Using Small Groups for Response to and Thinking about Literature

Research has shown that in the small group setting, students develop well articulated understandings and better recall of their readings. One study, however, showed negative results in terms of recall, understanding, and personal response for small group work in eighth-grade literature classes. Those findings led to follow-up research on the ninth-grade level. In an examination of 54 ninth-grade English classes, small group activities occurred in only 29 of 216 classes observed, for an average of only 15 minutes at a time. As in the eighth-grade study, the ninth-grade research showed that overall, small group work actually led to lower student achievement. However, regression analysis demonstrated that in the group setting, the greater the degree of student autonomy, the greater was the production of knowledge and the greater the likelihood that group time would contribute to achievement. The apparent ineffectiveness f small group work overall suggests, therefore, that groups are sometimes used ineffectively. When small group time allows students to interact over a problem, they benefit. For group work to succeed, teachers must carefully design collaborative tasks that are interesting to students, and not just to the teacher. (One figure is included; 26 references are attachee.) (SG) ********************************************************************X** Reproductions supplied Dy EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *****x***************************************************************** Using Small Groups for Response to and Thinking About Literature MARTIN NYSTRAND, ADAM GAMORAN, and MARY JO HECK Center on the Organization and Restructuring of SchooLs The Wisconsin Center for Education Research The University of Wisconsin-Madison