Effectiveness of Small Group Work in Teaching Writing to First Year Students in Addis Ababa University

Abstract

The purposes of this classroom-based research were to assess the benefit of a cooperative-group methodology that combines inside and outside language classroom situations in teaching writing, to observe and describe the product of  the group work in a writing lesson under task-based teaching arrangements, and to explore the possibility that, upon analysis, these observations could be used as a measurement to determine the extent to which the group work technique enhanced individual achievement. This action research employed both quantitative and qualitative methods.  It was conducted in four sections of Engineering and Social Work major students. Combinations of purposive, convenient and simple random sampling techniques were employed. 66 jointly written essays (33x2) and 70 purposively and randomly selected individually written compositions were analyzed. The quantitative analysis involved testing and evaluating the students’ individually written descriptive composition. The group work-composition was done both in and outside classroom situations. One of the measuring instruments namely continuous assessment scores were completed within nearly the whole semester. The results suggested that when students worked together, they achieved better; joint work of students along with inputs from the instructor enabled the students improve their composition. Role assignment in small group work had positive association with the students’ academic background, level of performance and achievement. The composition written in groups was elusively homogeneous in showing achievement and improvement while the individual focused assessment scores were found to be informatively heterogeneous in showing realistic attainment and improvement. Social-loafing or free riding, and off-task behaviors were amongst the common problems; differences in skills and knowledge characterized the students’ performance. The findings thus implied that allocating higher marks for products of group work at times of assessment and evaluation was not commendable. Small group work during the regular classroom sessions was found to be more dependable than outside classroom situations.