Groups in teachingJames Atherton

13 February 2014, Tresham College

“Insanity in individuals is something rare—but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the

rule.”

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) Beyond Good and Evil: 156 (1886)

www.learningandteaching.info/teaching/usingthegroup.htm

www.learningandteaching.info/teaching/usingthegroup.htm

The material in this presentation (and

more) is available on this site: (hyperlinks

are inactive)

Approaches to Groups

“Reading” groups Understanding what is going on from a

descriptive and analytic perspective Leading groups

Application of above and approaches to structuring groups to serve a particular task

Approaches to Groups

“Reading” groups Understanding what is going on from a

descriptive and analytic perspective Leading groups

Application of above and approaches to structuring groups to serve a particular task Of course teachers are primarily interested

in how to lead and manage groups (classes), but being able to read them certainly helps.

You almost certainly know a lot of this already, but you can use it more effectively

when you have a language to discuss it.

Approaches to Groups

“Reading” groups Understanding what is going on from a

descriptive and analytic perspective Leading groups

Application of above and approaches to structuring groups to serve a particular task Of course teachers are primarily interested

in how to lead and manage groups (classes), but being able to read them certainly helps.

You almost certainly know a lot of this already, but you can use it more effectively

when you have a language to discuss it.

As you ably demonstrated by the kind of comments you were making later on in the

session

The Group Dimension

Groups have emergent properties, i.e. they are more than the sum of their parts

norms culture cohesiveness trust inclusion/exclusion pressure roles leadership/authority hidden agendas career

The Group Dimension

Groups have emergent properties, i.e. they are more than the sum of their parts

norms culture cohesiveness trust inclusion/exclusion pressure roles leadership/authority hidden agendas career

As teachers, we often like to pretend that these aspects don’t exist; that they are

simply hindrances to the real tasks of

teaching and learning

The Group Dimension

Groups have emergent properties, i.e. they are more than the sum of their parts

norms culture cohesiveness trust inclusion/exclusion pressure roles leadership/authority hidden agendas career

As teachers, we often like to pretend that these aspects don’t exist; that they are

simply hindrances to the real tasks of

teaching and learning

But you can’t legislate them out of

existence. And managed properly

they can really contribute to the

process of learning

Formal and Informal Groups

TaskSystem

RoleIndividual

Formal

Informal

Formal and Informal Groups

TaskSystem

RoleIndividual

Formal

InformalFor a fuller discussion, see:www.learningandteaching.info/teaching/

group_cultures.htm

Task and Maintenance

Task

Group Individual

Task and Maintenance

Task

Group Individual

This is the basic model, to which we

returned several times.

Task and Maintenance

Task

Group Individual

This is the basic model, to which we

returned several times.

All three components require attention from the leader (teacher)—and they may well

pull in different directions

Group Size

2: Limited group process

3: Potential for 2 against 1

4: 3 against 1 and even splits

5: clear and marginal majorities

6–12: developing complexity: individualism preserved.

12-20: tendency to operate on sub-groups

20+: sub-group process inevitable

Group Size

2: Limited group process

3: Potential for 2 against 1

4: 3 against 1 and even splits

5: clear and marginal majorities

6–12: developing complexity: individualism preserved.

12-20: tendency to operate on sub-groups

20+: sub-group process inevitable

More on this at:www.learningandteaching.info/teaching/

group_size.htm

Group Development

Forming Storming Norming Performing

Storm-ing

NormingPerform-

ing

Forming

Group Development

Forming Storming Norming Performing

Storm-ing

NormingPerform-

ing

Forming

More detailed discussion and source links:

www.learningandteaching.info/teaching/group_development.htm

Basic Assumption Behaviour 1

Two levels: Work-group Basic Assumption

In ba behaviour: Group acts as if it had made the assumption that it is here to...In the early ‘60s, psychoanalyst W R Bion proposed a different

model, outlined at www.learningandteaching.info/teaching/group_cultures.htm

(page down to “Bion”) and linked material.

Basic Assumption Behaviour 2

ba Dependence ba Fight/Flight ba Pairing (Expectancy)

correspond to the 4 “F”s of organisms’ basic responses to external objects Feed Fight Flee Mate

We only discussedba dependence, as most relevant to

teaching, so other slides have been

edited out.

Basic Assumption Dependence

Groups acts as if it had made the assumption that it is here to depend on someone.

May be very seductive for leader (but doesn’t last)

(This is an added slide)

In discussion the “additional” basic assumptions came up—indeed they were mentioned by group members before me. Great stuff.

They are ba OneNess, postulated by Pierre Turquet in 1974. That is where the group as a whole is determined to deny differences and individuality. I admit that the discussion concentrated rather too much on the imposition of uniformity, rather than a desire arising out of the emotional needs of the participants, and I did not correct that drift as actively as I should have done.

And ba MeNess is the polar opposite (from Gordon Lawrence et al. in 1996). In our discussion it arose from one of you identifying that in a class of people with severe learning disabilities, some or all may lack the capacity to understand what a group is.

They are looked at in a little more detail at www.learningandteaching.info/teaching/groups_other_bas.htm (scroll down); an authoritative account can be found at; www.acsa.net.au/articles/thefifthbasicassumption.pdf

Roles in Groups

Function of Formality Task Pressure Individual valency

This issue is taken up further at:www.learningandteaching.info/teaching/roles_in_groups.htm

Management Teams

Company worker Chairman Shaper Plant

Resource Investigator

Monitor-evaluator Team-worker Completer-finisher

According to Belbin (2004); the formula is disputed as well as

followed even its own field. But teaching and learning is clearly

beyond its range of convenience and applicability

Classes in School swot rebel joker teacher's pet dunce scapegoat chatterbox bully victim

…and the teacher

Major dimensions of Roles in groups

Dominance

Submission

Included/Committed

Excluded/Uncommitted

Here for the sake of completeness…

there was no time to examine

implications for classes.

What to do about them

Roles become a problem mainly when a member is locked into one

Members who have a high valency for a role regardless of group can be tackled individually

But if the role is a function of group needs, work with the whole group to

give the problem member space to change

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

0%5%10%

15%20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Pro

po

rtio

n o

f ti

me

spea

kin

g

Group members (in order of contribution)

Participation:vocal and silent members

We didn’t get a chance to discuss this research, although I promised we would,

but there is more at: www.learningandteaching.info/teaching/

participation_levels.htm

Working with Groups “Interaction breeds sentiment”

(Homans)

Task and Maintenance both need attention

Behaviour is information at the maintenance level especially modelling and representation

www.learningandteaching.info/teaching/usingthegroup.htm