ABSTRACT
Research shows that working as a group allows pupils to develop conceptual understanding, develop strategies for tackling challenging problems, learn how to reason and argue constructively, gain feedback so that ideas maybe refined and developed, and learn how to work with and learn from others. Employers no longer need people to act as knowledge bases or to compute large calculations manually. In order to encourage pupils to work collaboratively with others they need to be offered tasks that they cannot solve quickly and easily by themselves. Pupils can be given sets of cards containing mathematical statements and then be asked to decide if they are always. Collaborative learning requires a shift from a view of mathematics as something where they work through exercises, towards a recognition that they are working on developing their understanding and the understanding of others in their group.
