The Pedagogy of the World Studies 8‐13 Project: the influence of the presence/absence of the teacher upon primary children's collaborative group work

Abstract

The World Studies 8‐13 Project was set up in 1980, to help young people to develop the knowledge and skills they need to live in an interdependent world. Collaborative group work is a major element of its pedagogy. In this research, children's interactions in these settings have been analysed in order to compare the effect of the presence/absence of the teacher upon their participation. In groups without the teacher, it was found that children used relevant concepts to initiate their ideas and were overwhelmingly ‘on task’. However, children often failed to apply listening and questioning skills and were unable to sustain continuity in discussion. They did not always justify their ideas with reasons and evidence. They found it difficult to cope with problems of group relations. In contrast, the presence of the teacher usually correlated with improved quality and continuity. The teacher's interventions stimulated the pupils to elaborate on their ideas with explanations and evidence and helped to control group relations. It follows that in the early stages with young children, the teacher's presence and support in modelling group work skills can be crucial.