Group Dynamics in a

Classroom
Awareness for Teaching Effectiveness
 Deeper awareness of small
group processes can enhance
the teaching effectiveness of
college faculty through
improving their ability to
raise student participation
levels, increase individual
and group motivation,
stimulate enthusiasm, and
facilitate communication in
the classroom.
Billson, J. (1986). The college
classroom as a small group: Some
implications for teaching and
learning. Teaching Sociology, 14 (July),
143-151.
Start where the student is. Listen for feelings,
as well as for thoughts; search for underlying
messages, non-verbal cues, ask questions and
encourage expression of feelings by showing
acceptance.

Learn about your Students

Share something that illuminates your
values and style to cut through the
stereotypes that students have of their
professors, this will dispel anxiety and
improve attitudes towards learning.

Help them learn about their teachers

Students who feel excluded or
slighted are likely to withdraw;
inequality in interaction has a
poisonous effect on trust.
Avoid racist and sexist
comments.

Establish a climate of Egalitarianism

and Tolerance
Know that the major responsibility still belongs to the
professor, but students share a significant
responsibility as well.
Discuss responsibility with students and explores the
possibility of letting students plan certain segments of
the course/project or maybe offer input as to the
weight of the courses various tasks/assignments.

Every participant in a group is responsible for

the outcome of the group interaction.
During interaction, students who discover that their
fears, anxieties, and problems are not unique to them
become less timid in the future in expressing
themselves.

Help students explore differences and

find commonalities on key issues.
They look at you how you carry out responsibilities,
expectations/results, and how you Walk the Talk.
The leader is the model for its members.

You are a Role Model for Student Behavior

For students, classrooms do not feel as comfortable as
a home. They can be made to feel safer when students
are known by names, when their first attempts to
contribute garner positive feedback, and when the
professor avoids sarcasm and ridicule.

When people feel psychologically safe in a group,

their participation levels will increase.
 Students play different roles
(joker, nerd, spokesperson,
secretary, etc.), leadership
will emerge and encourage
or discourage members
involvement.

Encourage Emergent Student

Leadership
The way in which professors play their role, including
how they present expectations of students, carry out
responsibilities, and handle privileges implicit in the
professorial role, has a profound effect on how
students enact their role.

The leader of any

group serves as a
model for that group.
Classes respond to policies differently: they argue at
length about exam answers. assignment deadline. In
many classes, few become the only students who
participate. Professors need to be aware of these
norms and if they work against course goals, they
should be discussed openly with students.

A group will set its own

norms of behavior and
will expect conformity
to them.
Pool in inconsistent, conflicting ideas and
learners varying conceptions; this cooking
method of pooling information, opinions, and
concern will offer the class a new way of
seeing things.
Foster
Heterogeneous
Ideas
Arrive a few minutes early to allow settling
in, teachers can learn more about the class.
Games are also good ways so students would
get familiarize with the whole class.

Allow for informal interaction to break

the ice
Remember, in groups such as a class,
communication is not just two way, it is a
MULTICHANNEL. Always find time to listen
and watch for verbal and non-verbal cues
to catch feedback!