The implementation of group work in Hong Kong: A case study

Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 2, Issue 2, Article 5 (Dec., 2001)
Simmi Ho-Yan TAM
The implementation of group work in Hong Kong: A case study

Previous Contents Next

Professional Support for Teachers in Group Work
Before leading group work activities in classes, teachers must conceptually understand the nature of cooperative learning, its step-by-step approach; and the expectations for its effective implementation. At the same time, the introduction of such innovative and non-conventional educational strategy requires teachers' enthusiasm. Teachers' skills and training in cooperative learning, their enthusiasm and attitudes, will affect their selection of cooperative learning methods and success in implementation. If a teacher is knowledgeable, confident, and enthusiastic about cooperative learning, the probability of an effective and enjoyable cooperative learning experience for both teachers and students will be greater. If not, cooperative learning will only become a passing fad.
One of the most constructive contributions we can make to enhance the teaching and learning effectiveness is to encourage cooperation among teachers and the use of cooperative learning in the classroom. Encouraging teacher cooperation is as important as reinforcing it among students. It is essential that teachers can establish goals in cooperative learning through the interdependence and interaction among teachers. Providing feedback about each other's teaching can help to improve teaching skills. Team teaching, collaborating in social studies curricula, establishing support groups in which teachers providing help and assistance to each other, coordinating strategies for teaching difficult students - are examples of positive interaction among teachers. Finally, these efforts will immensely increase our enjoyment of teaching and working in schools, as well as encouraging cooperation among students in classrooms.
There is no doubt that support groups succeed if they provide clear goals with interdependence among themselves, clear procedures, and active participation by teachers. Task-oriented problem solving, as well as empathy and mutual support, should dominate the group's climate. The three key activities of professional support group are (Little, 1981):
1. Frequent professional discussions on cooperative learning, including sharing successes.
2. Co-planning, designing, preparing, and evaluating curriculum materials to implement cooperative learning in the classrooms of members.
3. Reciprocal observations of each other teaching a cooperatively structured lesson, and joint processing of those observations.
Johnson & Johnson (1984) stated that within the professional support group, there must be frequent, continuous, and increasingly concrete and precise talk about the use of cooperative learning procedures. Teachers can build a specific and accurate strategy, which describes the complexity of using cooperative learning procedures, distinguish one practice and its virtues from anther, and integrate these procedures into other teaching practices and methods already in use. Through such discussion, teachers exchange information on successful procedures and materials. Besides, they can also focus on solving specific problems together and may receive help to perfect their use of cooperative learning strategies.