: Group Work, Collaborative Work, Primary School Teachers

GRUP ÇALIŞMASI VE İŞBİRLİKLİ ÇALIŞMA ÜZERİNE

BİR ARAŞTIRMA VE İLKÖĞRETİM ÖĞRETMENLERİ İÇİN
BAZI ÖNERİLER
ÖZET

Grup çalışması, öğretimlerini daha etkili hale getirmeye çalışan öğretmenlerin başvurduğu öğretim
stratejilerinden biridir. İşbirlikli çalışma da grup çalışmasının önemli bir elemanıdır. Her ne kadar grup çalışması
öğretmenler tarafından kullanılıyor olsa da bu yaklaşımın kullanımında ve doğasında pekçok farklılıklar mevcuttur.
Bu nedenle, grup ve işbirlikli yaklaşımları incelemek, önemlerini ve bu tekniklerin kullanımındaki farklılıkları
belirtmek gereklidir.

Bu derleme çalışmasında ilk olarak, grup ve işbirlikli yaklaşım tanımlanmış; önemi, amaçları, öğrenciler
ve öğretmenler için faydaları, öğretmenlerin bu teknikleri kullanırken karşılaşabilecekleri problemler tartışılmıştır.
İkinci olarak, grup çalışmasını, işbirlikli yaklaşımı, bireysel ve tüm sınıf çalışmasını kullanan öğretmenler arasındaki
çeşitlilik tespit edilerek grup çalışmasının çeşitleri belirtilmiştir. Daha sonra, grup çalışması üzerine yapılan
çalışmalardan bahsedilerek bu çalışmaların arasındaki tutarlılık tartışılmıştır. Son olarak, grup ve işbirlikli
yaklaşımlarının kullanımı konusunda öğretmenlere bazı önerilerde bulunulmuştur.

Anahtar Kelimeler: Grup Çalışması, İşbirlikli Yaklaşım, İlköğretim Öğretmenleri

28 Research On Group Work And Collaborative Work…/Y.Gödek

learning groups of four to six members who

1. Introduction
are of all levels of ability. These groups also
Group work is one of the teaching have mix of boys and girls and students of
strategies available to teachers attempting to different racial, ethnic backgrounds in about
make their teaching more effective. Some some proportion, they represent in the class
teachers use group work in their classrooms as a whole.”
but there is considerable variation in the
Group work has been defined by
extent and nature of such work. Collaborative
Cullingford (1995: 83) as “...One means of
work is an important aspect of group work.
allowing orally to develop and creating
The main purpose of this study is to conditions in which some central ideas are
research collaborative work and to indicate tackled...”
its importance. This study consists of four
In Beard’s (1978, as cited in Dunkin, ed.,
parts. In the first part, definitions of
1987: 288) opinion, “Group work is a
collaborative work will be presented. After
discussion of academic work that affords
that its importance, purposes, benefits for
students the opportunity to organise their
both students and teachers and some
thinking by comparing ideas and
problems that teachers confront in their
interpretation with each other and to give
classrooms will be discussed. In the second
expression and hence form to their
part of study, evidence relating of amount of
understanding of a subject.”
group and collaborative work will be
presented. In addition, the variation between
We can see a distinction in this
the teachers who are using group work,
definition between group work as an
collaborative work, individual or whole class
organisational strategy and group work as
work will be explored. Furthermore, different
having distinctive cognitive aims.
kinds of group work will be described. The
Collaborative work defined as a more
third part is about some research studies in
developed form of “group work”, where
primary schools. Different kinds of group
work is done together and the outcome is a
work will be analysed and then some
combined product, perhaps in the form of a
research evidences will be referenced.
model or play (Pollard & Tann, 1987: 104).
Thirdly, the consistency of results from this
research will be discussed. At the end of this It has been suggested by Bennett &
section, some general findings will be Dunne (1989, as cited in Galton &
determined. In the last part of this study, it Williamson, 1992: 10) that “In
can be found the recommendations that could collaborative work all the pupils are
encourage the teachers to use group work and expected to work together to produce a
collaborative work. single outcome and the group has to debate
a social or moral issue and produce agreed
2. Definitions
solutions or recommendations.”
Various definitions of group work and
To put it briefly, collaborative group
collaborative work have been suggested by
work is a teaching method, in which
many researchers. According to Slavin,
students who are between four and six,
(1986, as cited in Dunkin ed. 1987: 238)
sometimes eight students sit in a group
“Group work is a division of the class into
around the table and they share resources
GAZİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ KIRŞEHİR EĞİTİM FAKÜLTESİ, Cilt 5, Sayı 2, (2004)
29

