Cover not available

Article published In: Australian Review of Applied Linguistics
Vol. 47:1 (2024) ► pp.4–26

Get fulltext from our e-platform
JBE logo with link
PDF logo with download linkDownload PDF
EPUB logo with download linkDownload EPUB
authorization required

Multiple perspectives on group work in a multilingual context

ORCiD logo with link | The University of Melbourne
 | The University of Melbourne
 | The University of Melbourne
Published online: 17 August 2022
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/aral.21040.sto
Abstract
Group assignments are widely used in higher education for a range of educational reasons. Although there is a large body of research on the merits of group work and factors that may contribute to successful group work, less is known about students’ and teachers’ perspectives, particularly when groups are composed of students from diverse linguistic backgrounds. The current qualitative study investigated students’ and teachers’ perspectives on group assignments in a Master of Applied Linguistics program offered by a leading research university in Australia. The program has predominantly English as an additional language (EAL) students. Teachers and students in four graduate subjects that involved group assignments were interviewed for their views and reflections. Analysis of the interview data revealed similarities and differences in perspectives in five main areas – group work benefits and challenges, group formation and assessment, and the need for pre-implementation training. The findings highlight the need for teachers to promote open discussion about the purposes and merits of group work, both pedagogical and social.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Methodology
    • 2.1Setting and participants
    • 2.2Instruments
    • 2.3Data analysis
  • 3.Results
    • 3.1Teachers’ perspectives on group work
    • 3.2Students’ perspectives on group work
      • 3.2.1Students’ attitudes to group work
      • 3.2.2Students’ views regarding group formation
      • 3.2.3Students’ views regarding assessment
      • 3.2.4Students’ views regarding pre-assignment training
  • 4.Discussion and conclusion
  • Note
  • References
References (36)
References
Bacon, D. R. (2005). The effect of group projects on content-related learning. Journal of Management Education, 29(2), 248–267. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bacon, D. R., Stewart, K. R., & Anderson, E. S. (2001). Methods of assigning players to teams: A review and novel approach. Simulation and Gaming, 32(1), 6–17. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Brown, C. A., & Mcllory, K. (2011). “Group work in healthcare students’ education: What do we think we are doing?” Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 36(6), 687–699. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Chapman, K. J., Meuter, M., Toy, D., & Write, L. (2006). Can’t we pick our own group? The influence of group selection method on group dynamics and outcomes. Journal of Management Education, 30(4), 557–569. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cheng, L. T. W., Armatas, C. A., & Wang, J. W. (2020). The impact of diversity, prior academic achievement and goal orientation on learning performance in group capstone projects. Higher Education Research & Development, 39(5), 913–925. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cruickshank, K., Chen, H., & Warren, S. (2012). Increasing international and domestic student interaction through group work: A case study from humanities. Higher Education Research & Development, 31(6), 797–810. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Davies, W. M. (2009). Groupwork as a form of assessment: Common problems and recommended solutions. Higher Education, 581, 563–584. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
De Hei, M. S. A., Sjoer, E. J., Strijbos, J. W., & Admiraal, W. F. (2016). Teacher educators’ design and implementation of group learning activities. Educational Studies, 42(4), 394–409. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Denies, K., Yashima, T., & Janssen, R. (2015). Classroom versus societal willingness to communicate: Investigating French as a second language in Flanders. The Modern Language Journal, 99(4), 718–739. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ellis, R., & Barkhuizen, G. P. (2005). Analysing learner language. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Fellenz, M. R. (2006). Toward fairness in assessing student groupwork: A protocol for peer evaluation of individual contributions. Journal of Management Education, 30(4), 570–591. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hennerby, M. L., & Fordyce, K. (2018). Cooperative learning on an international masters. Higher Education Research & Development, 37(2), 270–284. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hinds, P., K. Carley, K., D. Krackhardt, D., & Wholey, D. (2000). Choosing work group members: Balancing similarity, competence and familiarity. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 81(2), 226–251. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. (1989). Cooperation and competition: Theory and research. Interaction Book Company.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(1999). Learning together and alone: cooperative, competitive and individualistic learning (5th ed). Allyn & Bacon.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2009). An educational psychology success story: Social interdependence theory and cooperative learning. Educational Researcher, 38(5), 365–379. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2013). The impact of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic learning environments on achievement. In J. Hattie & E. Anderman (Eds.), International handbook of student achievement (pp. 372–374). Routledge.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., Roseth, C., & Shin, T. S. (2014). The relationship between motivation and achievement in interdependent situations. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 44(9), 622–633. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Judd, T., Kennedy, G., & Cropper, S. (2010). Using wikis for collaborative learning: Assessing collaboration through contribution. Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 26(3), 341–354. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kamau, C., & Spong, A. (2015). A student teamwork induction protocol. Studies in Higher Education, 40(7), 1273–1290. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Laurie, M. (2019, August 28). At uni, English-speakers are now unpaid tutors. The Age.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Leeming, P. (2019). Emergent leadership and group interaction in the task-based language classroom. TESOL Quarterly, 53(3), 768–793. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Leki, I. (2001). A narrow thinking system: Nonnative-English-speaking students in group projects across the curriculum. TESOL Quarterly, 35(1), 39–57. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2007). Undergraduates in a second language: Challenges and complexities of academic literacy developments. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Liang, X. (2004). Cooperative learning as a sociocultural practice. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 6(5), 637–668. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mahenthiran, S., & Rouse, P. J. (2000). The impact of group selection on student performance and satisfaction. The International Journal of Educational Management, 14(6), 255–264. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Nokes-Malach, T. J., Richey, J. E., & Gadgil, S. (2015). When is it better to learn together? Insights from research on collaborative learning. Educational Psychology Review, 27(4), 645–656. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Seethmaraju, R., & Borman, M. (2009). Influence of group formation choices on academic performance. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 34(1), 31–40. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Storch, N. (2013). Collaborative writing in L2 classrooms. Multilingual Matters. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2017). Implementing and assessing collaborative writing activities in EAP classes. In J. Bitchener, N. Storch, & R. Wette (Eds.), Teaching writing for academic purposes to multilingual students: Instructional approaches (pp. 130–144). Routledge. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Strauss, P., & U, A. (2007). Group assessments: Dilemmas facing lecturers in multicultural tertiary classrooms. Higher Education Research & Development, 26(2), 147–61. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Strauss, P., U, A., & Young, S. (2011). ‘I know the type of people I work well with’: Student anxiety in multicultural group projects. Studies in Higher Education, 36(7), 815–829. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Summers, M., & Volet, S. (2008). Students’ attitudes toward culturally mixed groups on international campuses: Impact of participation in diverse and non-diverse groups. Studies in Higher Education, 33(4), 357–370. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Walker, A. (2002). British psychology students’ perceptions of group-work and peer assessment. Psychology Learning and Teaching, 1(1), 28–36. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wheelan, S. A. (2009). Group size, group development, and group productivity. Small Group Research, 40(2), 247–262. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Yashima, T. (2002). Willingness to communicate in a second language: The Japanese EFL context. The Modern Language Journal, 86(1), 54–66. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cited by (1)

Cited by one other publication

Storch, Neomy & Ute Knoch
2023. Assessing collaborative writing. In L2 Collaborative Writing in Diverse Learning Contexts [Language Learning & Language Teaching, 59], ► pp. 229 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 1 december 2025. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.

Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue