MANUAL
RESEARCH PROJECT
B.Ed (1.5 Years)
Course Code: 8613
Name:
Roll No:18SLA00134.
Registration No.18SLA00134.
Semester: 3rd (Autumn 2022 )
Region: Larkana.
Theme: Developing 21st century skill among student
Sub-Theme: collaboration
Topic: Developing Collaboration among grade 6th students through group activities.
DECLARATION
(To be filled and signed by the student and retained by the Controller of Examination)
I ___ son of ___ Roll No., Registration No. , a student of B.Ed Program (1.5 Years) at Allama Iqbal Open University do hereby declare that the research project entitled submitted by me in partial fulfillment of B.Ed (1.5 Years) program is my original work and has not been submitted or published earlier. I also solemnly declare that it shall not, in future, be submitted for obtaining any other degree from this or any other university or institution.
I also understand the zero tolerance policy against plagiarism of the university and the HEC and if my work is found to be plagiarized or copied from someone others work at any stage, even after the award of the degree, the work may be cancelled and the degree confiscated.
_________________________________
(Signature of the Student)
_________________________________
Date: _____________________
(Day-Month-Year)
Research Project Submission Approval Form
(To be filled by the student; and signed by the supervisor and the RD)
This research project entitled submitted by son of Roll No. ____Registration No. ___ Program (1.5 Years) was conducted under my supervision. I have read it and found it to be satisfactory regarding its originality, content, language, relevancy, consistency, citation and reference list. It is ready for submission for evaluation to Allama Iqbal Open University as a partial fulfillment of B.Ed.
___________________________
(Signature of the Supervisor)
Date: ________________________
(Day-Month-Year)
_____________________
( )
Certified that the student has completed at least6 th 0% attendance and all required components of the workshop.
_______________________
(Signature of the Regional Director)
Name of the School (where the action research was conducted):
Action research was conducted in Govt. Girls Lower Secondary School Sajjan Sangi
. Overall background of the participants of the project; area/school: (socio-economic status, occupation/profession earning trends of majority of the parents, literacy rate, academic quality, and any other special trait of the community where the school is situated) (10 marks)
- Background of the Participants:
The participants of the study were grade6 th students who were enrolled in Govt. Girls Lower Secondary School Sajjan Sangi The participants of this study belong to Larkana. selected grade6 th students which consisted in total 41 in numbers. Most of the participants were quite helpful and were matured enough to understand the purpose of my research. In their classroom there were no posters and pedagogical materals for learning English. Most of the students (participants) parents had a medium economic level, so their study did not receive full financial support from family. The interest of the students in the investigation led to their keenness for the task and the interview. As a result, teachers sometimes found it difficult to maintain order among students. Most of the participants were eager to build a team to work as a group.
School Area:
Project School was Govt. Girls Lower Secondary School Sajjan Sangi _school building that contains 21 classrooms. According to the school record, there are a total of 99th 0 students in numbers. The total staff of that school was 29th , including the principles, clerk, watchman and the teachers. This school system has been appreciated by members of the nearby people, as well as by parents, teachers and other respective members of the community. Quran Majeed was taught since the third class. The school area belongs to the urban area. The school environment also represents the market within which a school and its leader must position themselves. The pedagogical approach of the school is to teach the skills and abilities with the student as a center and aims at the integral development of the students. My project school was recently renovated the building. The location of this school is far from the main street. Each classroom shows a list of school values, class rules and a blackboard that shows the learning structure of each day. It makes the teaching and learning process situation work well because the situation is conducive and comfortable. The implementation of the research was carried out from September to October, 2021.
- Socio-Economic Status, Occupation/profession and Earning Trends of Participants Parents
I found that large majority of households were living in neuclear family system and the rest of them had joint and extended family. Most of the students resided in “Packa” houses. Then, more than half of the students’ parents belonged to the high-income group and less than a quarter of the students, belonged to the low-income group. A small number of parents of students were businessmen, government and private employees. A considerable number of the parents of the participants were well educated. The number of parents of the participants was dedicated to government services, as well as private services, respectively. Their parents were progressive in education, but they were still far from higher education. Parents have high expectations of their children. They show considerable participation in their children’s studies by providing facilities for studies and encouraging them.
Topic:Developing Collaboration among grade 6th students through group activities.
