Importance Of Group Work in Primary Education and the Role of the Teacher to Manage it

Background:


Historically, the traditional method of teaching and conveying info by a teacher has not been much efficient. This one-way method of communicating towards the pupils is quite ineffective and occasionally quite boring and unintuitive for that students. Students do not get a chance to communicate their ideas, viewpoints and ideas; their ability to interact, knowledge posting, confidence-level gets narrowed-down.

Student tutelage in a group formation much more preferable as compared to being guided independently, at a tender age and as being a social animal it is inclined a lot more in learning in groups and discussion with his/her peers. The first 5 (5) years of a child life have got impacts on his/her learning possibility of the rest of his life.

Introduction:

This topic covers the significance of Group Work in Primary Education as well as the Role of the Teacher to manage this. Through discussion and argument, I am going to discuss the value and purpose of team work in the light of research upon teaching practices conducted by famous educationists and the role of the instructor in the organization of group function and planning of appropriate jobs for collaborative work since it demands careful planning and for thought to get positive outcomes.   Then I can analyze my own classroom practice plus identify my own strengths to manage the girls work strategy effectively in the course.

Finally, I will formulate a good action plan to overcome all the difficulties, which few teachers face whilst managing group work. In the end, I am going to conclude the whole study in a way, that will show the importance of group work in the greater learning of a child.


Discussion and Analysis

Traditionally, an instructor has always been treated as an indemnified character who leads the whole class, dictating his/her notes and lectures towards the students trying to put everything to the minds of the students, this visible mode of communication has not been that will efficient as compared to the new trend associated with forming different small study groupings among the students and they put throughout their ideas. Effective teachers perform understand the effects and outcomes associated with promoting team-work in their students.   It has been ascertained that the existence from the crew in the classroom is not a new phenomena.   According to Kutnick and Rogers (1994), "From earliest recorded talking about education (certainly from Platto plus Socrates), learning used to take place in an organization context. Hence, the importance of social discussion in learning can not be overlooked" (P. 2)


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The idea of team work carries with it an eyesight of students talking to each other, posting, reshaping and refining their ideologies and concepts.   It means all those children's enthusiasm and consequently learning possibilities increase with in-group situations, each cooperative and collaborative. Moyles (1992) also cites Cullingford (1991) regarding children's preferences for teaching techniques "Of all styles of classroom firm, the possibility of working with some one else appears to them one of the most important, not simply because they just enjoy working with a friend yet because they can receive help, provide help and exchange ideas. inch (p. 124)

Group work offers students within an opportunity to assimilate their particular knowledge through discussion with their colleagues, hence supporting each other's understanding.

It has also been observed that will young students very often in the class room do not have the opportunity to develop their hearing and speaking skills in whole course situation.   This have been mentioned in hand –out ‘Use of Vocabulary: A Common  Approach' issued simply by School Curriculum and Assessment Power which says that the amount of time anybody pupil can speak in an entire class situation is limited, so team discussions can increase the opportunities to get talk and encourage pupil's to arrange their own discussion.   Thus, it really is through discussions in a group that will students develop a better ability to pay attention and accept others opinions plus develop confidence in expressing their very own views by speaking with clarity.   Wells (1985) states that 's children learn most activities whenever there are frequent opportunities of collaborative talk with teachers and fellow pupil's.   Therefore , this proved that even though engage in-group work, students in such a way take charge of their own learning.

Group size and type of group can also be a very important factor in a learning procedure for a child. As far as group size plus structure is concerned its teachers capability and competency that how the lady divides children equally according to the amount of the task and their mental capability in this way students support, each other listens to each other and even corporate in finding the particular solutions of different problem which are provided to them for discussion and for creating.   According to Kyriacou (1991), "the setting up of group work actions involves a number of decisions about the strategies of their organization.   First the dimensions of the group and how groups are in order to formed, second the nature of the job third the aspect of group function concerns the teacher monitoring, on the clear time management as well as the group work activities". (p. 58)

The role of the teacher in cases like this is, one of directing the college students, facilitating and monitoring their understanding process.   It is commonly seen the students in a class have various attitudes and strengths.   Consequently , the teacher is a person, who else shows acceptance of children, praises every child's strengths and recognizes every child's uniqueness by planning purposeful task having clarity of objectives and way it is presented in order to groom their abilities.   Regarding this, Cordon (2000) has outlined the particular duties of the teacher during team task.   He states, that will during the tasks the teacher need to introduce the activity and establish a collaborative working climate; by clarifying anticipated outcomes.   The teacher needs to be ensured that children had an apparent understanding of the ground rule for the team work, respective rules and interdependency.


