Recent research has shown that group learning is a method of classroom organisation with which many teachers feel uncomfortable. Yet well done it can produce greater independence, greater cooperation and better quality work from children of all abilities.
Talking and Learning in Groups, like the rest of the Leverhulme skills series attempts to identify in general terms the competencies and strategies which are needed for this aspect of class management and to guide teachers in discovering what works for them. The modular text gives evidence of the success of cooperative learning and discusses its various forms. It them gives specific guidance on how to do it. There are individual sections on choosing groups, on groups management and training and on monitoring and assessment. The text is supported by activities, both for discussion and for use in the classroom and by transcripts of actual classroom conversations, and illustrated with ten specially comissioned black and white photos showing various aspects of cooperative learning.