Group Work: Is It Worth It?

We have all been in class and heard our teacher say, “For our next assignment, we will be working in partners,” and then have immediately proceeded to make desperate eye contact with our closest friend in the room, regardless of whether the groups are to be assigned or not. At some point or another, we have all been assigned to work on a project with a group, and consequently, have had to deal with the sometimes stressful, sometimes productive, and sometimes irritating situations that ensue.

We all have stories to share about group projects--whether we were the one team member who did “all the work,” or we were that other member who did nothing and were able to skate by, riding on the hard work of others. For some, group projects are an excuse to kick back and let others take charge of the workload. For others, these projects help build up confidence and encourage collaboration.

In larger group projects, it is not unexpected to find a few leaders emerging from the crowd. Especially when academic success is on the line, there are typically a few students who step up to the challenge of corralling the others into a set plan or strategy in order to get the work done. These leaders come in all different styles, which is arguably what makes group work so interesting. For example, there are those who take full charge and disregard for what others in the group have to say or want to contribute. Then there are those who approach group projects with an open mindset and who listen to the thoughts of others, only then to integrate the ideas of everyone into the finished product. Clearly, some leadership styles seem to be more aggressive than others, but all seem to make sure the work gets done, in one way or another.

Leadership, is of course, the coveted “21st-Century Skill” that Derryfield has decided we all need to develop. Over the past few years, the word has evolved into a theme which has been integrated into our curriculum in all aspects of study. But what do these group projects have to do with building leaders? Do these projects actually have a hand in developing the strong leaders Derryfield is suddenly so eager to produce?

Students do not seem to be entirely convinced of the benefits of group work. When speaking to a group of sophomores, I was surprised to find that many of them prefer individual projects over group projects. The reason for this, Brady McGinley told me, is because group projects are stressful and often fall apart easily. Tyler Critz agreed, and shared some of his own experiences from working with others on assignments.

“I feel like I always get singled out as the ‘bad guy’ when telling other people to keep up with their share of the work,” he said.

Critz went on to explain that in these situations, his intent is not to be aggressive or overbearing, but rather to keep the group on track and encourage an equal share of the workload. This miscommunication between group members seems to be a common theme -- and a common struggle -- in collaborative work.

Grace Valvano explained that when group members disagree or don’t distribute the work evenly, it “creates tension within the group.” This tension is not productive and fuels stress, especially with a due date looming. When asked why they prefer individual assignments, Valvano answered, “I get to work on them on my own time and at my own pace.”

McGinley agreed, saying “I don’t have to worry about different opinions that potentially distract or get off-topic from the project’s original goal.”

When I explained some of the benefits of group projects, such as learning to communicate and work well with others, the group admitted that group projects can be successful, even fun, when the team is committed and everyone does their fair share of the work. They emphasized that it is only when the group is led astray that the projects become stressful and unorganized.

After hearing the strong opinions from students, I was curious as to what teachers think about group work, and, more importantly, why they assign it in the first place. I asked Mr. Powell, teacher of Environmental Studies and Global Issues: Sustainable Development who assigns group projects in all of his classes. He told me that he believes groups projects are a gateway to the real world, a place where we are expected not only to work with others, but to work well with others and in teams.

Mr. Powell has long held a fundamental belief that we produce better work together than alone, and that this is not only in school, but in collaborative work across all spans of learning and living.

“Part of our job [as teachers] is to build skills and habits of mind… that prepare kids for college and life beyond college,” he said.

When I told him about some of the concerns I had heard from students I interviewed, he said he understands the struggles that often arise with group work.

“I try to design group projects to respond to what I see as the problems,” he said. Mr. Powell devotes lots of class time to group work because he understand that it is difficult to find time to work together outside of school hours. However, in the age of Google Drive, Facetime, and texting, Mr. Powell said that those types of digital communication skills are a “viable bridge” worth developing.

Mr. Powell also addressed the students’ struggles with team dynamic by explaining his view: without group experiences, students would not be prepared for what comes after high school. He said that navigating team dynamics is oftentimes just a part of life and that group work struggles happen in every workplace.

We ended our conversation by discussing the lack of transparency that often occurs between student work and participation on projects and teachers’ interpretations of that work. Even when we put all of the pros and cons of group work aside -- including the advantages of collaboration and disadvantages of academic stress -- many students still walk away from group projects feeling confused, frustrated, or dissatisfied with their grade as a reflection of their input.

Mr. Powell and students alike agreed that teachers and students must have more honest conversations about individual participation. Despite some students’ opposition to group work, it doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon, so perhaps we should view this as an opportunity to speak truthfully with our teachers in hopes of creating compromises we can all agree on.