Group discussion is a great way to keep students involved and interested in your class. Not only does it provide an opportunity for them to articulate their ideas, but it also allows socialization opportunities that go a long way with older students.
Despite our best efforts and planning, some groups of students just don't like to discuss with one another. We send them off for their discussions, and .... chirp chirp.... crickets. So, what do you do next?
Read on for 5 tips that will jump-start student discussion and increase participation. Jump ahead to the end to learn if small group discussion in the classroom is a research-supported strategy.
Jump Ahead:
Tip 1: Assign Group Roles
Create group roles at the beginning of the year. Teach them to your students. Use them in every discussion, without exception.
Group roles vary depending on the discussion or activity students are completing. However, I recommend creating at least three roles that work in every situation. Using them for every discussion will help build a predictable routine in your classroom, regardless of whether you add new roles here or there for specific activities.
Once you assign your group roles, check in with each group to ensure every student knows their role. Make their first discussion question: What is your group role?
Group Roles in My Classroom
The three consistent group roles for every discussion in my classroom are:
Facilitator: The group leader
Timekeeper: The clock watcher
Encourager: The positive, on-task voice in the group
From the first to the last day of school, the students in my room know they will take on one of these roles for every discussion. Before long, they settle into natural roles and jump for the ones they want.
I prefer to hand out a tangible card that lists the group role with its responsibilities. I create these on PowerPoint slides and then print, cut, and laminate them. One set will last a year or more, with a few occasional reprints here and there as cards disappear or become damaged.
You can create group role cards using PowerPoint or Google Slides or purchase a complete group role set for your classroom for $4 in our store. The set includes a Facilitator, Timekeeper, and Encourager card, as well as others that will come in handy for some activities (EX: Master of Supplies and Scribe).
As you implement the group roles routine in your classroom, other "norms" will naturally emerge. For example, we developed a rule in my first year of teaching that any student who volunteers another person for the facilitator role automatically becomes the facilitator. This made the students laugh, added a little fun to the role assignments, and remained in place for many years.
Tip 2: Plan Your Groups in Advance
Plan your student groups to make sure they run smoothly. The easiest way to do this is to assign seats in a way that naturally works with the types of groups you prefer for most activities. Check out our post on classroom arrangements for more information on how to arrange your classroom effectively.
In general, you will choose one of the following grouping options:
Heterogenous Groups: Students sit in mixed levels
Homogenous Groups: Students sit with others of the same level
I tend to sit students in mixed-level groups in my general education and AP classes. When completing an activity that works better in homogenous groups, the kids move their seats for the day.
When I work with a Special Ed teacher in an ICT setting, we typically sit students in mixed levels, except for 1-2 tables of students who benefit from small group instruction. This allows the ICT teacher to quickly pull a small group or join the discussion of their target students without removing students from other discussion groups throughout the room.
A few guidelines to follow when creating your groups:
Place at least one student in every group who is comfortable with each of the assigned group roles. This is especially important for the facilitator role, which is crucial to the effectiveness of instruction (Bohari, 2020).
No group should rely solely on one student to keep the entire discussion moving For example, avoid placing three disruptive students with one outstanding one, expecting that outstanding student to run the show. This hardly benefits the disruptive students and can be downright detrimental to the outstanding one.
Groups should not contain students who trigger off-task behavior in one another, such as off-topic discussion, bullying, or social anxiety.
Use a combination of measurable data and anecdotal evidence to create your groups. Use assessment and participation grades to guide your groupings, but don't let these overshadow entirely what you know about your students. For example, two students might group well on paper, but their personal history might stop them from working well together in reality.
Adjust groups based on the activity at hand. Don't be afraid to ask students to move or adjust their seats for an activity or class day.
Tip 3: Choose Interesting & Opinion-Based Questions
The fastest way to kill a discussion is to plague it with lame discussion questions. Keep your questions interesting and (most importantly) debatable.
If the answer to the question is a simple, verifiable yes or no, there isn't really much to talk about. Keep it lively by asking questions your students might feel strongly about.