Hence, it proves that will although group-work is a student-centered method but the teacher still has to enjoy a lead role in that, the particular teacher's role acts as a beacon to get his/her pupils.   She has, actually the central role in the entire process of group work.   It really is her responsibility to plan actions in such a way that children could function effectively in groups under the assistance of their teacher.   Cordon (2000) cities Lyle (1993) who factors to the importance of teachers encouraging kids to see themselves as responsible students by designing the activities, which assure children pose questions, make findings and contribute opinions. (p. 195)

After knowing the importance of group function, I analyzed my role like a primary teacher to implement efficient group work in my class.  I have always felt that quite young students attain better final result if we give them opportunity to interact with their particular peers in their classroom and to talk about the task. Hence, according to the purpose plus objectives of the lesson I have attempted to make use of group work in my class room in order to develop the students' communicative and explorative skills.     In the feedback session that adopted, I emphasized to see the variety plus depth of ideas.   The girls came up with such brilliant points, that have been because of the exchange of different ideas with one another.    Therefore , I observed, the final results of segregating my students in various small study-groups were more result-oriented and the students did their designated tasks vigorously and in a better way.

Students of kindergarten were relatively accustomed to group work strategy given that they had been introduced to group operate the previous class.   Therefore , Used to do not face much problem within the organization of group work actions.   Initially, I made use of a friendly relationship grouping because student felt safer working with their friends (according in order to Galton and Williamson (1992) a lot of primary teachers regularly group simply by friendship, because these groups are more compared to seating arrangements.   It also encourages collaboration and cooperative learning setup).   Once they started enjoying doing work in groups, then gradually, I began sorting them into mix capability groups with usually high in order to low or middle ability plus high or middle to reduced ability members.   This has proved helpful quiet well since the clever pupil tends to pull the slow students along with them as well and therefore delivering all students an equal opportunity to lengthen their ideas.


Suggested Plan of action for Teachers to Manage the Efficient Group Work:

Therefore, educators who are still following the conventional ways of teaching should make a habit of making small study-groups in the primary lessons, which is quite evident in light various researches in the following ways:

  • They should plan a task for every group which should be challenging, time-bound and most importantly should have a meaning to the level of the students

  • Make sure that the group face across each and every other and that they can all listen to each other

  • For newly formed groupings, in order to break the ice among them, we can give them different roles to play so they should start interacting with each other quickly

  • They should be ready to accept the challenge from the group-refuses, and should proactively plan to deal with such situations

  • They should generate the groups keeping in mind these things equivalent ability, mixed ability, friendship, sex etc .

Conclusion:

As a result of my study, We now understand that group work improves pupils' ability to cooperate and learn through others, thus enable them to get responsibility of their own learning and decreasing reliance on the teacher. However , with this casethe role of a teacher would be to organize an environment that facilitates supportive and collaborative learning.   Preparing by providing all students an opportunity to end up being equally involved in the social and intellectual activities and to stimulate, realign plus invoke the thought-provoking behaviors amongst students.

Bibliography:

  • Corden, R. (2000) Literacy and Studying through Talk: Strategies for the primary Class room. Buckinghyam: Open University Press

  • Galton, M. and Williamson, J. (1992) Groupwork in the Primary School. Greater london: Routledge

  • Kutnick, P. and Rogers, C. (Eds. ) (1994) Organizations in Schools. London: Cassell Education

  • Kyriacou, C. (1991) Essential Training Skills. United Kingdom: Stanley Thornes.

  • Moyles, R. J. (1994) Arranging for learning in the Primary Class room. Philadelphia: Open University Press

  • USE OF LANGUAGE: A COMMON APPROACH. (1997) School Curriculum and Assessment Power. SCAA Publications

  • Vygotsky, L. H. (1978) Mind in Society: The introduction of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, MOTHER: Harvard University Press

  • Wells, Gary the gadget guy. (1985) Language and Learning: A good Interactional Perspective. Brighton:

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