Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu

and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom

Research Report:
Teacher Beliefs about Group Work
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
Lina Shehu
Monterey Institute of International Studies

Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu

and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
!bstract
In the field of Second Lan"ua"e !c#uisition $SL!%& the social nature of learnin"
has been supported by e'tensi(e research $Canale ) S*ain& +,-. /onato& ++0.
S*ain& 1---. 2y"otsky& +3,%4 !s one of the *ays to promote social interaction&
"roup *ork is considered an important part of a teacher5s peda"o"y4 The *ay a
teacher feels about "roup *ork has implications for the *ay the classroom is run&
as teachers5 beliefs are a crucial influence in classroom practice $Bor"& 1-%4
This study in(esti"ated teachers5 peda"o"ical beliefs about "roup *ork& the
influence of teacher trainin" and education on beliefs& and *hether these teachers
assi"ned "roup *ork in their classrooms& alon" *ith the reasons "i(en for
assi"nin" "roup *ork4 6articipants *ere four 7SL instructors in Monterey4
Rou"hly 80- minutes of non9participant classroom obser(ation *ere conducted4
:uestionnaire responses su""ested that participants a"reed *ith positi(e
statements about "roup *ork and disa"reed *ith ne"ati(e ones4 Group *ork
accounted for ;-< of total time obser(ed in these teachers5 classes4 =ollo*9up
inter(ie*s re(ealed that the primary reason participants did not assi"n "roup *ork
*as due to concern re"ardin" (aried le(els of students5 lan"ua"e proficiency4
Results su""ested that classroom conte't& more than peda"o"ical beliefs&
influenced the decision to assi"n "roup *ork4 T*o participants reported that
teacher trainin" and education ha(e positi(ely influenced beliefs about "roup
*ork& another credited education *ith o(ercomplicatin" the idea of "roup *ork&
*hereas the fourth e'pressed no chan"e on beliefs re"ardin" "roup *ork due to
teacher trainin"4
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Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
!s both a "raduate student and 7n"lish as a Second Lan"ua"e $7SL% teacher& I ha(e
*itnessed the numerous benefits of "roup *ork: thou"ht9pro(okin" contributions by a peer that
mi"ht not ha(e been offered in front of the *hole "roup& increased student control and learner
autonomy $>umara(adi(elu& 1--;%& as *ell as the collaborati(e po*er of distributed help
$/onato& ++0% $capitali?in" on indi(idual kno*led"e and stren"ths& learners are able to help
each other achie(e the desired outcome%4 !s a lan"ua"e learner& I ha(e also e'perienced
increased o*nership of the learnin" process in "roup *ork as @learners have to sho* more
initiati(e if the acti(ity is to *orkA $ori"inal emphasis& Stot?& ++& p4 ;1%& *hich su""ests that
"roup *ork promotes not only learner autonomy but also peer collaboration4 !nd finally& durin"
"roup *ork& one is afforded more opportunities for turn takin" $Stot?& ++%& and simply
produces more lan"ua"e4
There is considerable research in the field of second lan"ua"e ac#uisition $SL!% that
supports the efficacy of "roup *ork in a forei"n lan"ua"e $=L% classroom4 Group *ork not only
"i(es students a structured opportunity to produce the tar"et lan"ua"e $TL% in the classroom& but
also en"a"es them in ne"otiation for meanin" $/onato& ++0%& *hich means that students co9
construct meanin" durin" classroom interaction and pro(ide scaffoldin" similar to that of e'pert9
to9no(ice4
Incorporatin" "roup *ork into the classroom has its challen"es includin" determinin"
*hat type of "roup *ork acti(ities help *ith lan"ua"e ac#uisition& fi"urin" out ho* to
implement "roup *ork into a lesson& and determinin" ho* to assess outcomes4 Group *ork can
be (a"uely defined and& dependin" on the teacher& it could mean anythin" from students
discussin" a readin" to a "roup presentation to the class4 This paper *ill thus define "roup *ork
and e'plicitly state *hat *as counted as "roup *ork in the classroom4 =urthermore& since it is
;
Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
teachers *ho plan& assi"n& and o(ersee "roup *ork& this paper *ill also e'plore their beliefs
about its importance for lan"ua"e ac#uisition& ho* their beliefs ali"n *ith teachin" practices and
ho* teacher trainin" and education ha(e influenced teachers5 peda"o"ical beliefs4
Literature Review
Benefits of Group Work
The field of SL!& influenced by the redisco(ery of 2y"otsky5s $+3,% Bone of 6ro'imal
/e(elopment $B6/%& has taken a social turn $Block& 1--;%4 The B6/& defined as the "ap bet*een
the thin"s a learner can do only *ith social support& and those heCshe *ill soon master enou"h to
perform autonomously& illustrates the fundamentally social nature of learnin"4 Group *ork in the
classroom allo*s students to pro(ide each other *ith @"uided support&A *hich is @analo"ous to
e'pert scaffoldin"A $/onato& ++0& p4 D%4 Group *ork "i(es students the opportunity to practice
the TL *ith one another and *ork collaborati(ely to*ards lan"ua"e production& *hether that is
performin" a role9play or completin" an information9"ap acti(ity4 Tsui $++8% *rote& @*hen
students produce the lan"ua"e that they are studyin" they are testin" out the hypothesis *hich
they ha(e formed about the lan"ua"eA $p4 08%4 /onato $++0% ar"ued that students test
hypotheses about the TL and co9construct lan"ua"e durin" "roup *ork4 This theory is
e'emplified by /onato5s study of the collaborati(e output bet*een a "roup of =rench lan"ua"e
learners *hose ne"otiations of the tar"et form resulted in @the ideali?ed solution to the
