High- and Otherwise-Achieving Students’ Expectations of Classroom Group Work: An Exploratory Empirical Study

Abstract

A convenience sample of 13 students aged 9–16 years participated in this exploratory phenomenological study of what high- and otherwise-achieving students’ expected they would experience when engaging in classroom group work. From questionnaire and interview data, students generally expected small group sizes, were divided about who forms groups, and expected to find teachers sitting at their desks. High-achievers expected group work less frequently, that their contributions are appreciated, and that they work equally hard in groups or independently. Otherwise-achieving students expected to work less hard in groups, more often expected negative social experiences and to divide tasks (cooperative learning); high-achievers expected to work together (collaborative learning). Seven potential contributing influences from the literature emerged in the interviews, and were supported as useful windows onto group-work expectations, as was examining learner expectations apart from preferences. Clearer, well-understood, group-work directions to students and more engaged teacher roles are among possible classroom-practice implications.

Keywords:

• collaborative learning
• cooperative learning
• gifted
• group dynamics
• group work
• high ability
• high achieving
• high performing
• student anticipations
• student attitudes
• student expectations

Acknowledgment

We are grateful to the Explorations Summer Camp and the Préville Fine Arts Centre for their assistance in the recruitment of participants for this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jade N. M. T. Cera Guy

Jade N. M. T. Cera Guy is an elementary school teacher currently teaching at St. Johns School for the Riverside School Board. Both are located in the South Shore suburbs of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. E-mail: [email protected]

Jessica M. Williams

Jessica M. Williams is a Learning Assistance Teacher in School District #23, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. She is the former Education Coordinator at the Aquatarium at Tall Ships Landing in Brockville, Ontario, Canada, designing and delivering curriculum-based learning experiences for students from Kindergarten to grade 12. E-mail: [email protected]

Bruce M. Shore

Bruce M. Shore is Emeritus Professor of the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His research is on inquiry-based learning at all levels of education, and academic and social characteristics of giftedness. E-mail: [email protected]