Working on a group research project

Two original fictional non-fiction texts for reading practice.

Text A: a teacher’s reflection

The most confident pupil often volunteers to present, and the group then mistakes choosing a speaker for organising the research. I now ask pupils to agree who will check each source, record unanswered questions and compare conflicting information before they plan slides. A polished presentation can hide how little the group has established.

Some pupils contribute quietly. One may notice that two websites are copying the same account, which matters more than finding a third page that agrees. Others need help to understand that dividing tasks is not the same as never discussing them again. The final account should be something each member can explain, not four separate pieces held together by a title.

Disagreement can be productive if pupils show what supports their view. It becomes less useful when the group treats a confident voice as evidence. I do not expect every group to reach a complete answer. I do expect them to distinguish a conclusion they can support from a question they have left open.

Text B: a pupil’s account

Our first meeting produced an excellent list of jobs and no agreement about what we were trying to find out. I was given “pictures”, so I collected attractive images that later turned out to illustrate a different period. Clear roles helped us feel organised before we understood the question.

The project improved when we met with our notes rather than our finished slides. Another pupil spotted that my image captions did not match the dates in her source. We had to change the explanation, but I learned more from that correction than from my separate task. I also wanted the final presentation to show that work, not simply make the group look as if we had known the answer from the start.

Quiet work can be missed when marks seem to follow speaking time. I did not want everyone to deliver exactly the same number of sentences; I wanted the source checking to be recognised. A group project should teach us to make a shared account, but it needs enough time for sharing to be more than joining files on the last evening.

Compare what the two writers say about pupils doing group research projects. Make it clear which text you are using.