Small Group Teaching: Stages, Roles, and Effectiveness

1. Small group teaching Laura Gillespie, ST5 GUM PG Cert HPE, PG Dip Clin Ed

2. Overview • Overview of small group work • Stages of group development • Planning your lesson: - Structure - Layout • Role of the leader • When groups go wrong - Challenging behaviours

3. First, let’s think • Are you currently involved in organising small group teaching? • How do you usually structure/plan your sessions? • Any challenging behaviours or experiences? How did you manage them?

4. Small group teaching • Typical view of small group is 8-12, can be bigger/smaller • Facilitated by a teacher • More learner-centred • Enables all learners to participate in discussions/activities • Teams - generally more successful than individuals • Process - affects outcome-greater commitment + success

5. Disadvantages • Doesn’t work for every task • Resources/staff

6. Activities suited to group work • Completing complex tasks requiring input from multiple members • Solving problems / PBL • Developing communication skills • Developing and applying new ideas • Changing individuals’ attitudes • Developing transferable skills for CPD/work place

7. Not suited to group tasks • Memorising facts • Simple routine tasks (could be achieved by one person) • Expert tasks (requiring input largely from individual expert) • Individual activities eg essay writing.

8. GROUP 5-6 members Autonomy to address the task set Effective leader or facilitator Mix of skills Resources - enough time/admin support MEMBERS Work together, don’t compete Take incentives collectively Aware of group process- understand group objectives The ideal group TASK Involves all members, drawing on different skills Concrete task rather than abstract Defines objects with measurable indicators of success

9. What happens in groups? • Group behaviour • Task behaviour • Individual behaviour

10. GROUP BEHAVIOUR- to allow group to work together - Trust + support, set standards for behaviours - Encourage contributions from all members - Resolve differences between members

11. TASK BEHAVIOUR - aiming to achieve defined task - Stating goals, problems, proposals - Exchanging opinions/information - Combining, building on ideas - Seeking, tasking decisions

12. INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOUR- orientated to the needs + interests of the individual, may interfere with group process - Blocking for own personal reasons/agenda - Dominating other members withdrawn - Aggression - Forming cliques

13. Ground rules • Time management • Being prepared • Listen to others, don’t interrupt, respect contributions • Participate • Say when don’t understand • Silence mobile phones • Confidentiality

14. Stages of Group Development Forming Storming Performing Norming Tuckman’s Framework

15. Forming - Group comes together for the first time - Teacher can help by facilitating introductions, ice- breaking tasks, explaining tasks+purpose of the group • Storming - Group is actively trying to carry out a task - May be conflict between one or more group members (attempting to change group to fit own needs) as the group sorts itself out and becomes more functional - Teacher can help by clarifying + reflecting ideas, smoothing over and moderating conflicts, and acting as a go-between between members.

16. Norming - Group begins to share ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and to develop shared norms (increased area of consensus) - Teacher can help by clarifying ideas + ground rules, encouraging more reticent people to participate and moving the group towards its purpose. • Performing - Group focuses on the activity and starts to work together as a team to perform the set tasks - Teacher's role is to keep the group focused, encourage and facilitate as necessary

17. Planning the session Identify Learners’ needs Define Aims/ILOs Plan structure /timings/ teaching + learning methods to deliver the ILOs Prepare materials/evaluation Explain and check agreement on tasks Monitor development of the task Control time boundaries Adapted from Jaques 2003

18. 20 mins - review of anatomy and examination/ sampling on female model. Opportunity for practice 10 mins - management of common causes of pelvic pain 10 mins - intro , aims of session 10 mins - learner centred activity - causes of pelvic pain Structure/timings 10 mins - action plan/evaluation • Vary timings and activities Eg. pelvic pain teaching 60 mins

19. Teaching methods • Buzz groups – close interactions 2-3 people, few minutes, pull whole group together once ‘buzz’ quietens • Snowballing + pyramiding – amalgamating buzz groups into progressively larger groups, then feedback in plenary session. Each layer has an extra layer of responsibility • Sequenced reports – feed back from subgroups. Using audio-visual aids eg flipcharts

20. Role play – eg mock patient consultation • Brain storming – generate ideas, filter them

21. Layout • The layout of the room influences group function: -Relationship between group participants -Relationship between participants and the tutor

22. Chairs facing the teacher • Quite formal • Tutor leads the group • Good for mini lecture • Not good for facilitating group discussion T

23. U-shaped layout • Teacher leads the group • Participants can see each other • Make eye contact, talk in pairs T

24. Teacher set within group • Table - barrier/useful for taking notes • Relaxed discussion, some group work • Teacher cant easily make contact with all • Some members may feel less included T

25. Horseshoe layout • Everyone visible • Teacher leads discussions • Group/pairs can discuss • No tables T

26. Enables group discussion • Teacher part of group rather than leader • Eye contact throughout • Participation encouraged T

27. Larger groups - ‘cafeteria/cabaret’ style T

28. Role of leader • Learning environment • Time management • Flow • Group dynamics • Achievement of outcomes

29. Teacher styles Facilitator: • Lead discussion • Ask open questions • Guides process/task, ensuring best possible outcomes • Enable active participation of learners and engagement with ideas

30. Other roles • Instructor - imparting information • Neutral chair - ‘that’s a good point, what do others think?” • Devil’s advocate - “what if ..?” • The commentator - recap • Absent Friend - “whilst I’m gone, discuss …” • The wanderer - “how are you getting on with the task? One thing you might consider is….”

31. Evaluating group process Aims • To enable group members to understand the process of interaction • Members become aware of strengths/weaknesses, style of working/thinking • Consider alternative approaches • Assist group in moving towards a more advanced stage of development (eg reflecting on storming/conflict)

32. Evaluating the group process(2) • How well have individuals engaged with each other+ task? • Conflicts resolved or repressed? • Task achieved? • Final decision reached by consensus, negotiation, domination? • Group consistent in solving problems/ creating solutions?

34. Managing difficult situations • Persistent talker • Quiet learner • Attitudes

35. The persistent talker

36. The persistent talker

37. Quiet people

38. Quiet people

39. Attitudes

40. Attitudes

42. Finally.. Think back to the beginning of the session … • How do you usually structure/plan your sessions? • Any challenging behaviours or experiences? How did you manage them? Would you do anything differently ??

44. References • Elfh- small group teaching • Groups - a guide to small group working in healthcare management education and research . Elwyn, Greenhalgh, Macfarlane