Elan"ua"eF problemA $p4 D1% they could not ha(e achie(ed on their o*n4 /onato detailed the
interaction bet*een three =rench lan"ua"e learners5 attempts to construct the =rench past
compound tense of the refle'i(e (erb @to remember4A 7ach learner possessed only a part of the
desired construction: one of the learners produced the correct past participle but also produced
the incorrect au'iliary (erb& *hereas another *as able to supply the appropriate au'iliary& but
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Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
*as unable to produce the correct refle'i(e (erb4 7(entually and only by synthesi?in" their
kno*led"e the three learners *ere able to achie(e the correct construction4
/urin" "roup *ork students are also able to assist each other in meanin"9makin"& by
thinkin" critically about lan"ua"e& e(aluatin" the forms they use for an acti(ity& and decidin"
ho* to best e'press an idea $/onato& ++0%4 Larsen9=reeman $1--;% ar"ued that @lan"ua"e
ac#uisition takes place throu"h some sort of interactionA $p4 ,3% and& *hile interaction also
happens durin" *hole9class discussion and bet*een a teacher and student& "roup *ork makes
students interact more re"ularly4 !s Maloof $1---% pointed out& students in "roups are afforded
more opportunities to talk than they *ould be in solitary or *hole9class *ork4 Group *ork also
allo*s for lan"ua"in"& *hich defined by S*ain $1--8% as @the process of makin" meanin" and
shapin" kno*led"e and e'perience throu"h lan"ua"eA $p4 ,+%& is a key component in the
internali?ation process. i4e4 by talkin" to each other about lan"ua"e& learners5 inner thou"hts
about the tar"et lan"ua"e transform into internal co"niti(e acti(ity4
Gther researchers ha(e pointed out the many benefits to "roup *ork4 Lon" and 6orter
$+,D% listed fi(e peda"o"ical ar"uments for usin" "roup *ork in the lan"ua"e classroom: "roup
*ork $% increases lan"ua"e practice opportunities& $1% impro(es the #uality of student talk& $;%
helps indi(iduali?e instruction& $0% promotes a positi(e affecti(e climate& and $D% moti(ates
learners $pp4 1-3911%4 =urthermore& S*ain $1---% stated that& in peer *ork& @Hointly constructed
performanceA is better than @indi(idual competenciesA $p4 %& because the results of
collaboration are "reater than indi(idual skills4 Iall and 2erplaetse $1---% noted that "roup *ork
affords @multiple opportunities for lan"ua"e learners to use and e'tend their kno*led"e of the
tar"et lan"ua"eA $p4 1,,%4 Group *ork is effecti(e in many *ays and there are many reasons to
belie(e in its importance for lan"ua"e ac#uisition4
D
Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
Teacher Beliefs and Implementation of Group Work
While much research supports "roup *ork& it is possible that some classroom teachers are
either una*are of such research or ha(e other*ise de(eloped their o*n beliefs about "roup *ork
based on their o*n e'perience4 Jet another thin" to consider re"ardin" teacher beliefs is ho*
classroom conte't interferes *ith peda"o"ical beliefs4 !s Ra?far $1-1% noted& teacher education
pro"rams assume that @beliefs are supposed to be consistent& conscious& and teachers should
maintain fidelity to them across different situationsA $p4 8;%4 This assumption leads one to think
that if a teacher belie(es in the importance of "roup *ork for lan"ua"e ac#uisition& heCshe
undoubtedly assi"ns "roup *ork on a re"ular basis4 ! teacher5s classroom practice& ho*e(er& is
often influenced by the conte't in *hich heCshe teaches& the school5s peda"o"ical practices and
the student population4 !s 6hipps and Bor" $1--+% noted& @conte'tual factors& such as a
prescribed curriculum& time constraints& and hi"h9stakes e'aminations& mediate the e'tent to
*hich teachers can act in accordance *ith their beliefsA $p4 ;,%4
Gther factors may interfere *ith implementation of "roup *ork e(en if a teacher belie(es
in its usefulness4 !ccordin" to Gran"er $1-;%& e(en cultural stereotypes could influence the
decision to implement "roup *ork. for e'ample& a teacher may belie(e that students from !sian
back"rounds do not feel comfortable speakin" up in class or participatin" fully durin" "roup
*ork4 Gther impediments to "roup *ork abound: Gran"er *arned that teachers5 classroom
practice @informed by curricular re#uirements and EKF by educators5 conscious or unconscious
beliefs and biases& can mar"inali?e and e(en silence learnersA $p4 1%4 It is thus possible that a
teacher may not assi"n "roup *ork because heCshe belie(es that students from certain
back"rounds are less likely to participate in "roup9discussion4 !lso& Bro*n $1--3% cited a
teacher5s fear of losin" control of the classroom or the fear that students5 errors *ill be
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Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
reinforced in a "roup as possible reasons for not assi"nin" "roup *ork4
Barcelos and >alaHa $1-;% su""ested that teacher beliefs may not ali"n *ith classroom
practice @because of clashin" interests or ambi"uities in the conte't& includin" lar"e "roup si?es&
lo* student moti(ation or proficiencyA $p4 1%4 Many lan"ua"e classes ha(e students of mi'ed
proficiencies and "roupin" students in such a classroom is challen"in"4 Sla(in $1--8% asserted
that a mi'ed9le(el "roup allo*s students to support one another& but perhaps some teachers
*orry that in a mi'ed9le(el "roup hi"her proficiency students may take o(er the "roup *hile the
lo*er proficiency students remain silent4 Indeed there are countless reasons *hy a teacher may
not assi"n "roup *ork e(en if heCshe belie(es that "roup *ork supports lan"ua"e ac#uisition& an
