How can collaboration skills be developed in primary education?

Collaboration skills are essential in order to succeed in life, not just as a child but later on in the world of work. In school collaboration skills are essential as research has found that ‘’children’s interaction and relationships with teachers and classmates have an effect on their engagement, learning and achievement in classrooms’’ (Ryan and Ladd, 2012). Nuiteq (2017) note some reasons why collaborative learning is important:

1.       ‘’Developing social skills - Collaborative learning makes students with different backgrounds, race, or up bringing, to work together. They come together in a setting that maybe would not be possible if it were not for collaborative learning. In order to solve a project’s given problem, children need to communicate. They are able to hear different opinions and learn more about different cultures. The collaborative learning methodology is ideal for children that have difficulties in a social setting.

2.       Learn from peers - Generally, people have different skills, passions, and knowledge. In a small collaborative group, when a question is raised, different students can have different answers and children can learn new things from one another, but also understand different perspectives.

3.       Build trust - In order to achieve a goal, students need to work together. They can work together without trusting each other, but for an effective collaboration and to reach a common goal, they need to learn to trust each other.

4.       Engage in learning - In a small group setting, each student has the opportunity to express her or his ideas. Being able to do so, and being heard can give the feeling of importance and value. The learning experience becomes more fun, and students are eager to learn more.

5.       Gain confidence - As students work as a team, they also receive more support, therefore gain confidence. Collaborative learning can help shy students express themselves more.’’

So how can these skills be developed?

‘’Over the past two decades, there has been major emphasis on competition between students rather than cooperation and collaboration among them, way too much emphasis on pre- specified and highly detailed learning outcomes, way too much emphasis on rigorous and systematic testing for so called educational standards  and way too much emphasis on teacher- centred pedagogy’’ (Bencze, 2017).

Edweek.org (2017) believes that being practical is the best way of developing collaboration skills in schools, ‘’learning through doing is an important component in this’’. Teachingchannel.org (2018) suggest some ways of encouraging collaboration and to develop these skills:

·         Working Individually Before Working in Groups – collaboration can be more powerful after students first work individually.

·         Partner Talk – this helps students ‘’flex their collaboration muscles’’ while just talking to one person, then the students can turn to a second partner and share and discuss the information they have just learned from the previous partner. This encourages conversations and helps children not just develop collaboration skills but communication skills also.

·         Small Group Collaboration – this is a good way to start encouraging collaboration. Groups also a great way to encourage students to give and receive feedback.

·         Create a Collaborative Environment – ‘’Collaboration can be encouraged through different routines and assignments, but it can also be promoted through the way your classroom is set up.’’

In relation to the last point, Edutopia.org (2015) notes ways that teachers can make a classroom more collaborative through the layout:

·         Involve Students in the Process From the Beginning

By allowing the children to be a part of the process of designing the classroom layout it is already promoting collaboration, the children can all work together to decide on something altogether through communicating and working as a team. This also promotes collaboration between the students and the teacher and ‘’establishes a framework that evolves the role of the classroom teacher from distant lecturer to engaged facilitator of learning’’.

·         Make Every Space a Space for Learning

‘’In the process of designing a collaborative learning space, all available areas should be considered spaces for learning. Hallways can become meeting spaces for small groups, glass and windows can be transformed into writing spaces, and classroom walls can allow groups to visually map out thinking’’. Another suggestion is to remove the teacher’s desk, as without a front to the class every seat is the best seat and students can be the centre of learning.

·         Connect Physical and Virtual Learning Spaces

0-‘’The design of a learning space can act as a catalyst to promote collaboration and innovation. Seamless integration of technology into classroom furniture and lessons can empower students to create personalized paths to learning. You can design a collaboration station by moving a flat-edged table to a wall. Chairs surrounding the table will invite student groups to work and collaborate here’’. Another suggestion is to use an apple TV, this can be used to mirror devices and show and discuss each other’s work. An ideal app for collaboration is Kahoot! that we used in university in year one lectures, this app allows for collaboration within the classroom through putting pupils into teams or collaboration against other schools from other countries for global collaborations.

Reference list

·         Bencze, L. (2017). Science and Technology Education Promoting Wellbeing for Individuals, Societies and Environments. Cham: Springer.

·         Chioran, A. (2017). Why is collaborative learning important?. [online] Nuiteq.com. Available at: https://www.nuiteq.com/company/blog/why-is-collaborative-learning-important [Accessed 18 Feb. 2019].

·         Edutopia. (2015). Collaborative Learning Spaces: Classrooms That Connect to the World. [online] Available at: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/collaborative-learning-spaces-connect-to-world-jennifer-williams-fran-siracusa [Accessed 19 Feb. 2019].

·         Ryan, A. and Ladd, G. (2012). Peer Relationships and Adjustment at School. Charlotte: IAP - Information Age Publishing, Inc.

·         Sparks, S. (2017). Children Must Be Taught to Collaborate, Studies Say. [online] Education Week. Available at: https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2017/05/17/children-must-be-taught-to-collaborate-studies.html [Accessed 19 Feb. 2019].