ABSTRACT
Some educationalists have argued that group work leads to low-level thinking. This is perhaps because the research that led to such an assertion may have been based on poor quality group work in the first place. Indeed, although most primary classrooms appear to be organised for group work, research shows that rarely are pupils engaged in learning as groups (Galton et al. 1980; Galton et al. 1999). Ainscow (1999) also points out that active learning in groups is an under-utilised strategy and that its educational value is not widely realised by teachers. However, a small but growing body of teachers recognise the value of group work as a useful method in their repertoire of teaching and learning strategies. In particular, the pedagogy employed by many teachers funded through the Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Grant (EMTAG) puts great stress on bilingual pupils talking with their monolingual peers in small groups, as a means of developing their English language skills. Indeed, educationalists working in the field of multicultural education have long advocated that well-prepared and well-structured group work is one means to achieving a more inclusive classroom. It is not enough for pupils to sit alongside one another in multicultural classrooms. This will not automatically lead to cross-cultural understanding. However, cooperative learning techniques, which rely upon interaction between peers in heterogeneous groups, are a proven means to improved inter-ethnic understanding and have long-term benefits (Coelho 1998: 140). Perhaps the single most ardent advocate of collaborative learning has been Stuart Scott, Director of the Collaborative Learning Project (see Directory of Organisations, p. 90). The project disseminates tried and tested, teacher-produced resources that facilitate structured, task-oriented group work. Drawing on research conducted in Britain and the USA, Corden (2000) has identified a number of educational benefits accruing from well-structured group work, in which pupils collaborate to accomplish shared learning goals. The various benefits of group work included:
enhanced cognitive development;
greater reflective and hypothetical thought, achieved through exploratory talk;
greater scaffolding of pupils’ comprehension skills;
improvements in pupils’ ability to make important connections between the processes of reading and writing;
the stimulation of reading ability and critical thought;
the development of metalinguistic awareness;
improved motivation;
more cooperative behaviour amongst pupils;
the development of positive attitudes to learning;
improved self-esteem;
improved interpersonal and social skills;
greater time spent by pupils on tasks;
improved levels of educational achievement.
