MODULE CODE : DEP
014
PROGRAMME : JUNIOUR/ISEN/ ECD
DEPARTMENT: Educational Foundations
MODULE TITLE: Tranformative Sociological Perspectives of
Education
TOPIC: Sociology of the Classroom
FACILITATOR : Mr. L. M. Z. Hove
Email Address and Phone : hovelmz@[Link]
OBJECTIVES
After going through this unit you should be able to:
Explain the concept group dynamics
Examine the different types of groups that may exist in
the classroom
Analyse the significance of group dynamics in the
classroom
Discuss both ability and mixed ability grouping
Assess the importance of sociometry in studying group
dynamics
Examine some considerations when grouping learners
The Concept of a Group
•Smith (`2010, p212) views a group as,
“a unit consisting of a plural number of
either animals, organisations or people
who have collective
perception/identification of their unit
and who have power to act in a unitary
manner towards their environment.
CONT.
•A group can also be defined as several
individuals who come together to
accomplish a particular goal or task
•A group therefore can be defined as two
or more people who share a common
meaning and evaluation of themselves
and come together to achieve common
goals.
CONT
•As such a group can be said to be a
collection of people who interact with
one another , accept rights and
obligations as members amd who share
a common identity
Characteristics of a group
Regardless of the size or the purpose,
every group has similar characteristics
Made up of two or more individuals(NB
an individual is not a group)
There is formal social structure(the rules
of the game are defined. If group members
get to know each other, mutual
expectation---- norms and rules develop
giving stability to their interaction.
CONT.
•Common fate (group members swim
together)
•Common goals (The destiny for all group
members is the same and emotionally
connected)
•Face to face interaction(Group members
will talk to each other )
CONT.
•Interdependence (group members
compliment each other)
•Self definition (each member must be
identified with the group or must
belong)
Cont :
Group dynamics are critical and relevant in
both formal and informal groups of all groups.
Group dynamics involve the study and
analysis of how people interact and
communicate with each other in face-to- face
small groups. The study of group dynamics
provides a vehicle to analyse group group
communication with the intent of rendering
the groups more effective.(Davies and
Nestrom,1985)
Group Dnamics
•Group dynamics refers to the
interactions , relationships and
processes that occur within groups.
•It involves the study and analysis of how
people interact and communicate with
each other in face-to face small groups
•It provides a vehicle to analyse group
communication for effective interaction
CONT.
•This has to do with change or the
changing aspect of a group.
•Chung (1988) says that it is how a group
functions and changes
•Hence it is the study of changes in the
structure and functions of small groups
•It is concerned with the form ,
structure ,process and function of groups
Reasons for studying small groups
In formal organisations like schools the
study of small groups is essentially
important for the following reasons:
•The social interaction in schools that
occur between pupils and teachers
influence their identities in the formation
of young people
CONT.
•As teachers we therefore study social
interaction in general and in the
classroom situation in particular in order
to understand the learners social
behaviours.
Functions of formal
groups
•Such groups accomplish complex tasks
beyond the capability of individuals
•Coordinate interdependent efforts
•Provide a problem-solving mechanism
for complex problems
•Socialise and train new members
CONT.
•Give individuals an opportunity to test
and share their perceptions of social
reality
•Reduce individual anxieties and feelings
of insecurity and powerlessness
•Provide a problem solving mechanism
for social and interpersonal problems
Reasons :cont
•This would in turn enhance classroom
instruction
•Since dynamics incorporates both
psychological and sociological concepts, it
is therefore also called “Social
psychology”
•People study small groups because groups
affect the way individuals lead their lives
on a daily basis.
Reasons :cont
• It is generally acknowledged that small groups
influence our development as social beings.
• Mills (1998) argues that small groups have a
critical effect upon the history of communities.
• The influence may be in the economic
enterprises or socio-cultural behaviour,
religious or political sphere.