issue that clearly needs further in(esti"ation4
!s part of the 6racticum class at MIIS& teachers9in9trainin" de(elop and e'pand upon
their practice by obser(in" (ideos of their teachin" and submittin" them for peer and instructor
scrutiny4 /urin" this process I *as struck by the possibility of a "ap bet*een teacher beliefs
about the importance of "roup *ork for lan"ua"e ac#uisition and *hether "roup *ork *as
assi"ned in the classroom4
Focus on Teachers
!s teacher plannin" and intentional decision9makin" helps ensure that students are
@rela'ed& comfortable& unstressed& interested and moti(atedA $WaHnryb& ++1& p4 D,%& a teacher5s
peda"o"ical beliefs are surely important4 Teachers are in char"e of assi"nin"& modelin" and
implementin" "roup *ork4 Gb(iously& students5 beliefs to*ard "roup *ork are important as *ell&
but it is the teacher that is lar"ely responsible for its e(entual outcome4 !s !ll*ri"ht and Bailey
$++% *rote& @it is considered to be a teacher5s Hob EKF to plan a se#uence of lessons and brin"
them to life effecti(ely in the classroomA $p4 11%4 This study& therefore& in(esti"ates $% teachers5
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Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
beliefs about the importance of "roup *ork for lan"ua"e ac#uisition& $1% ho* much "roup *ork
these teachers assi"ned in the classroom& $;% the reasons *hy teachers assi"ned or did not assi"n
"roup *ork& and $0% ho* teacher trainin" and education ha(e influenced teacher beliefs about
"roup *ork4
Research Questions
R: : What are participants5 beliefs about the importance of "roup *ork for lan"ua"e
ac#uisitionL
R: 1: In t*o classroom obser(ations of the same teacher& ho* much "roup *ork does
heCshe assi"nL
R: ;: What are the reasons& teachers "i(e for usin" or not usin" "roup *orkL
R: 0: Io* ha(e teacher trainin" and education influenced teachers5 beliefs about the
importance of "roup *ork for lan"ua"e ac#uisitionL
Methods
This study does not offer "enerali?ations on teacher beliefs or the importance of "roup
*ork en masse. instead it is an opportunity to look at beliefs and practices side9by9side and to
note potential misali"nments4 !ny patterns su""ested by the findin"s for the four research
#uestions are only su""ested here and *ould need further research to substantiate4
=or the purposes of this research& "roup *ork *ill be operationali?ed as a collaborati(e
effort bet*een t*o or more students *orkin" to"ether to discuss an assi"ned readin"& ans*er
#uestions about an assi"ned readin"& complete an acti(ity& or prepare and present a role9play4
Group *ork as it is understood in this paper must in(ol(e some kind of student output& ran"in"
from a discussion to a presentation4
Bor" $1-% defines beliefs as @propositions indi(iduals consider to be true and *hich are
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Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
often tacit& ha(e a stron" e(aluati(e and affecti(e component& EandF pro(ide a basis for actionA
$pp4 ;3-9;3%4 I ha(e decided to use Bor"5s definition of beliefs because it most closely mirrors
my participants5 understandin" of teacher beliefs4 !ll four participants reported that their beliefs
influenced their actions in the classroom& and that beliefs ha(e an e(aluati(e and affecti(e
component4 Indeed& as Bor" $1--% *rote& @EbFeliefs play an important role in many aspects of
teachin"A $p4 ,8% *ith each participant in this research reportin" that *hat they belie(e to be
sound peda"o"y is (ery important in their professional de(elopment4
Participants
6articipants in this study are three pre9ser(ice teachers and current M!T7SGL students
at MIIS *ho ha(e yet to enter the professional field of teachin"& and a recent MIIS M!T7SGL
"raduate in9ser(ice teacher *ho is& at the time of this research& an adHunct instructor for the MIIS
Intensi(e 7SL pro"ram4 The other three pre9ser(ice teachers are 7SL instructors at the 6eace
Resource Center& a community outreach pro"ram& in Seaside& California4 6articipants5 names
ha(e been chan"ed in order to preser(e anonymity4 My participant selection ali"ns *ith
@purposeful samplin"A model defined by /uff $1--,% as @random samplin" from an accessible
populationA $p"4 D%4 Io*e(er& accessibility *as not the only reason for my participant
selection but also because I *anted to see ho* the teacher trainin" and education at MIIS may
ha(e influenced teacher beliefs about the importance of "roup *ork for lan"ua"e ac#uisition4 !s
Barcelos and >alaHa $1-;% *rote& @EtFhe discussion of chan"es in teacher beliefs about lan"ua"e
learnin" and teachin" is related to t*o processes: chan"es that pre9ser(ice teachers "o throu"h in
teacher education and chan"es made in their practice by in9ser(ice teachersA $p4 ;%4 This research
offers a "limpse into teachers5 beliefs about "roup *ork in both pre9ser(ice and in9ser(ice
conte'ts4
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Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
Materials and Procedures
Materials used for obser(ations in the four participants5 classes included an obser(ation
tool adapted for obser(in" and #uantifyin" "roup *ork $!ppendi' !%4 The obser(ation scheme is
a modified (ersion of one from Munan and Bailey $1--+% and re#uires that a tally is kept of the
fre#uency of "roup *ork durin" class4 I decided not to include all teacher directions "i(en *hile
settin" up a "roup *ork acti(ity into the total time de(oted to "roup *ork4 Modelin" is certainly
a crucial component of settin" up "roup *ork. ho*e(er& since there *as "reat (ariation in the
time that different teachers took to set up acti(ities& includin" fre#uent interruptions by students
