We’ve all used group work activities in our classrooms. Some of us do so on a daily basis. But does group work have any real benefit?

The answer is no ─ unless it is being used effectively.

Here are the facts about how to do group work properly.

1. On your tables, get set, go…

Teachers often put children into groups based on what will be logistically easiest. This generally means working in the usual table groups according to the seating plan. However, this can really limit the interactions children have, as they are continually working with the same people ─ often the same people they sit with all day long.

Group work is best when students have the chance to work with different people, so make sure you shake it up a bit, even if that means moving students around the room.

2. Roll call

Our learners all have personalities. To name but two, there’s the ‘me, me, me’ student whose hand shoots up before you even utter a syllable of a question and the ‘lurker’, who quietly soaks up everything without uttering a peep. When planning group work, it’s vitally important to understand the personalities of children and find a way to structure your activity around them. Assigning roles and responsibilities can make tasks feel stilted, but it’s a key strategy to ensure all children are participating equally.

3. Model group work

We seem to have this expectation that children will just be able to ‘do’ group work. In reality, working with a group can be excruciatingly painful, even for us adults. It’s important to avoid the gimmick traps of ‘talking sticks’ and tambourines and to actually model what good group work looks like. Teach children strategies for making their voice heard politely and discuss ways to overcome confrontation or differing opinions. Although this may be time consuming, you’ll be teaching skills they will use for the rest of their lives.

4. Death by discussion

There is no doubt that talking is at the heart of group work. But too much talk can overwhelm anything else you want the children to achieve. Starting with the instruction to “have a quick discussion” is asking for trouble. Consider giving learners a few minutes to formulate their own ideas in writing, before asking them to share them with the group. This should add more structure to the discussion as students run through their notes.

5. All about achievement

If I had a quid for every time I’d asked a group “where are you up to?” and they’d answered with “well, we have just been talking”, I would be on a beach in the Caymans by now.

Every group task should have a clear goal and high expectations. Make these clear from the start and reiterate them with quickfire assessment throughout. Avoid being that ‘floaty’ teacher who swoops around; sit with groups, drive discussion with questions and prompt productivity with pointers.

Sarah Wright is a senior lecturer at Edge Hill University. She tweets as @Sarah__wright1

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