Reasons :cont
• Such influence may often engulf or cover the
whole society /nation rather that the
immediate community.
• The study of small groups helps to learn to
cope with social realities as they interact with
others.
According to Mills (1998) the study of small
groups helps us to develop empirically based
theories about social interaction.
Reasons cont:
•Instead of speculating about group
behaviour, making conclusions based on
superficial observation and wishful
thinking, we actually collect and analyse
group observations towards desired goals.
Types of groups
NB. Formal work groups are established
by an organisation to achieve
organisational goals.
Groups can be classified by whether
they are formal or informal in nature.
oups can also be classified as either
primary or secondary.
Primary Groups
•Members are aware they belong to a
group and have common interests and
goals.
•The smallest yet to most important
primary group is the family constituted
by a wife, husband and children.
CONT.
•Members of a hamlet or village can also
be called a primary group since it is
possible for every member in the village
to know each other and to interact as
occasions demand
Types of groups :cont
•Relationships in a primary group may
not involve blood relationships.
•Girl guides or boy scouts are good
examples of primary groups.
•Control within the group is all informed
and there is a feeling of freedom among
participants.
CONT.
• A primary group is characterised by :
Personal relationships as a face to face contact between
members.
The intimate nature of the relationships between the group
allows the members to share most of their inner most feelings
(confidante)
There is the development of the ‘we’ feeling. [Link] home,
our school, our college etc.
CONT.
• There is the development of the’ we’ feeling
eg our home , our school our college etc
• The small size of the group gives the
members the earliest experience of social
participation, experience and unity.
• Unlike secondary groups , primary groups
form a comparatively stable and permanent
source from which complex relationships
may be formed.
Secondary Groups
•Social groups develop from simplex to
complex.
•Secondary groups can further be
classified into:
(i) Permanent sec. groups
(ii)Temporary/transitonal groups
• Both are characterised by formality
and authority.
CONT.
•Clubs and organisations have rules and
regulations.
•Members can be expelled or excluded or
refused entry or rejected on initial
application
•Groups such as schools or the church are
permanent secondary groups in that they
existed before most individuals joined
them and continue to exist if any
CONT.
•These groups are knit by the current
function, a common outlook or shared
link.
•Relations are contractual (i.e members
are expected to give something perform
some duty or pay in some way.
•The teacher-pupil relationship constitute
the secondary group.
Temporary Group
• Though secondary groups in nature, they are
not permanent.
• E.g. They are usually formed for an
immediate purpose.
• Once the purpose has been achieved the
group dissolves.
• They have an adhoc kind of relationship.
• They are bound together by an active
endeavour to achieve a specific objective.
Other groups: The peer group
•Group members share the same social
understanding especially in terms of
their age.
•The harmonious relationship within the
ensures that all members actively
participate in group work.
CONT.
•Every member in the group has an equal
status within the rest of others
•NB Although of equal status , members
do not participate uniformly.
Gang
•Members of the group are associated
with deviant behaviour.
•Such groups are most commonly found
in the lower ranges of the society.
•Are also characterised by toughness and
the ability to con others.
A Clique
•A small group of about 3 people who are
bound together by closeness,
cooperation and intimacy.
A Dyad
•These are very common especially for
classroom practice.
•Is a group of 2 members also
characterised by closeness, intimacy and
dependency.
Friendship group
•These are formed by members who
enjoy similar activities, political beliefs,
religious values or other common
bonds.
•Members enjoy each other’s company
and often meet after work to participate
in these activities.
Statistical group
•Being a member of this group does not
necessarily affect the behaviour of the
member.
•It does not call for among members
Interest group
• Usually continue overtime and may last
longer than general informal groups.
• Members may not be part of the same
organisation or department, but are bound
together by some other common interests.
• The goals and objectives of the group are
specific to the group and may not be related
to those of the organisation.
Possible ways of grouping
•Learners can be grouped by way of the
following:
(i) Ability
(ii)Friendship
(iii)Interest
Ability grouping
•According to Lunn (2009), this is
streaming within the class.
•Learners are grouped according to
previous known achievement records in
the subjects concerned.
•Here the teacher prepares work to cover
content at a rate appropriate to each
group.
Advantages
•Provides the teacher with relatively
homogenious groups to work which are
identical in structure.
•It is relatively easy for such grouping to
be changed for different subjects or to
allow for the different types of problems
for individual children.
CONT.
•The method ensures that all children
get stretched(mentally) without
breaking them
•The method claims that a pupil will be
working with fellow learners roughly of
equivalent ability.
Disadvantages
•Social and personality development may
suffer.
•It has nothing to do with personal
interest.
•It just focuses on the intellectual
development at the expense of other
domains.
CONT.
•According to Jackson in Kelly (1995)
streaming within a class gives rise to the
kind of self-fulfilling prophecy
associated with streaming outside the
classroom.
CONT.
•This means that those slow learners may
end up giving up.
•In other words pupils will be negatively
labeled and that may spell doom for their
future.
•There can not be any guarantee that all
pupils will be sufficiently stretched.
CONT.
•It is very difficult to come up with a
legitimate approach to ability grouping.
Grouping according to
friendship
•Friendship is a more powerful factor in
the school than perhaps many teachers
realise.
•It has an important bearing on behaviour.
CONT.
•However this type of grouping should be
done in moderation because its biggest
disadvantage is that it places the entire
responsibility for grouping in the
learners themselves.
•The danger is in that although wishes
and choices of leaners are important and
highly relevant factors in such decisions,
ther must be some kind of teachers
direction too.
CONT.
•One has to be careful.
•One has also to be cautious as the
approach has potential of creating the
isolate or the rejectee.
Mixed Ability Groupin
•This is the educational practice of
grouping learners of varying abilities
together in the same space to receive
the same instruction and resources.
•Students may be put into groups with
some learners of a different age,
speaking a different language and or
operating at different academic level
from themselves
CONT.
•A mixed ability group is also called a
heterogeneous class comprising of
learners with varying levels of language
proficiency and intellectual abilities.
Advantages of mixed
ability grouping
•The teacher can also tap into
different student experiences,
knowledge and ideas to present in
Fast learners can scaffold their slow
learner counter parts especially in
the absence of the teacher.
•formative learner centered lessons.
CONT.
•Allows a wide range of crosspollination
of ideas and experiences between and
among learners.
•Learners are usually freer in being
assisted by others of their like.
•It is a big confidence booster for the
stronger learners as they engage in
explaining concepts to their fellow slow
learner counterparts.
Disadvantages of
mixed ability grouping
•Half the class maybe through with an
exercise while the other half is just
starting.
•Stronger students get bored if the
teacher spends more time explaining to
the weaker ones.
CONT.
•The stronger learners dominate
classroom activities at the expense of
the weaker ones
•The weaker students develop a habit of
not attempting/ trying things even
within their experiences.
•The teacher may not know where to
pictch the lesson (at whose level?)
Important considerations when
grouping
•A teacher of mixed ability grouping
should try and promote co-operation and
discourage competition.
•Kelly (2004) suggests that the teacher
should approach grouping with both
academic and social purposes.
CONT.
•Amariaa in Kelly (2004) argues that
working especially with one’s friends is
more obviously attracting than the
loneliness in working in isolation.
CONT.
• Common interests unite groups of pupils and
might be a shadow design to make the
teacher suffer.
• The bond that holds such groups together
may be the collective resentment of the
authority and this could be well with
deviants.
CONT.
•The teacher should distribute
troublesome makers widely and
cautiously among the groups.
•A group must have cohesion and all
members must feel a sense of belonging
and acceptance by their colleagues.
CONT.
•Groups tend to become cohesive when
they are in intense completion with
other groups or when they face
external threat for survival.