durin" "roup *ork askin" for further clarification& I decided that only interaction bet*een
students should count as "roup *ork4 Group *ork included only in9class acti(ities *here
students *ere either paired or put in "roups of t*o or more to complete an acti(ity4 ! *ide
breadth of acti(ities *as co(ered under this type of classification and perhaps future studies can
focus on specific "roup *ork acti(ities4
I obser(ed classes as a non9participant obser(er4 !ccordin" to Munan and Bailey $1--+%
@classroom obser(ation EisF a family of related procedures for "atherin" data durin" actual
lan"ua"e lessons or tutorial sessions& primarily by *atchin"& listenin"& and recordin"A $p4 1D,%4
/urin" obser(ation I took hand9*ritten notes and *as the pro(erbial Nfly on the *all45 Students
populatin" the classrooms of the selected teachers *ere indirect participants in the research: no
information or participation *as asked of them4 In order to pre(ent the teacher from alterin"
hisCher class in any *ay based on the #uestionnaire& I obser(ed t*o classes of each participant
before the #uestionnaire solicitin" beliefs on "roup *ork *as distributed4
The #uestionnaire $!ppendi' B% *as distributed to participants in person4 Statements of
the #uestionnaire *ere desi"ned to represent a ran"e of aspects re"ardin" "roup *ork& thus
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Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
elicitin" responses that *ould su""est a "lobal picture of teacher beliefs about "roup *ork and
its percei(ed importance for lan"ua"e ac#uisition4 The #uestionnaire contains , controlled9
response items& each *ith a fi(e point Likert scale& *ith correspondin" to @disa"ree
completelyA and D correspondin" to @a"ree completely4A =inally& a follo*9up semi9structured
inter(ie* $!ppendi' C% consistin" of fi(e #uestions *as conducted in person once obser(ations
concluded and the #uestionnaire *as finished4 I conducted inter(ie*s shortly after I had
obser(ed the second class for each teacher& so that the e(ents that transpired in the classroom
*ere still fresh in the teacher5s mind4 Inspired by Richards $1--+%& I used a semi9structured
inter(ie* that @has a clear picture of the topics that need to be co(ered EKF but is prepared to
allo* the inter(ie* to de(elop in une'pected directionsA $p4 ,8%4
nal!sis
/ata from #uestionnaire responses *ere compiled in a Microsoft Word spreadsheet
$!ppendi' /%4 /ata *ere "rouped accordin" to *hether the statement represented "roup *ork
positi(ely $statements & 1& ;& 0& 8& ,& 1& 0& D& 3& ,% or ne"ati(ely $statements D& 3& +& -& &
;& 8%4 The likert scale (alues *ere then a(era"ed to determine an o(erall a"reement *ith
positi(e and ne"ati(e statements4 Total minutes allocated to "roup *ork *ere summed and
di(ided by the total class time obser(ed to "i(e an impression of the o(erall proportion of time
de(oted to "roup *ork4 /ue to the small sample si?e of participants it *as possible to compute
the data usin" 7'cel4
6articipant responses from the follo*9up inter(ie*s *ere tabulated $see !ppendi' 7%&
*ith key terms bolded summari?in" responses to the fi(e inter(ie* #uestions4 7ach inter(ie*
lasted bet*een 1D to ;- minutes. responses *ere transcribed usin" a computer4 The transcripts
*ere then analy?ed in order to retrie(e key terms that "i(e an o(erall impression of participants5

Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu

and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
responses4 I did not ha(e a priori hypotheses re"ardin" e'pected outcomes of responses because
as Sil(erman $1-% stated& @Ein #ualitati(e researchF hypotheses are often "enerated from the
analysis rather than stated at the outsetA $part & table 41%4 Based on three out of four participant
responses& one emer"in" hypothesis *as students5 (aried le(els of lan"ua"e proficiency as
reason for these participants to not assi"n "roup *ork in their classrooms $see !ppendi' 7%4
!nother hypothesis *as that for three participants& classroom conte't influenced the decision to
assi"n or not assi"n "roup *ork more so than beliefs4
My approach for interpretin" the data *as throu"h thematic codin" as a form of analysis
in #ualitati(e research $!ttride9Stirlin"& 1--%4 I follo*ed se(eral procedural steps similar to
those su""ested by !ttride9Stirlin" $% reduced data into mana"eable chunks& i4e4 dre* out salient
features from the *hole te't& $1% identified common themes& $;% re9arran"ed common themes
around lar"er or"ani?in" themes& and lastly $0% interpreted the emer"in" themes and patterns
pertainin" to the research #uestions4
Results
RQ "# What are lan$ua$e teacher %eliefs a%out the importance of $roup work for lan$ua$e
ac&uisition as revealed %! a self'report &uestionnaire(
6ositi(e statements about "roup *ork *ere lar"ely a"reed *ith by participants. the
a(era"e of positi(e statements about "roup *ork *as ;4D0 out of D for total a"reement4 With ;
bein" @neutralA and D bein" @stron"ly a"ree&A these ans*ers su""est a fairly consistent le(el of
a"reement *ith statements positi(ely e(aluatin" "roup *ork4 These results are further supported
by the fact that the a(era"e for ne"ati(e statements re"ardin" "roup *ork *as 14;D4 While this is
only 48D points belo* neutral& it does su""est that the participants disa"reed *ith ne"ati(e
statements about "roup *ork $Table belo* presents responses%4
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Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
Table
Summary of Survey Responses
6articipant Mean response on 6ositi(e
Statements
Mean Response on Me"ati(e
Statements
Buffy ;4+-+ 1401,
=aith ;4+-+ 141,D
