Ward, Beatrice
Researchers: Beatrice Ward
University Affiliation: University of Wisconsin - Madison
Email: award@education.wisc.edu
Research Question:
Some types of instructional grouping that contribute to more positive academic and affective outcomes for students.
Published: 1
Journal Name or Institutional Affiliation: NW Archives - Regional Educational Laboratory
Journal Entry: Close-Up # 2
Year: 1987
Findings:
- Instructional Grouping is used to assure that all students learn, to increase student engagement in learning, to teach students how to work with others, to facilitate social interaction among students, to motivate students, to improve students’ self-concepts and attitudes toward self and school, to teach students how to learn in a variety of ways.
- For instructional grouping to be effective there must be: teacher planning and preparation, determined tasks to be completed, instructional groups with four to six students instead of larger groups, groups with mixed ability composition, with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds which encourage interaction and friendship among diverse students at the classroom and school as well as the group level, specified roles and responsibilities for people in groups, advance training of students, effective teaching skills, clarity, monitoring, reinforcement and feedback, substantive teacher time, evaluation, and review of group composition.
- It is important to keep in mind when using instructional groups: the permanence of group (necessary to change group composition on a frequent basis), teacher perceptions and expectations and group assignment, the importance of group placement, instruction in pull-out vs. regular classroom instruction, changes in the role of the teacher required by instructional groups.