Collaborative group work in primary schools brings benefits in terms of children's learning and their social behaviour, suggests a study of more than 600 pupils in 24 Scottish primary schools.
During the study, teachers received staff development and a comprehensive package of materials to support the introduction of generic group work skills training and specific group work in science into their classrooms. Evaluative feedback obtained from teachers was generally very positive in terms of the quality of this training and support package and in terms of its impact on both pupil learning and their own professional practice.
Findings further suggest that all schools in the sample whether urban, rural, with single- or mixed-age classes experienced benefits from adopting a structured approach to children working together in groups.
This research is a project within the ESRC's Teaching and Learning Research Programme.