Cordelia 14+-+ 1401
!nya ;40D0 14D3
RQ )# In two classroom o%servations of the same teacher* how much $roup work does
he+she assi$n(
G(erall& out of 80- minutes of class time obser(ed& +1 minutes *ere dedicated to "roup
*ork& thus ;-< of the time *as spent doin" "roup *ork4 The I7SL instructor& Buffy& dedicated
8- minutes to "roup *ork out of the total 8- minutes bet*een t*o classes4 The 6RC instructor&
=aith& dedicated 31 minutes to "roup *ork out of the total 10- minutes bet*een t*o classes
obser(ed4 The other t*o 6RC instructors& Cordelia and !nya each dedicated 8- minutes to "roup
*ork out of a total of 10- minutes bet*een t*o classes4 $Results are presented in Table 1 belo*%4
Table 1
Percentage of Class Time Devoted to Group Work
6articipant < of time
Buffy ;34D<
=aith ;-<
Cordelia 1D<
!nya 1D<
!t 8- minutes de(oted to "roup *ork out of a total 8-& Buffy dedicated the hi"hest
percenta"e of time to "roup *ork follo*ed by =aith& Cordelia and !nya4 With only t*o classes
per instructor obser(ed it is impossible to offer a comprehensi(e picture of ho* much these
teachers (alue "roup *ork by ho* much time they dedicate to "roup *ork throu"hout the
semester4 It must be noted thou"h that althou"h the mean of positi(e statements about "roup
*ork for both Buffy and =aith *as at ;4+& Buffy assi"ned 1D< more of her total class time to
;
Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
"roup *ork than =aith4 Still& *e cannot assume that Buffy (alues "roup *ork more than the other
three participants4 =urthermore& there is no "eneral consensus in research for *hat percenta"e of
class time should be spent on "roup *ork and this study did not aim to find the ideal time spent
doin" "roup *ork4
RQ ,# What are the reasons* as revealed %! a follow'up interview for teachers to use or not
use $roup work(
Reasons for not assi$nin$ $roup work
Buffy reported that she does not assi"n "roup *ork for lessons and acti(ities durin"
*hich she intended to focus on students5 accuracy& *hereas =aith& Cordelia and !nya cited
concern o(er students5 mi'ed lan"ua"e proficiency $see !ppendi' 7%4 !s 6RC instructors& they
ha(e classes *ith students of (aryin" lan"ua"e le(els& and I personally *itnessed some of the
disparities behind these teachers5 concerns4 =aith hesitated to assi"n "roup *ork because @a
hi"her proficiency student tends to take o(er "roup discussion4A In the t*o obser(ations of her
class& I *itnessed this phenomenon& *hich led the lo*er9le(el students to respond only in their
L& durin" "roup *ork discussion4 Cordelia e'pressed the same concern about assi"nin" "roup
*ork at the 6RC4 !nya reported the need to first "au"e ho* *ell students interact *ith each
other before assi"nin" them in "roups. *ith the semester at the 6RC in only its second *eek&
!nya may ha(e still felt uncertain about classroom dynamics4
Reasons for assi$nin$ $roup work
Buffy assi"ned "roup *ork because @"roup *ork creates communityA and because&
durin" "roup discussion& students @practice circumlocution&A *hich& as Buffy reported& is an
important strate"y for lan"ua"e learners4 =aith belie(ed that "roup *ork allo*s for lan"ua"in"
$S*ain& 1--8& 1--%& *hich =aith defined as @talkin" about lan"ua"e&A *hereas both Cordelia
0
Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
and !nya reported to use "roup *ork *hen students5 lan"ua"e proficiency *as similar $see
!ppendi' 7%4
RQ -# .ow have teacher trainin$ and education influenced teacher/s %eliefs a%out the
importance of $roup work for lan$ua$e ac&uisition as revealed %! the interview(
With the e'ception of Cordelia& all participants credited their teacher trainin" at MIIS for
either positi(ely or ne"ati(ely influencin" beliefs about "roup *ork $see !ppendi' 7%4 !s a
(eteran teacher& Cordelia referenced e'perience and intuition re"ardin" the class and le(el of
students for decidin" to assi"n or to not assi"n "roup *ork4 =aith reported that her education at
MIIS has o(ercomplicated her beliefs about "roup *ork4 She reported assi"nin" "roup *ork less
because she *as *orried that unless it *as properly implemented accordin" to @rules laid do*n
by some theoretical principle&A it *ould not support lan"ua"e ac#uisition4 !nya reported that her
teacher9trainin" pro"ram has positi(ely influenced her beliefs about "roup *ork in the
classroom4 She also credited her education for deepenin" her understandin" of *hat constitutes
"roup *ork beyond somethin" more than @some fake task like& make t*o people read a
dialo"ue4A Buffy e'pressed frustration o(er ha(in" to do so much "roup *ork as a learnin"
teacher& but she reali?ed that her trainin" *as leadin" by e'ample& usin" "roup9*ork hea(y
classes to illustrate the uses of "roup *ork4 Buffy reported assi"nin" "roup *ork re"ularly and
credited her teacher trainin" for positi(ely influencin" her beliefs about "roup *ork4
0iscussion
This research& albeit limited& supports the idea that differences bet*een learnin"
en(ironments influence ho* teachers5 beliefs translate into the classroom $/uffy& +,1. /uffy )
Ball& +,8. Lampert& +,D%4 Ideally& *e *ould find oursel(es in a perfect classroom *here each
student is at the same lan"ua"e le(el but e'perience sho*s that this is often not the case4 Many
D
Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
teachers find themsel(es in similar conte'ts to the 6RC& and thus one crucial part of teacher
education should focus on teachin" future instructors ho* to successfully implement "roup *ork
in a less9than9ideal classroom4 !s an instructor at the Intensi(e 7n"lish as a Second Lan"ua"e
$I7SL% pro"ram at MIIS& Buffy& assi"ned 1D< more "roup *ork than the other three participants.