and their ideas and also work and discuss these reasons, many teachers abandon the
together for common goal. Groups can be group work.
homogeneous or heterogeneous on the basis
of students’ physical characteristics, To decide the classroom seating, some
gender, race, ethnic origin, individual teachers allow the children to choose their
differences and their interests. On the other group and some teachers choose the groups.
hand, teachers plan, organise and supervise Wragg (1993, as cited in Croll & Hastings,
them. 1996: 30) reported that “...a variety of
practise in smaller sample of 17 teachers;
3. What issues do the teachers have to three assigned seating positions, six allowed
consider? open choice, at least initially and the
remainder permitted negotiation...”
There is considerable evidence abused on Nevertheless it is not very easy to decide the
previous use of group and collaborative best group seating.
work. In many schools many teachers use
this method but before using this method, It is known that in classrooms there are
teachers have to consider some issues. It has students who are from different age, gender,
been indicated by Galton & Williamson race, social background and ethnic group
(1992) that “...according to some teachers, who have different achievements, abilities
working together in a groups is an adult and friendships.
activity and it is not to be expected that
young children of primary age will find it Consequently, teachers have to decide
easy. After all, children at this age are very whether to organise homogeneous groups or
self-centred...” This may be the reason for the heterogeneous groups.
prevalence of individualised work in primary
Moreover, students at young ages do not
classrooms.
necessarily know how to work together or,
Firstly, teachers have to choose the best for example, how to conduct discussions.
task for group work because some tasks are According to Croll and Hastings (1996: 52),
more appropriate for individual work and when group tasks involve controversial
some of them for group works. issues, “...group discussion can soon lead to
angry confrontation”.
Classroom dimensions are the second
issue for grouping. Some schools may have It could be thought that, group work is
small classrooms which could be a problem easy because teachers do not have to
for group work. introduce an idea and provide resources for
each pupil separately. Of course, it is true but
Group sizes are another issue for teachers have to do careful organisation and
grouping. How many children should be in a planning besides these teachers have to be
group working together? careful when they are punishing or praising
because they have to be equal.
In group work a very crucial issue is that
teachers have to choose the best working In primary schools sometimes children can
groups. The teachers’ wrong choices and be aggressive and they do not respect each
their mis-matching lead to unsuccessful other. At their ages they need to acquire a
group works and inappropriate talking. For social personality and they need to be aware
30 Research On Group Work And Collaborative Work…/Y.Gödek

of that they are one of the member of their other. They become social not individualist.
groups. In Covie’s opinion (1994, as cited in Their self-esteem improves and pupil
Croll & Hastings 1996: 48) “Children use motivation increases.
avoidance strategies to evade participating in
the group or adopt more aggressive roles.” According to Cullingford (1995: 18),
They need to learn listening, getting “Group work also can be used to avoid
knowledge from each other and discussing having to provide multiple copies of the
without being aggressive. same material.” Because in every different
groups’ different ideas are due to different
4. The Purpose of Group and original outcomes.
Collaborative Work
Children can be good teachers because
Group and collaborative work may be an they can understand each other. Because of
effective teaching strategy with regard to the using group work, children accept learning
use of teacher time and other resources. It from each other.
may also be a strategy to allow particular
types of learning such as group discussions. In Biott’s (1987, as cited in Croll &
In spite of those issues group work and Hastings, 1996: 46) opinion because of the
collaborative work are a necessary part of group work “...the number of the slow
teaching. The purpose of the group work and learning pupils can reduced...”. Also
collaborative work are to share the classroom teacher can provide discipline by giving
resources, each other’s ideas and work some instructions to only one group at the
together for common goal. As we know that same time and the other groups obey those
sometimes resources may not be enough for rules.
all individual students and also that some
A further issue, teachers do not need to
tasks need to be discussed. In such cases,
teach to every individual and that group
group work could be solution for teaching.
members influence each other. According
5. The Benefits of Collaborative Group to Bridges (1979, as cited in Dunkin, 1987:
Work 232), “Discussion has the advantage of
encouraging young children and illiterate
Group work and collaborative work are people to express their ideas and to learn
lead to supportive and secure learning new ones, despite the fact that they can not
environment. Students become active and read and write. Discussion has been
patient. They can learn co-operative adopted to achieve those broad instructional
working. They respect each other, their objectives: Subject-matter mastery, attitude
ideas and weaknesses. In group work they change, moral development, problem
can take a chance to use their skills, solving and acquisition of communication
knowledge, experiences. Particularly they skills. Additionally, a good discussion
can learn and teach each other. So they can motivates students to encourage in further
learn to work interdependently and not be inquiry and provides the teacher with
dependent on their teacher. They can realise feedback on student progress.”
that getting knowledge is possible without
teacher. In group work the importance of Collaborative work leads to children to
teacher is the planner, supervisor and like each other because they work for
organiser. Students can understand each common goal and they like each other who
GAZİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ KIRŞEHİR EĞİTİM FAKÜLTESİ, Cilt 5, Sayı 2, (2004)
31

