Developing Collaboration Skills in a Year 10 English Literature Class
Authors
Mitchell, Simon
Johari, Nor Azreen Syahira M Khair
Chea, Khor Mey
Ariel, Edward
Issue Date
2024
Educational Level
ISCED Level 3 Upper secondary education
Curriculum Area
Geographical Setting
Malaysia
Abstract
Context: This study was conducted with a Year 10 high-ability English Literature class at Tenby International School, Setia Eco Hill, Malaysia. It aimed to incorporate interpersonal skills, specifically collaboration, into the curriculum through poetry study, enhancing students' collaborative skills and literary understanding.
Aims: The main goal of the lesson study was to foster collaboration skills in a structured academic setting, enabling students to develop essential life skills while deepening their understanding of literary texts. By embedding collaboration into the study of poetry, the study sought to create a participatory learning environment where students could achieve educational outcomes through cooperative analysis and interpretation.
Methods: Three research lessons (RLs) were conducted with increasing autonomy in collaborative tasks. In RL1, students used a scaffold to guide collaboration, planning a multimedia presentation on To Kill a Mockingbird characters. In RL2, scaffolding was removed to encourage initiative, focusing on poetic techniques and analysis. RL3 involved regrouping students by ability, emphasizing independent collaborative engagement. Student observations and feedback informed adjustments after each lesson.
Findings: The study found that explicit scaffolding was necessary for fostering effective collaboration, as simply assigning group work did not guarantee successful teamwork. Students benefited from guided collaboration tools, as these provided a clear framework that structured their engagement with both the curriculum and collaborative tasks. When scaffolded instructions were removed, higher-performing students exhibited more initiative, while others struggled with effective group interaction, highlighting the varied impact of collaborative frameworks across different student profiles.
Implications: Insights from the study suggest that structured guidance is valuable for teaching collaboration skills, especially in tasks requiring collective problem-solving. Teachers might learn that incorporating frameworks to model collaboration can help students of varied abilities navigate group dynamics more effectively. The findings also indicate that repeated use of these frameworks could gradually foster independent collaboration in students over time.
Aims: The main goal of the lesson study was to foster collaboration skills in a structured academic setting, enabling students to develop essential life skills while deepening their understanding of literary texts. By embedding collaboration into the study of poetry, the study sought to create a participatory learning environment where students could achieve educational outcomes through cooperative analysis and interpretation.
Methods: Three research lessons (RLs) were conducted with increasing autonomy in collaborative tasks. In RL1, students used a scaffold to guide collaboration, planning a multimedia presentation on To Kill a Mockingbird characters. In RL2, scaffolding was removed to encourage initiative, focusing on poetic techniques and analysis. RL3 involved regrouping students by ability, emphasizing independent collaborative engagement. Student observations and feedback informed adjustments after each lesson.
Findings: The study found that explicit scaffolding was necessary for fostering effective collaboration, as simply assigning group work did not guarantee successful teamwork. Students benefited from guided collaboration tools, as these provided a clear framework that structured their engagement with both the curriculum and collaborative tasks. When scaffolded instructions were removed, higher-performing students exhibited more initiative, while others struggled with effective group interaction, highlighting the varied impact of collaborative frameworks across different student profiles.
Implications: Insights from the study suggest that structured guidance is valuable for teaching collaboration skills, especially in tasks requiring collective problem-solving. Teachers might learn that incorporating frameworks to model collaboration can help students of varied abilities navigate group dynamics more effectively. The findings also indicate that repeated use of these frameworks could gradually foster independent collaboration in students over time.
Description
Keywords (free text)
English literature , text analysis , collaboration , group work , life competencies