also Buffy *as the only respondent *ho did not mention classroom conte't as a reason for not
assi"nin" "roup *ork4 Buffy5s students are hi"h9intermediate to hi"h9ad(anced4 !dditionally&
they are in their second semester& and thus already used to participatin" in classroom discussion
and "roup *ork4 The maHority of the students at the 6RC& ho*e(er& are adult immi"rants *ith
little to no literacy and *ithout formal education in the Onited States4 Many of these students are
simply not accustomed to academic discourse in the OS& and are unfamiliar *ith "roup *ork in
the classroom4 Thus& these findin"s su""est that it is crucial to prepare future teachers for
classrooms *ith students of di(erse cultural back"rounds4 Indeed if "roup *ork is important for
lan"ua"e ac#uisition& it is e#ually important to prepare future teachers to implement "roup *ork
in challen"in" classroom situations4
Limitations
/Prnyei and Ta"uchi $1--% listed many ad(anta"es to #uestionnaires such as cost
effecti(eness& and researcher time and effort4 They *arned& ho*e(er& that there are many
disad(anta"es to a #uestionnaire such as the simplicity and superficiality of ans*ers&
unmoti(ated respondents& self9deception and fati"ue effects $/Prnyei ) Ta"uchi& 1--& pp4 39+%4
Se(eral procedural steps as proposed by /Prnyei and Ta"uchi *ere taken in order to construct a
"ood #uestionnaire4 The len"th of the #uestionnaire *as considered in order to circum(ent the
fati"ue effect4 !t only , #uestions& the sur(ey took at most D minutes to complete& accordin"
to participants4 The #uestionnaire has clear instructions& and *as desi"ned to focus solely on
8
Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
elicitin" responses on teacher beliefs about "roup *ork resultin" in responses& *hich pertain
directly to the research at hand4 Gb(iously e(en the best #uestionnaire has its fla*s& and ,
responses on the sur(ey used for this research cannot ade#uately sum up teacher beliefs about
"roup *ork4
=or this reason& a follo*9up semi9structured inter(ie* *as conducted in person *ith each
participant in order to address some possible "aps in the #uestionnaire4 Io*e(er& e(en the
inter(ie* cannot sum up participants5 beliefs about the importance of "roup *ork in the
classroom4 =or e'ample& t*o of my participants are completin" their last semester at MIIS& and I
kno* firsthand ho* ta'in" and busy the last semester can be4 It is (ery possible that despite my
best attempt to keep the inter(ie* short at only fi(e #uestions& participants could ha(e rushed
throu"h their responses *ithout reflectin" because of time concerns4
This research has other important limitations that must be ackno*led"ed4 /espite the
attempt to remain hidden& a researcher5s presence could ha(e influenced class dynamics&
includin" teachers5 beha(ior4 WaHnryb $++1% *arned that not only does the presence of a (isitor
affect the classroom dynamics but that @obser(ers need to reali?e that the samples of data
brou"ht from the classroom are ine(itably limited& and that s*eepin" "enerali?ations should be
a(oidedA $p4 +%4 Thus e(en thou"h I obser(ed t*o instead of one class for each participant& t*o
classes out of an entire semester is too little time to make o(erall "enerali?ations about
participants5 use or lack of "roup *ork in the classroom4
!t only four participants& the sample si?e is too small to make stron" "enerali?ations
about the influence of teacher trainin" on participants5 beliefs about "roup *ork and classroom
peda"o"y4 ! more e'tensi(e in(esti"ation& lookin" at not only current teachers in trainin"& but
also participants that ha(e "raduated from the same pro"ram durin" the last se(eral years is
3
Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
needed4
1onclusion
This study does not present a simple relationship bet*een teacher beliefs about "roup
*ork and its implementation in the classroom but it does su""est the need to prepare future
teachers for implementin" "roup *ork in a mi'ed9le(el proficiency classroom4 This research also
su""ests the need for teacher education pro"rams to prepare future teachers for classrooms in
(arious conte'ts& from more academically oriented 7n"lish to community outreach pro"rams4
T*o out of the four participants reported that teacher education and trainin" ha(e positi(ely
influenced beliefs about "roup *ork& *hereas another e'pressed that teacher education has
o(ercomplicated the idea of "roup *ork and made her less likely to assi"n it e(en thou"h she
belie(ed in its usefulness4
6articipants reported that classroom dynamics and interpersonal relationships bet*een
students *ere influencin" factors on *hether to assi"n "roup *ork. teachers reported fear of
talkati(e students takin" o(er "roup discussion4 This findin" su""ests the need to also prepare
future teachers for (arious student personalities and appropriate *ays to address them4
There are se(eral *ays in *hich future studies could address the limitations of this
research: at only four participants& the sample si?e is too small to offer any conclusi(e data4 !