How to Encourage a Successful Discussion in Social Studies Class
An easy formula for excellent discussion in Social Studies is as follows:
Do Now that asks the students to form an opinion about a vague, "zoomed out" question that is related to the day's topic
Mini Lesson to introduce and provide a just-the-facts overview of the topic
Independent Work that asks students to analyze sources that present multiple views of the topic
Group Discussion that asks students to form opinions about the topic based on their own ideas and the sources they read
Exit Ticket for students to summarize their final opinions about the topic, using evidence from the sources and their group discussion
A simple example:
Topic: Nuclear Bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki
Do Now: In your opinion, is it ever okay for one country to entirely destroy a city in another country? If yes, when is it okay? Explain.
Mini Lesson: Overview of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of WWII
Independent Work: Source Analysis of sources in support and opposition of the bombing
Group Discussion: Discussion questions that focus on the specific arguments made in the sources. What specific argument made in these sources do you believe is the most valid? Which is the least valid? Why? Do you believe the Allied forces could have ended the war without nuclear bombing Japan? Why or why not? Do you believe putting an end to the war was worth the destruction in Japan? Why or why not? In your opinion, why did the United States drop nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? What was their primary motivation for using these never-before-seen weapons? Overall, do you agree with the United States' decision to bomb Japan at the end of WWII?
Exit Ticket: Do you believe the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was justified? Why or why not? (Use evidence from your sources and from your discussion in your response)
This simple example shows how you can structure a discussion where every question is up for debate. Students will rely on the same sources but can certainly come up with different but correct opinions on the topic.
Tip 4: Hold Students Accountable for Discussion
If you ask students to participate in an in-class discussion, hold them accountable for doing so. Start by grading solely for participation at the beginning of the year, but raise your standards as the year progresses.
Starting with participation grades will help your shy students break out of their shells without worrying about saying something stupid or "discussing wrong." Once the ice is broken, you can start grading based on additional requirements. I like to introduce at natural transition points of the year, such as a new marking period or unit.
Here are a few easy ways to hold students accountable for discussion:
Give students a discussion grade to measure participation (see the below section for an example of what this might look like in a classroom)
Require students to record their answer and someone else's answer on their graded classwork. Remind them they only get discussion credit for sharing answers verbally, not trading papers. See the image below for an example.
Circulate the discussions and pop into each one. Don't ignore any tables and avoid lingering at one for so long that you sacrifice a visit to another. Speak directly with quiet students and ask them to participate.
Quickly visit each table at the start of the discussion to ask students to identify their group roles. Include a question on the discussion classwork about their role.
Shout out people for contributing great ideas to their discussions during a class share out after the talks have ended. Say things like, "Ana and Josh were having a really great discussion about question 2. Would one of you mind sharing what you talked about with the rest of the class?"
Bring up discussion participation during parent-teacher nights. If you feel a student is not participating adequately during group discussions, contact their parents to discuss the issue. Work together to develop strategies that help students feel comfortable participating in discussions.
At the end of the day, if you don't hold students accountable for discussion, there is a good chance many won't participate. You know your students best,
Discussion Grades in My Social Studies Classroom
I like to give students a participation grade out of 20 points per day. I used IO Classroom/Skedula (before the big hacking incident, of course) to record this. The app allowed me to create the assignment in advance and grade students on my phone as I circulated the room.
I like to use 20 points per day because it totals to a simple 100 participation points per week. My school required participation grades; this was an easy way to get them in the grade book consistently. I also like to give students who show up and participate in class credit for doing so - outside of assessment or other summative grades.
Many students would ask to see the grade as we went, upping their participation in the table discussion to see me raise their participation grade in real time. Everything was instant, and they liked to see their grades as soon as they left class.
While IO Education is no longer available in the New York City schools, most online grade books have the same functionality. You can also do this the old-fashioned way with a clipboard and pen - Just don't forget to input those grades in the grade book later!
Tip 5: Circulate & Play Devil's Advocate
One of the best ways to get students talking is to disagree with them. Arrive at their table and happily take the opposite position as whoever is speaking. It seems silly, but it almost always gets students talking as they defend their answers.
This may go without saying, but playing devil's advocate will only work if you have a positive classroom culture in the room. If students are afraid to disagree with you, or fear that voicing an alternative opinion will lower their grade, playing devil's advocate might actually cause them to clam up.