helps them to achieve their goals (Slavin, Firstly, teachers have to learn how can
1986, as cited in Dunkin, 1987: 237). they arrange groups and how can manage
with them, how can they teach effectively. In
Teachers can demonstrate discussion order to use group work in their classroom
techniques to encourage collaborative teachers need to have some training in
learning. In the same way they can stimulate counselling skills. Generally all teachers find
children’s thinking by exploring ideas. They it difficult to involve students in discussion.
can ask questions and children try to solve As was mentioned before according to Croll
problems together (Pollard & Tann, 1987: & Hastings, 1996: 52) “Group discussions
104-105). can soon lead to angry confrontation.” Biott
(1987, as cited in Croll & Hastings, 1996: 45)
Besides this, children share common
believes that children are generally intolerant
problems and evaluate work at the end of the
of each other's views. Moreover, he
discussion. Galton argues that when a
emphasises that group leaders may be bossy
“...pupil does use a classmate as a learning
and impatient. In particular teachers have to
resource this is generally accomplished by
provide real group work conditions. Also,
listening to the teacher talking to the other
there is an another problem. Sometimes in a
child trying to pick up clues from their
group every student does not take the same
conversation...” (Galton, 1989, as cited in
equal responsibilities. Some pupils do their
Galton & Williamson, 1992: 4). So they
work collaboratively but on the other hand
improve their mind and knowledge.
some pupils do not join the collaboration.
Some pupils do not help each other. This may
Furthermore, teachers can provide a
be a particular problem for the contribution
suitable learning atmosphere to low learning
of low achieving pupils.
students. (DES, 1978)
Children generally have not got
As mentioned before, the teachers do not
responsibility for their own learning because
need to teach every student separately as a
of this they try to find some outcomes that
result of these teachers can use their teaching
their teachers like or their teachers think.
time economically. They can use this time
Children need to take responsibility for their
efficiently. This is intended to improve
own learning.
quality of learning.
7. The Variation of Teachers Who Use
Group teaching method improves the shy
Group Work
and silence students. They benefit to join
conversations, discussions. They become
The researches show that most teachers
social persons.
do not use group and collaborative work to
any great extent. Galton (1991) has pointed
It goes without saying group and
out “...that only 14.5 per cent of the time
collaborative work have many advantages for
when children were seated together and
students, teachers but there are some
were working together...” Apart from this
difficulties that teachers must consider them.
Galton (1981, as cited in Galton &
6. Problems of Collaborative Group Williamson, 1991: 48) emphasises “...that
Work 69 per cent of teachers never used any kind
of group work in lessons. Similarly 90 per
32 Research On Group Work And Collaborative Work…/Y.Gödek

cent of teachers never used group work for Slavin mentions that if the children work
single subject teaching, for example; together for common goal they will be
mathematics or language lessons...”. successful and they will become
interdependent each other. He divides the
Bronfenbrenner (1971, as cited in class four to six members groups from all
Cullingford, 1995: 77) believes that “...In levels of ability and his groups contain a
the democratic countries there was mix of racial, ethnic backgrounds and that
observed to be far more emphasis on groups represent whole class.
individuality and competition...” Because
Researches show that:
of individualism children work by
• Dreeben (1968, as cited in Dunkin,
themselves and they become self-centred.
1987: 229) has suggested that the
8. The Kinds of Group Work teacher can arrange a group structure to
prevent inappropriate talk.
In primary schools there are different • “...Sit in groups and work together
kinds of grouping and group work: increase pupil-esteem and pupil
motivation...” (Croll & Hastings, 1996:
1. The first one is seating groups in which
50).
each child has own task and they
• A circular seating pattern provides for
prepare different assignments. This is
all members to see each others.
not group work as children are sitting
• Mc Namara Waugh (1993, as cited in
together but working independently.
Croll & Hastings, 1996: 30)
2. In working groups children sit together
recommended that “...the “horse shoe”
in their group and they have same task.
arrangement is the best arrangement for
They work by themselves and
all working types...”.
individual outcomes are expected from
• The standard size for group work is four
them. Although children are not
or five. When group is formed from
working together those may be
three members, one pupil can be
teaching advantages in that teacher can
isolated and not join the discussion.
work with that group.
When the group size is more than five
3. In co-operative work children sit
for teachers to find different tasks for
together in their group and they have
each child is very difficult.
different but related task and they
• Producing homogeneity among groups
prepare joint outcome. For example;
is very difficult.
making a map, planning journey,
• Homogeneous grouping provides
planning picnic...
advantage for high ability students. In
4. In collaborative work children sit
contrast to homogeneous grouping
together in their group. They have same
heterogeneous grouping provides
task and they work together. They talk,
advantage for low ability students.
discuss the task. They share same
• Homogeneous group members are more
resources. For example; Problem
cohesive than heterogeneous group
solving, discussion of social or moral
members.
issue. In this case the outcome is
• Also there is an another finding that is
necessarily a joint one.
about to choose homogeneous or
9. Some Research Evidence on Group heterogeneous groups. Bennett (1985)
Work
GAZİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ KIRŞEHİR EĞİTİM FAKÜLTESİ, Cilt 5, Sayı 2, (2004)
33

