The Role of Group Work in Teacher Training Aušra Janulienė Institute of Foreign Languages Vilnius university

Some terms: To facilitate – to make an action or a process possible or easier, e.g. to facilitate learning, economic growth, etc. A facilitator – a person who helps sb to do sth more easily by discussing problems, giving advice, etc., rather than telling them what to do To monitor – to watch and check sth over a period of time in order to see how it develops, so that you can make any necessary changes To elicit - to get information or a reaction from somebody, often with difficulty

Why?

Groups and ME Positive experience: Think of any kind of group you have belonged to which you really enjoyed and benefited from. Jot down some of the characteristics of this group, and the reasons why belonging to it was a positive experience for you. How did you behave in this group and what did you contribute to it? Negative experience Think of any group you have belonged to which you really didn’t enjoy or which didn’t function well. What were the characteristics of this group and the reasons why belonging to it was a negative experience to you?

Teacher/tutor characteristics in learning groups: Dominant low-profile Strict easy-going Directive non-directive Subject-orientated people-orientated Remote, distant approachable A talker a listener Always knows sometimes admits to not knowing Takes all decisions about the course– --negotiates decisions with the group Doesn’t ask for feedback solicits and acts on feedback FACILITATION vs TEACHING?

Stages of group development What is group cohesion (members become bound to their group by strong social bonds) for you? Can you give examples? What are the positive and negative consequences of cohesion? Does team building enhance group productivity? What stages have the groups you have known well in your career passed through as they developed over time? In what ways do groups change over time?

The 4 seasons of group development: Winter – the stage of defensiveness Trust is often low, anxiety is high. “The ground may be frozen, and the weather is stormy.” Spring – the stage is working through defensiveness Trust is building, anxiety is reducing, and a new culture is being developed. “New life starts to break through the surface crust”. Summer – the stage of authentic behaviour Trust is high, there is openness to self and others, risk taking, caring and sharing. “There is an abundance of growth and the sun is high”. Autumn – closure Participants gather to examine the fruits of their learning and to transfer it to their lives. There is a celebration and sadness in farewells. “The fruit is harvested and stored, the harvesters give thanks and go away”. Hogan,C.2003

Specific functions/moves of a discussion leader 1.Initiating 2.Managing contributions 3.Structuring 4.Moving towards clarity and keeping discussions on track 5.Personalizing 6.Providing/identifying direction 7.Moving levels 8.Probing contributions 9.Dealing with conflict 10.Commenting on the process 11.Giving/getting feedback 12.…………………………..

Developing as a facilitator: true or false? 1.The facilitator needs to remain neutral, s/he should not take sides or express his/her opinion 2.Silent members of a group should be allowed to stay silent – some people learn the best by observing. 3.If a group member is monopolizing the floor, the facilitator needs to intervene in the interest of the whole group. 4.If someone strays off the topic, the facilitator needs to intervene and bring the discussion back on track. 5.Maintaining a positive, supportive atmosphere is more important than achieving group goals. 6.If there is a conflict between two members of the group, the best thing is to ignore it and move on. 7.If one or two people give visible signs of switching off and not listening, you need to remind them of the ground rules of working in groups. 8.Ultimately, the facilitator is responsible for the success or failure of a learning group

Practitioner perspectives on aspects of facilitation 1.What does group facilitation mean to you? 2.Do you think it makes sense to use the word facilitator? Why/why not? 3.What do you find most challenging about group facilitation? 4.What do you think is the best way to become a better facilitator? 5.Is there anything which makes it difficult to put group facilitation into practice in your own context?