| How do we know which pupils are likely to work well together? |
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Research taster
When children of different ages work together in small groups the older children tend to tutor the younger ones, rather than to engage in more equal collaboration between them. Whilst this is not the object of the grouping arrangement it seems to help boost the confidence of the quieter pupils and to raise the reading achievement of both pupils.  But how do you know who is going to work well with whom?
Your evidence
You may like to explore more deeply the ways in which older (or perhaps more mature?) pupils interact with each other. Would it be helpful to develop a schedule which lists different kinds of contact? This should be in terms of descriptive and visible actions (so that the amount you have to infer is low) and which do not overlap (so that the categories are exclusive). For example, you could try classifying pupil contacts with other pupils using categories such as: `instructional', `managerial', `social' and `other'. You - or a colleague - could collect the data by tallying during a set time interval for different pupils. It might then be possible for you to try to identify any patterns of contact based on gender, ethnicity, class, attainments, achievement or personalities. Which particular type of contact seemed to help less confident learners? How did it help them? (Adapted from Reflective Activity 12-1c) Moving forward Would this information help you organise pupils for paired or small group activities? Could you try out different combinations of pupils using the patterns of interaction you have identified to help you?  Find out more about the SPRinG project in Scotland at:http://www.tlrp.org/proj/phase111/Scot_extb.html Find out more about peer-tutoring at: The Research informed Practice website digests: |
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