Group Work - Choosing and Selecting Groups
About. The resource comprises one 3 page DfES document (drawn from a larger document - see related resources). It is a practical resource highlighting some choices teachers may make regarding grouping, benefits and limitations of various groupings and when each may be effectively used. This table is used as a tool to reflect on issues and positive outcomes teachers have previously encountered.
Pedagogical content. This resource discusses various options for choosing groupings for group work(ta) activities, and their benefits and limitations. (edit)
| Resource details | |
| Title | Developing Good Explanations |
| Topic | [[Topics/CPD|CPD]] |
| Teaching approach | [[Teaching Approaches/Group work|Group work]] |
| Learning Objectives | By the end of the document you should have considered some ways to group pupils for group work(i) and the various benefits and limitations of groupings. |
| Format / structure | .doc |
| Subject | [[Resources/Teacher Education|Teacher Education]] |
| Age of students / grade | [[Resources/Secondary|Secondary]], [[Resources/Higher|Higher]]
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| Related ORBIT Wiki Resources | See other DfE(i) resources |
| Files and resources to view and download |
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- This resource is part of the DfES resource "Pedagogy and practice: Teaching and learning in secondary schools" (ref: 0423-2004G) which can be downloaded from the National Archives http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110809101133/nsonline.org.uk/node/97131 The whole resource (512 pages) can be downloaded as a pdf File:Pedagogy and Practice DfES.pdf
- The resource booklets, and many 'harvested' documents are available to download, generally in editable formats from the ORBIT resources http://orbit.educ.cam.ac.uk/wiki/Category:DfE
- The videos from the accompanying DVDs are available http://orbit.educ.cam.ac.uk/wiki/DfES_DVD
Choosing and selecting groups
Choice of groups for group work may be predetermined to a certain extent by any setting of classes that has already taken place. Your grouping of pupils might be based on a number of different criteria linked to the outcomes of the activity in which the groups are engaged. You may consider, at different times, factors such as ability, communication skills, social mix, behaviour, gender, SEN, disability and EAL.
Reflection
Think about a class where you have used group work. What influenced your selection of pupils?
Group composition
| Task 10 Benefits and limitations of different grouping criteria 15 minutes
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| Grouping | Benefits | Limitations | When to use |
| Friendship | Secure and unthreatening | Prone to consensus | When sharing and confidence building are priorities |
| Ability | Work can more easily be pitched at the optimum level of challenge | Visible in-class setting | When differentiation can only be achieved by task |
| Structured mix | Ensures a range of views | Reproduces the power relations in society | When diversity is required |
| Random selection | • Builds up pupils’ experiences of different partners and views
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Can get awkward mixes and ‘bad group chemistry’ | • When pupils complain about who is allowed to sit with whom
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| Single sex | Socially more comfortable for some | Increases the gender divide | In contexts where one sex habitually loses out, e.g. competing to control the computer keyboard |
