Thinking skills start with how pupils talk together.
Nearly 80% of what children learn, they learn from each other. This page covers practical strategies from the Welsh Government's guidance on developing thinking in the classroom.
Why group work matters
Vygotsky called it the 'zone of proximal development'. This is the gap between what a learner can do alone and what they can do with help.
When learners work together, they refine their thinking and challenge each other's ideas. Research shows collaborative work:
- involves all learners, not just the most confident
- produces better quality outcomes for everyone
- pushes the most able to articulate reasoning that was previously just intuition
But it only works if you set it up properly.
Set the right classroom climate first
You need the right culture before any of this works. The most effective way to build it is to model it yourself.
Value all contributions
No idea is dismissed without reason.
Include every learner
Every learner has a role and a reason to engage.
Make it safe to take risks
Wrong answers are steps, not failures.
Show co-operation and respect
Model it in how you teach, not just what you say.
How to set up group work
Group size and selection
Groups of 4 to 6 learners work best. Randomise them regularly. Do not let learners pick their own groups. Use a lollipop stick method or a random name generator.
Ground rules
Have learners create their own ground rules through class discussion. When they have ownership of the rules, they are more likely to follow them.
Reaching consensus
Require groups to reach consensus by the end of the task. Neil Mercer's research found this single rule makes learners far more effective at engaging with each other's ideas.
4 types of group task
Problem-solving
Cause and effect, inferences, testing ideas together.
Sequencing
Ordering events, prioritising steps, organising logically.
Discussion
Weighing evidence, exploring ideas, reaching agreement.
Production
Forming opinions, making decisions, producing something.
Give every learner a role
Rotate roles regularly so learners develop different skills. Some teachers group all past 'chairpersons' together and all past 'ideas people' together. This pushes learners into less familiar territory.
Chairperson
Leads the discussion. Makes sure all learners are involved. Keeps to the rules. Draws the discussion to a conclusion.
Ideas person
Suggests ideas. Builds on others' ideas. Boosts confidence of the originator.
Questioner
Asks 'why are we doing that?' and 'how can we do that?'. Challenges the group to think harder.
Summariser
Brings everything together. States the main points clearly. Speaks for the whole group.
Observer
Watches how the group works. Notes what helped. Suggests how to improve next time.
Envoy
Visits other groups briefly to listen in and bring back ideas. Can also research from other sources.
Pick the reporter randomly
This comes from Stanford's Complex Instruction research.
Tell groups they will need to report back. Do not tell them who. Pick the reporter randomly after the task is done.
This single change means every learner is motivated to understand the whole task. Learners start explaining to each other, asking harder questions, and insisting on real clarity.
The biggest gains were among the most able learners, who were pushed to put into words methods they previously used without thinking about them.
How to do it
- Set a range of fairly challenging questions or problems.
- Put learners in mixed ability groups of about 4.
- Tell the class someone will report back, but do not say who.
- Use a random name generator to pick the reporter after.
- Make sure at least some groups report back every time.
Give learners the words to start
If learners struggle to say what they think, give them speaking frames. These are sentence starters that help structure discussion.
Speaking frames are different from writing frames. Talk rehearses the patterns and language that later feed into writing.
'I think... because...'
'I agree with... because...'
'I disagree with... because...'
'What would happen if...?'
'Could you explain why...?'
'Another possible way would be to...'
'My reason for saying this is...'
'What reasons could we give to support that...?'
'I think the best explanation is... because...'
Adapted from How to develop thinking and assessment for learning in the classroom, Welsh Assembly Government (2010). Guidance document No: 044/2010.
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