lon"itudinal study in(ol(in" more participants *ould yield much more comprehensi(e data4
=urther research should be done on the ideal amount of time spent on "roup *ork in order to
e'plore the relationship bet*een teacher beliefs about "roup *ork and the amount of "roup *ork
assi"ned in the classroom& includin" the type of "roup *ork acti(ities that are most beneficial for
lan"ua"e ac#uisition4 Me(ertheless& this research importantly illustrates that due to lo"istical
considerations re"ardin" implementation of "roup *ork in the classroom& positi(e beliefs
,
Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
re"ardin" "roup *ork do not automatically translate into its use in the lan"ua"e classroom4
References
!ll*ri"ht& /4& ) Bailey& >4 $++%4 Focus on the language classroom: An introduction to
classroom research for language teachers4 Glas"o*& O4>4: Bell )9Bain4
!ttride9Stirlin"& Q4 $1--%4 Thematic net*orks: an analytic tool for #ualitati(e research4
ualitative Research& !$;%& ;,D90-D4
Bailey& >4 $1--%4 What my 7=L students tau"ht me4 The PAC "ournal !$%& 39;4
Barcelos& !4 M4 =4& ) >alaHa& 64 $1-1%4 Beliefs in second lan"ua"e ac#uisition: Teacher4 In C4
!4 Chappelle4 The encyclopedia of applied linguistics# Black*ell 6ublishin" Ltd4
Block& /4 $1--;%4 The social turn in second language ac$uisition4 Geor"eto*n& Washin"ton&
+
Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
/C: Geor"eto*n Oni(ersity 6ress4
Bor"& M4 $1--%4 Teachers5 beliefs4 %&T "ournal' (($1%& ,89,,4
Bor"& S4 $1-%4 The impact of in9ser(ice teacher education on lan"ua"e teachers5 beliefs4
System )*$;%& ;3-9;,-4
Bro*n& I4 /4 $1--3%4 Teaching +y principles, An interactive approach to language pedagogy
-)
rd
ed.# Iarlo*& 7n"land: Lon"manC6earson 7SL4
Canale& M4& ) S*ain& M4 $+,-%4 Theoretical bases of communicati(e approaches to second
lan"ua"e teachin" and testin"4 Applied &inguistics' !$%& 9034
/onato& R4 $++0%4 Collecti(e scaffoldin" in second lan"ua"e learnin"4 In Q4 Lantolf& ) G4
!ppels $7ds4%& /ygotskian approaches to second language research' $pp4 ;;90D8%4
Mor*ood& MQ: !ble'4
/Prnyei& B4 ) Ta"uchi& T4 $1--%4 uestionnaires in second language research, Construction'
administration and processing4 Me* Jork& MJ: Routled"e4
/uff& 64 $1--,%4 Case study research in applied linguistics4 Me* Jork& MJ: Taylor ) =rancis4
/uffy& G4 $+,1%4 =i"htin" off the alli"ators: What research in real classrooms has to say about
readin" instruction4 "ournal of Reading 0ehavior' !1$0%& ;D39;3;4
/uffy& G4& ) Ball& /4 $+,8%4 Instructional decision makin" and readin" teacher effecti(eness4
In Q4 Ioffman $7d4%& %ffective teaching of reading, Research and practice $pp4 8;9,-%4
Me*ark& /7: International Readin" !ssociation4
Gran"er& C4 !4 $1-;%4 Silence and participation in the lan"ua"e classroom4 In C4 !4
Chappelle4 The encyclopedia of applied linguistics4 Black*ell 6ublishin" Ltd4
Iall& Q4 >4& ) 2erplaetse& L4 S4 $7ds4%4 $1---%4 Second and foreign language learning through
classroom interaction4 !bin"don: Routled"e4
1-
Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
>umara(adi(elu& B4 $1--;%4 0eyond methods, 2acrostrategies for language teaching4 Me*
Ia(en: Jale Oni(ersity 6ress4
Larsen9=reeman& /4 $1--;%4 Teaching language, From grammar to grammaring4 Boston&
M!: Ieinle Cen"a"e4
Lon"& M4 I4& ) 6orter& 64 !4 $+,D%4 Group *ork& interlan"ua"e talk& and second lan"ua"e
ac#uisition4 T%S3& $uarterly' !*$1%& 1-3911,4
Maloof& M4 B4 24 M4 $1---%4 Io* teachers can build on student9proposed interte'tual links
to facilitate student talk in the 7SL classroom4 In Q4 >4 Iall& ) L4 S4 2erplaetse $7ds4%4
Second and foreign language learning through classroom interaction $pp4 ;+9DD%4
!bin"don: Routled"e4
Munan& /4 $++1%4 Research methods in language learning4 Me* Jork& MJ: Cambrid"e
Oni(ersity 6ress4
Munan& /4 ) Bailey& >4 $1--+%4 %4ploring second language classroom research, A
comprehensive guide4 Boston& M!: Ieinle Cen"a"e4
6hipps& S4& ) Bor"4 S4 $1--+%4 7'plorin" tensions bet*een teachers5 "rammar teachin" beliefs
and practices4 System' )5$;%& ;,-9;+-4
Ra?far& !4 $1-1%4 Marratin" beliefs: ! lan"ua"e ideolo"ies approach to teacher beliefs4
Anthropology 6 %ducation uarterly' 1)$%& 89,4
Richards& >4 $1--+%4 Inter(ie*s In Q4 Iei"ham ) R4 !4 Croker $7ds4%& ualitative research in
applied linguistics $pp4 ,19++%4 Baskin"stone& O>: 6al"ra(e MacMillan4
Sil(erman& /4 $1-%4 7nterpreting $ualitative data, A guide to the principles of $ualitative
research# $0
th
ed4%4 London: S!G74
Sla(in& 74 $+,;%4 Student team learning, An overvie8 and practical guide# Mational
1
Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
7ducation !ssociation of the Onited States4
Stot?& /4 $++%4 /er+al interaction in small9group activities, A process study of an %nglish
language learning classroom4 Tubin"en& Germany: Gunter Marr 2erla"4
S*ain& M4 $1--8%4 Lan"ua"in"& a"ency and collaboration in ad(anced lan"ua"e proficiency4
In I4 Byrnes $7d4%& !d(anced lan"ua"e learnin": The contribution of Ialliday and
2y"otsky $pp4 +D9-,%4 London: Continuum4
S*ain& M4 $1---%4 The output hypothesis and beyond: Mediatin" ac#uisition throu"h
collaborati(e dialo"ue4 In Q4 64 Lantolf $7d4%& Sociocultural theory and second language
learning $pp4 +390%4 G'ford: G'ford Oni(ersity 6ress4
S*ain& M4 $1--%4 Talkin" it throu"h: Lan"ua"in" as a source of learnin"4 In R4 Batstone $7d4%&
Sociocognitive perspectives on second language learning and use $pp4 19;-%4 G'ford:
G'ford Oni(ersity 6ress4
Tsui& !4 B4 M4 $++8%4 Reticence and an'iety in second lan"ua"e learnin"4 In >4 M4 Bailey ) /4
Munan $7ds4%& /oices from the language classroom, ualitative research in second
language education $pp4 0D983%4 Me* Jork& MJ: Cambrid"e Oni(ersity 6ress4
2y"otsky& L4 S4 $+3,%4 2ind in society4 Cambrid"e& M!: Iar(ard Oni(ersity 6ress4
WaHnryb& R4 $++1%4 Classroom o+servation task, A resource +ook for language teachers and
trainers4 Cambrid"e: Cambrid"e Oni(ersity 6ress4
11
Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
!ppendi' !
