ABSTRACT
Groups of some kind have always been used for learning but there has been a considerable growth in interest in different forms of groupwork in education and training since the early 1960s. It is worth sketching out some of the earlier beginnings because it helps in understanding the different types of groupwork used at present and the underlying reasons for using them. Where did the group methods used in contemporary educational practice come from? Why has there been such a preoccupation with groups in both education and work?
