Jogo Behaviour Support Blog
The Benefits and Importance of Group Work in Schools Saturday, 25 May 2013
The Benefits and Importance of Group Work in Schools
Why is group work important?
What can the justification for
implementing a specific programme of group work be? In an already crowded timetable can we really
find time for it? In a timetable that is
demanding on both staff and students can group occupy a space with validity and
purpose?
From the moment we are born we
are in groups or told we need to be in a group. Whether it is a family group, a
toddler group, nursery group, school group, peer or work group. We experience many different sorts of groups
for many different reasons. Mostly being
part of a group gives us a feeling of belonging, being part of and adds to
sense of self-worth. We identify with
the group, work for the good of the group, and want to achieve common goals in
the group. It complements our
individuality and adds to our sense of purpose. By the time we reach the age of 4 we are made to be part of one of the
most important groups of our lives, a group that will most probably shape our
life, SCHOOL.
However imagine not being
able to take part in a group, imagine not having the skills, knowledge or
experience to take part or be part of a group. Being in a group is not an easy task and it requires many skills.
- Relationship skills
- Co-operation skills
-
- Communication skills
- Assertion skills
- Ability to share
- Ability to compromise
- Listening skills
- Able to manage conflict
- Support and encourage others
- Leadership skills
- Imaginations skills
- Ability to problem solve
- Read social cues
- Able to empathise
Why do we assume children
and young people have these skills by default? Do we think that these skills will naturally occur without any outside
intervention? If this was the case, why
do some people go through their whole adult without these skills? The answer is these skills need to be learned
and therefore someone has to teach them to the child and the young person.
We are genetically born to
connect with others for survival, but we need to learn the skills above to
function effectively in groups. It is
important to understand that the ability to learn these skills is a
developmental process. For example a two
year old child will not have developed co-operation skills as they are
egocentric and only just learning about themselves. We will only be able to learn certain skills
at appropriate periods of our development and may need to re-visit and update
our skills on a regular basis. It can
also help with the development of the five broad aspects of emotional literacy:
self-awareness, managing feelings,
motivation, empathy and social skills.
Group work is about teaching
new skills, and creating the conditions that will support this learning. In terms of where it can fit into the
timetable and curriculum it is a wave 2 intervention. The following diagram may be helpful.
A well planned intervention
group work can facilitate the individual personal development of each
pupil/student in the group. It can help
them explore issues in more depth, take risks, be reflective, learn how to make
good choices, learn about yourself in relation to others and practice new
skills while feeling safe in a smaller supportive environment.
Group work needs to be part
of planned intervention, addressing identified needs with clear outcomes,
careful evaluation and monitored closely. As a wave 2 intervention it needs to be organised around wave 1 topics
so connection with the main curriculum is not lost. Areas such as appropriate assessment tools,
identification of need, planning, content, delivery, rules, structure and
resources are all important.
Being in a group is complex,
but there are a great number of benefits. These include,
- Increased productivity and performance
- Promotes pupils’ learning and achievement
- Pool together diverse knowledge and skills
- Tackle more complex tasks as the children feel supported
- Increases their autonomy (Exley & Dennick, 2004)
- Prepares them for the diversity of the work place.
The social, emotional and
behavioural benefits of undertaking group work in schools are:
- The children feel more secure and the group provides protection. If children feel safe, they are more likely to learn.
- A sense of belonging and shared identity
- Build positive peer relationships
- They receive attention from their peers; therefore there is a reduction of attention needing behaviours in the classroom.
- They feel connect with others
- Increases their social skills, which then reduces behavioural difficulties related to this.
How
parents/carers can help develop group work skills
Below are a few tips that
parents and carers can do to assist with group work skills
- Initiate play times with other children – whether at the park or in your home. Engage the children in playful activities to help them work together. (For example make play dough together.)
- Encourage them going to clubs. (However ensure that it is not too many as children need to rest and have unstructured times too)
- Play co-operative games as a family
- Time: provide time to talk about how they feel about being in the group
Tips
for effective group work interventions
- Plan the group – group size, composition, the physical space
- Be prepared for the first session
- Provide introduction activities such as M & Ms getting to know you game
- Work together to establish the ground rules for the group
- Provide clear information about the format of the group, i.e. timings of the group, aims and expectations.
The benefits of group work
as a specific intervention can be justified not only as a tool for managing
behaviour and developing social and emotional literacy skills, but also to add
to overall development including academic of all pupils and students.
Reference:
Exley, K. & Dennick, R.
(2004) Small Group Teaching: Tutorials, Seminars and Beyond, RoutledgeFalmer.
Accessed on 17/02/13 http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/AcademicStudentAffairs/CentreforEducationalDevelopment/CurriculumDevelopment/ActiveLearningExamples/GroupWork/
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