2%servation Tool for the mount of Group Work in the 1lassroom
Time Activity Characterized as
Group Work as defined in the
Research Proposal
Activity not Constituting
Group Work
Notes
1;
Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
!ppendi' B
Group Work 3urve!
$online (ersion appears as sin"le pa"e%
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1nHaQC5qrTKbwIa3nph8jNV8C2t-XUzDHBCermY_qDM8/viewform
10
Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
1D
Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
18
Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
13
Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
1,
Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
!ppendi' C
Interview
4 Io* do you see the role of "roup *ork in the classroomL
14 /o you belie(e that "roup *ork in the classroom is important for lan"ua"e ac#uisitionL 6lease
elaborate on your ans*erR
;4 What are some reasons *hy you *ould choose to not assi"n "roup *ork durin" your classL
04 In *hat *ays has your education and trainin" at MIIS influenced your peda"o"ical beliefs
about teachin" and learnin"L
D4 In *hat *ays has your education and trainin" at MIIS influenced your beliefs about the use of
"roup *ork in the classroomL
!ppendi' /
1+
Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
Questionnaire Responses
3tatement Buff! Faith 1ordelia n!a
"4 Positive 5 - - -
)4 Positive - 5 , -
,4 Positive , , ) ,
-4 Positive - 5 , ,
54 6e$ative , , " )
74 Positive , - , ,
84 6e$ative ) " - ,
94 Positive - 5 - -
:4 6e$ative ) - ) )
";4 6e$ative , ) ) )
""4 6e$ative ) " " )
")4 Positive , , " ,
",4 6e$ative , " " )
"-4 Positive 5 5 - -
"54 Positive - , ) -
"74 6e$ative ) - - ,
"84 Positive - , , )
"94 Positive - , , -
!ppendi' 7
;-
Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
Qualitative 0ata
Questions Buff! Faith 1ordelia n!a
4 Io* do you
see the role of
"roup *ork in
the classroomL
Important
because it
pro(ides students
*ith a chance to
interact4 Group
*ork creates
communit!
6ecessar!& but
must be done
correctly4 /ifficult
if students not on
the same pa"e
It5s fine as lon"
as the level of
students is the
same
It depends on
ho* you desi$n
and implement
it
14 /o you
belie(e that
"roup *ork is
important for
lan"ua"e
ac#uisitionL
Jes& because it
pro(ides students
*ith the chance
to practice
circumlocution
to ha(e their
meanin"
understood
Jes& allo*s for
lan$ua$in$& but
also detrimental
dependin$ on
conte<t
I don/t think
it/s necessar!
but it doesn5t
hurt4 It *orks
*ell in a hi"her
le(el9class
6ot necessar!
for lan$ua$e
ac&uisition but
doesn5t hurt4
Gften students
hate doin" it
;4 What are
some of the
reasons *hy you
*ould choose to
not assi"n "roup
*ork durin"
classL
When I need to
focus on
accurac!4 I don5t
think students
should interrupt
each other to
offer corrections
If I belie(e
students are not
a%le to perform
the task without
aid4 =ear that one
talkative student
will take over
I *ould not if I
thou"ht the le(el
of students is
(ery different4
!t the 6RC for
e'ample& a
hi"her le(el
student tends to
take o(er "roup
*ork completely
I would not
assi$n $roup
work until I $et
a feel for the
classroom and
had the chance
to obser(e how
students
interact *ith
each other
04 In *hat *ays
ha(e your
education and
trainin" at MIIS
influenced your
peda"o"ical
beliefs about
teachin" and
learnin"L
It has sparked
an interest in
content'%ased
teachin$
This idea that !ou
must alwa!s have
a task4 =eelin"s of
"uilt if students
aren5t busy all the
time durin" class
MIIS has
definitely made
me see the
importance of
conductin$ a
needs
assessment
It5s made me see
that te<t%ooks
do not need to
have a central
role in the
classroom4 !nd
that a classroom
should %e
learner instead
of teacher
centered
D4 In *hat *ays
ha(e your
education and
trainin" at MIIS
influenced your
beliefs about the
I had to do a lot
of "roup *ork as
a "rad student&
*hich *as
frustratin"& but
no* I see that
2vercomplicated
and
pro%lemati=ed the
idea of $roup
work4 Made me
cautious to use it
I hasn/t reall!
chan$ed m!
%eliefs a%out
$roup work4 I
tau"ht for many
years and
0efinitel! made
me want to use
$roup work
more in the
classroom4 !nd
not some fake
;
Teacher Beliefs about Group Work Lina Shehu
and the Implementation of Group Work in the Classroom
use of "roup
*ork in the
classroomL
they *ere
leadin$ %!
e<ample4
Sho*in" us *hy
it5s important
usually I "et a
sense of *hen to
assi"n it based
on a particular
class
task like& make
t*o people read
a dialo"ue and
call it "roup
*ork4 I ha(e a
much better idea
ho* to desi"n
and implement
"roup *ork
because of my
education at
MIIS
;1