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ERIC Number: EJ1332115
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Mar
Pages: 3
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0031-921X
EISSN: N/A
Share It, Don't Split It: Can Equitable Group Work Improve Student Outcomes?
Doucette, Danny; Singh, Chandralekha
Physics Teacher, v60 n3 p166-168 Mar 2022
Imagine two groups of students in your physics class or lab. In Group A, the students each take on a different task but invest an equal amount of time, energy, and effort in what they do. For example, one student might be the note-taker, while another operates the calculator, computer, or experimental apparatus, and a third keeps everyone on track and makes sure the group is completing assignments correctly. In Group B, on the other hand, the students divide up the work equitably, making sure that each group member participates in every aspect of the various types of work that need to be done. In this case, each student takes a turn operating the apparatus, records their own data, and does some of the analysis. Survey results that we analyzed show that students prefer to work in Group A, but that their physics interest and self-efficacy are boosted most by Group B-style work. In particular, we find that Group B-style work is especially beneficial for women, a group that has historically been marginalized in physics. Thus, improving the equity of group work may be a productive step in efforts to improve equity in our field. In this context, we view equitable learning as providing equitable access to physics classes, inclusive learning environments that meet the needs of all students equitably, and learning outcomes that are not biased toward or against any groups of students. In order to improve equitable learning, we encourage educators to find ways to structure student learning to support Group B-style collaborative learning experiences for students.
American Association of Physics Teachers. One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740. Tel: 301-209-3300; Fax: 301-209-0845; e-mail: pubs@aapt.org; Web site: http://aapt.scitation.org/journal/pte
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A