Being able to listen to each other is a key skill pupils’ need to develop for effective group-working . In effective group-work a key type of listening is interactive in which listeners have to act in some way on what they have heard. In doing so they also need to show an intention to participate e.g. by showing appropriate body language or facial expression.

Evidence and reflection
You may find it helpful to analyse the extent of these skills among your pupils during group-work. Some individuals will not have acquired any such skills and thus find it very hard to draw attention to the fact that they want to join in. Others may find it hard to notice tentative moves by group members and therefore may not 'let others in'.

Could you observe a particular group of pupils to explore how good they are at listening and responding, and how responsive others are to their wish to get involved? You may find it even more helpful to ask a colleague to observe a group too so that you cover more children.
Based on Reflective Activity Checklist 12-1d http://www.rtweb.info/ch12/ra12-1d.html

Putting the evidence to work
Could you help your pupils acquire the social and communicative skills needed to be effective listeners by modeling the process with a colleague in front of the class?  To make it more pupil-focused would it be a helpful idea to model listening with some pupils? Would it be helpful to their learning for you to ‘do it wrong’ in order to attract comment from the pupils?

Find out more about the SPRinG project at:
http://www.tlrp.org/proj/phase11/phase2a.html

Find out more about planning and implementing group-work:
The Research Informed Practice website digests:
Gillies, R.M., The effects of cooperative learning on junior high school students during small group learning
http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/research/themes/pupil_grouping/ThuAug261107362004/

Wegerif, R., Littleton, K., Dawes, L., Mercer, N. and Rowe, D. Widening access to educational opportunities through teaching children how to reason together
http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/research/themes/speakandlisten/wegerif_access/