Keep your comments light and with a positive tone to help students recognize that they can disagree. If they start to clam up, prompt them to justify their positions. "it's okay to disagree! Why do you feel that way? Let's talk it out and then decide."
If you're not confident that your classroom culture is positive enough for this strategy, keep incorporating group instruction to improve the culture. Research shows that students who participate in small group discussions and other collaborative work report improved classroom relationships over time (Lin, et. al., 2022).
What if My Students Still Won't Discuss?
If your students still won't participate in the discussion, be transparent about why you require it of them and provide additional scaffolding tools, such as sentence starters.
Explain the benefits of small group discussion and why it is important to you as their teacher. It might seem like this won't work, but research says otherwise. Clinton & Kelly (2020) found that students who are taught the benefits of small group discussion view it more favorably than those who are not.
I've found that sentence starters can help shy or uncomfortable students enter the discussion. Post traditional accountable talk sentence starters in your room or on the powerpoint slide. I also like to distribute tangible sentence starter cards to the students at their tables (purchase these here for $4).
Should You Use Group Discussion in the Classroom?
I love group discussions in my social studies classroom because it helps students articulate opinions and talk their way to a better understanding of the content. That being said, I am not overly familiar with what role discussion plays in other content areas, especially on the STEM side.
Let's get down to some of the things you should consider before deciding to implement group discussion in your classroom.
Group Discussion Makes Your Admin Happy
Most of us know by now that effective small group discussion is an admin-pleaser. The admin like it, it can raise your observation scores, and it can help you stand out amongst your peers - So why not give it a try?
What Does The Research Say About Group Discussion?
Regardless of the discussion-loving trend among many administrators, and my own love of discussion in the classroom, the research I reviewed was less than conclusive on the subject.
Some studies found small group discussion to be more effective than other instructional methods, while others found it to be less effective. Let's break down when it works and when it doesn't, according to the studies out there.
When Is Group Discussion Effective?
The bottom line: Group discussion improves student interpersonal abilities, classroom culture, and practical skills application.
This 2020 study found that small group discussion was extremely effective in improving the speaking skills of 11th graders. This makes logical sense because students practice basic conversational skills throughout their discussions.
Arias & Scott (2016) found that small group discussion was most effective in the skill acquisition of learners. They measured this as a practical skill application, rather than a testing or other theoretical situation.
Lin, et. al (2022) examined classroom relationships and their correlation to small group discussion. Students who engaged in small group discussions over time experienced a more positive classroom environment and socialization with other students.
When Is Group Discussion Ineffective?
The bottom line: Group discussion is less effective in test-based scenarios and when the group lacks an effective facilitator.
The same study mentioned above (Arias & Scott, 2016) found no difference between a traditional lecture and small group discussion in knowledge acquisition. They used exam performance to measure this, emphasizing the less significant benefit of small group discussion in test-based scenarios.
A second study (Stenlund, Jonsson & Jonsson, 2017) found that test-based instruction was more effective than small group instruction for student learning. However, this is challenged by Mutrofin, et. al. (2017), who argued small group discussion is better than traditional (test-based, lecture, etc.) instruction for student learning.
Lemoine, Rana, & Burgin (2018) found that small group discussion effectiveness relies heavily on the quality of the facilitator. If your small groups do not have effective student facilitators, you may not see the benefits of small group instruction in your classroom. This is one variable that may account for discrepancies in research about this topic.
Group Discussion in STEM
To make up for my gaps in knowledge about group discussion in STEM, I found a few studies that speak specifically to group discussion in science and math.
This 2021 study examined how small group discussions in math class impacted student learning. The study found that small group discussion in math was ineffective unless supported by a significant whole class discussion of the topic.
Cavagnetto (2022) examined group discussion in science classrooms and found that group performance was more closely related to the immediate accuracy of the conversation, usually steered by those with the highest content competency, rather than overall performance in the class. This could mean that group discussion success does not reflect the overall performance of all group members.
Wrapping Up
Effective small group discussion is an essential part of a well-rounded secondary classroom. Set your students up for success by planning effective discussion questions, intentionally grouping students, and assigning group roles. Hold students accountable for their discussion participation and always circulate the room to check in on the discussions.
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