suggested that the heterogeneous groups 80 % of their times work alone on their
lead to high interaction. When there are individual assignments.
two low and one high ability student there
is a highest interaction. 12 % of their times work as a class or a
• Hofmann (1959, as cited in Dunkin, register group.
1987: 235) indicated that
9 % of their times work co-operative.
“...heterogeneous groups showed superior
performance on a problem.
The lowest level of distraction was found
• Gerard & Miller (1976) found that when
that when the pupils were working in a
the groups are formed from different
group.
ethnic and racial students, they make
good friendship with each other. Also Barnes, et al., (1969, & Barnes & Todd,
they continue their friendship after group 1977, as cited in Galton & Williamson, 1991)
working. studied in the lower secondary school. They
• Another research is about different observed the small groups whose teachers did
approaches to group work among girls not help and supervise them. At the end
and boys. Webb (1983) found that boys students were very successful. Their
like to make more suggestions but girls discussion was very good quality. According
avoid the discussions. Girls generally to this study Barnes & Todd, (1977: 35)
prefer consensus. Galton & Williamson believe that student can learn and increase
(1992) in the contrast to Webb’s study their knowledge without teacher. Similarly
they observed that low ability boys try to Tough (1977: 35) studied in nursery and
take an active part in discussion but slow infant children. She emphasises that even
learning girls choose remain silent. They those children make good discussions.
do not try to join discussion and generally
high ability girls tend to be group leader. • A problem solving needs a smaller group
• Bennett & Cass (1989) emphasise that the five or six members.
girls are speaking more frequently in their
groups. • Open-ended tasks are not usually the best
• Groups must be included children who for group work. Instead of open-ended
are from multi ethnic, mixed ability and task, problem-solving tasks are more
also different sex. In Wheldall & Olds useful because their assessments are
(1987, as cited in Croll & Hastings, 1996: easier than open-ended tasks and pupils
41) opinion “...when children sit together can move towards a definite outcome.
same sex researches indicate that there are
• Reward is very useful for group works
more chatting but children dislike sitting
because each child is interdependent each
next to opposite sex so that they engage
others score for their group score because
their tasks...”
of increase their group score children
• Because of the variety of members
help, teach each other. According to
children can produce different outcomes.
Cohen (1994, as cited in Croll &
• ORACLE study show that (Galton, et al.,
Hastings, 1996: 48) “...the competitive
1980, as cited in Galton & Williamson,
group work is very useful to develop
1991: 11) in English and mathematics
their thinking ability...”
lessons the students;
 34 Research On Group Work And Collaborative Work…/Y.Gödek

10. RECOMMENDATIONS Croll, P. and Hastings, N., (1996), “Effective

Primary Teaching”, London: David
• Group work are organisational issues and Fulton.
curriculum / learning issues.
Cullingford, C., (1995), “The Effective
• Evidence shows that children have to be Teacher”, London: Cassell.
taught to work together.
Dunkin, M., (1987), “The International
• Group work should be used for problem Encyclopaedia of Teaching and
solving, not for open-ended tasks. Teacher Education”, Oxford:
Pergamon.
• Group sizes should be four or five.
Galton, M. and Williamson, J., (1992),
• Group members should have different
“Group Work in the Primary
sex, race, ethnic, socio-economical
Classroom”, London: Routledge.
background, and different ability
children. Pollard, A. and Tann, S., (1987), “Reflective
Teaching in the Primary school”,
• Teachers should stimulate the pupil’s
London: Cassell.
thinking and communication skills.

• Teachers should motivate children to

work together to share resources and
ideas.

• Teachers should teach some discussion

methods.

• Teachers should carefully plan, organise

and monitor the groups.

• Teachers should teach children to work

for common goal, not for individual,

• Teachers should encourage children to

take responsibility.

11. REFERENCES

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