•Smaller groups and those who spend
considerable time together also tend
to be more cohesive.
CONT.
•Cohesiveness tends to yield higher
productivity.
•It therefore becomes critical for the
teacher to prove to the groups that the
additional member given to them is a
benefit to the group.
•Once the group has been let to establish
its unity and identity it may be difficult
to fit in a new member.
CONT.
•Grouping maybe based more on ability
than the teacher may feel desirable
•In such instances the teacher should
ensure trying and coming up with a
mixture.
CONT.
•When supervising grouping the teacher
must be mainly concerned with the
situation of the isolates(rejectee)
•This is a pupil who for whatever reason
has no friends and is not generally
acceptable to the existing groups.
CONT.
•Such a pupil unlike all others has
his/her own inerests and will choose
his/her group to work with
•The teacher should therefore try to
diffuse the unattractiveness of this
isolate to the rest of the group
members.
CONT.
•The remediation should aim at
improving the individual skills and
making him/her appreciable by group
members.
•It is advisable for the teacher to try and
identify all the isolates and rejectees in
time and remediate them early enough
before groups become too big and
firmly cohesive.
CONT.
•The size of the group will vary according
to the intended purposes.
CONT.
• The group should be large enough to
achieve its purpose but not too large to
exclude some members from such
participation.
• Ideally, six members could be considered
maximum.
• When groups become too large they tend to
subdivide into other groups within one.
CONT.
•The clashes are especially prone to arise
over group leadership.
• Learners should be organised in such
methods that allow the full participation
and involvement of all in designed
activities so that all learners take and
share the responsibilies.
CONT
•It is healthier therefore for group
members to rotate responsibilities .
•As the teacher takes advantage of the
good and sound harmonious relationship
among the group, should ensure that all
members participate in group discussion
activities.
CONT.
•Teacher should take advantage of dyads
( pairs) to do those tasks that require
that e.g. conducting dialogue lessons.
CONT.
•Gangs however, present challenges in that
they usually carry goals contrary to those
of the teacher and as such should be
managed well.
NB: At all costs the teacher should avoid
labeling them as deviants as they may end
up accepting the label and pursuing a self
fulfilling prophecy.
CONT.
•Change their attitude by giving them
responsibilities e.g monitors or prefects.
•Tactifully dissolve their group by
involving them in such activities as
drama
SUMMARY: The Tenets
•COMMUNICATION Effective
communication is crucial for group
dynamics as it involves the exchange of
information ,ideas ,and feelings among
group members.
•Clear and open communication fosters
understanding , resolves conflicts and
promotes collaboration
CONT.
•COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION
Group dynamics thrive on cooperation
and collaboration.
•Members should work together,
combining their skills , knowledge and
resources to achieve common goals
•Collaboration encourages active
participation ,shared decision making
and a sense of collective ownership.
CONT.
•ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Clearly
defined roles help distribute work,
enhance accountability and promote
efficiency.
•Each member of the group should have
defined roles and responsibilities like
leadership facilitation or coordination
CONT.
•TRUST AND RESPECT Building trust and
respect is vital among members in
group dynamics.
•Trust comes through honest and reliable
behaviour
•Respect involves valuing other
members’ contributions and opinions.
CONT.
•LEADERSHIP Effective leadership is key
in group dynamics
•The leader guides the group , sets goals
and provides motivation
•Leadership styles can vary depending on
the needs of the group.
CONT.
•DECISION –MAKING Group dynamics
involve decision –making processes
•Groups can use various decision –
making methods incuding consensus ,
voting , or consultation
•There is great need to consider different
view points
CONT.
•GROUP NORMS These are shared
expectations and standards within the
group.
•They bond members together and guide
interactions to built a group’s culture
•Positive norms promote cooperation,
inclusivity and productivity.
THE END
• I Thank You
• Ndatenda
• Twalumba
• Siyabonga
• Machena
• Asante Sane