Briefing and debriefing: investigating the role of the teacher within group work science lessons

Although effective group work approaches have been established within research, such methodologies may be difficult for teachers to utilise, as group work remains under-researched in UK secondary schools. This paper examines whether secondary teachers in Scotland could consolidate their understanding of principles supporting group work and accommodate changes within lessons. Conventional teaching of a specific topic was replaced with an intervention that investigated the role of the teacher at the introduction (briefing) and conclusion (debriefing) stages of lessons. Encouraging results were obtained in this small-scale study. Teachers can enhance group work when the complex mix of arrangements and planning are made realistic. Methodology developed to support teachers before, during, and following group work, has been substantiated and warrants further investigation.