- Why did you select this specific sub-theme and topic? Relate it to your experience / problem in your classroom/institution. (10 marks)
(Give the background and rationale of the study)
Reasons of Selecting This Specific Sub-Theme and Topic
I select this topic because I want to Developing Developing Collaboration among grade 6th students through group activities in Govt. Girls Lower Secondary School Sajjan Sangi . Also there are many factors which are responsible for selecting this specific sub-theme and topic.group activities activities s will help students to increase their creativity and learning, social skills and self-confidence, and help them to develop into happier adults. Peer collaboration teaches kids important skills and life lessons, but like any other skill, having a good teacher or teacher is a critical aspect of the process.
Rational of the Study
Collaboration earning is any learning activity in which students of adverse backgrounds work together in group toward a specific goal. There is broad agreement that group activities activities s methods should be promoted in teaching Mathematics and Science. This study aims to identify the impact of group activities activities s as embedded soft skills. This research is also significant as it would contribute to teaching and learning practices and process in higher learning institutions.
Background of The Project:
group activities activities s collaboration (CCA) is a critical and necessary skill used in education and in the. workforce. While problem solving as defined in PISA 2012 (OECD, 2010) relates to individuals working. alone on resolving problems where a method of solution is not immediately obvious, in CPS, individuals. (Hadley, 2003). Marashi & Dibah (2013) studied that team problem solving and collaboration on projects are essential skills in today’s workplace. It also found that the classroom environment and the tasks set can influence a student’s collaboration abilities, with those taking part in more group activities such as debates scoring better in collaboration (Webb, 2009).
Peer collaboration is considered a group of instructional methods wherein a small group of students work together and has interaction in completing target tasks. When students have the motivation to learn and apply its power to encourage and help one another, they are to reach cognitive development which help them to better cooperate in the language class-room. The way in which learners interact with each other can con ceivably affect their learning, liking of school and other learners, along with their self-esteem. Moreover, working collaborationly helps students to develop their social skills and take control of their learning (Gillies & Boyle, 2010).
Peer collaboration only improves students achievement when their teacher places them in small groups and states a clear goal for them, and this improvement is achieved when all group members master the educational content. In other words, if the possibility exists that one or more group members find an answer and share it with the others, or perform the intellectual part of the group assignment while others only observe, then in that case,group activities activities s has not been achieved (Slavin, 2004).
Over the years, primary school students education has stressed the importance of group activities activities s for the childrens development.group activities activities s, involves children in the active exchange of ideas rather than pasive learning. Research has demonstrated the potential of collaborationteam work activities for enhancing childrens cognitive devolepment, creativity and learning and learning (Molla & Muche, 2019th ).
- What was your discussion with your colleague/friend/senior teacher or supervisor regarding the problem? (05 marks)
(Provide your discussion with your colleague or supervisor for better understanding of the problem and alternate solutions)
Discussion With Colleagues/Friends/Supervisor
I told them that this study will provide information for parents, educators and school administrator about how to improve students learning and group activities activities s at grade6 th . I discussed with my colleague, friends, senior teachers and supervisor regarding effect of group activities activities on students creativity and learning at primary level. I told them that in formalgroup activities activities s students work together for one or more class periods to complete a joint task or assignment. There are several features that can help these groups work well:
My supervisor added that group activities activities follows this idea as groups work together to learn or solve a problem, with each individual responsible for understanding all aspects. The small groups are essential to this process because students are able to both be heard and to hear their peers, while in a traditional classroom setting students may spend more time listening to what the instructor says.group activities activities s uses both goal interdependence and resource interdependence to ensure interaction and communication among group members.
One of my friend told me that almost all forms of active learning assume that students will work collaborationly in small group activities is, therefore, the foundation on which most active learning strategies are built.
During discussion one of my senior college suggested that Students must understand the benefits of group activities activities s . Don’t assume that students know what the pedagogical purpose is. Explicitly connect these activities to larger class themes and learning outcomes whenever possible.
At the end of our related discussion we suggested some tips and tricks for solving students lerning andgroup activities activities s problems. We suggested that English teacher play an important role for the betterment of studentsgroup activities activities s style.group activities activities s will help kids communicate with others, increase their social skills and self-confidence, and help them to develop into happier adults. Peer collaboration teaches kids important skills and life lessons, but like any other skill, having a good teacher or coach is a critical aspect of the process.
- What did you find about the problem in the existing literature (books / articles / websites)? (10 marks)
(Explore books and online resources to know what and how has been already done regarding this problem)
Review of Literature
According to Ferrari et al. (2009), creativity and learning in the classroom encompasses innovative instruction, high incentive, the capability of listening and communicating and the ability to inspire and interest. Furthermore, as pointed out by Runco (2004), establishing a creative atmosphere throughgroup activities activities s in the classroom will improve language teaching and learning.
According to Mehdizadeh et al. (2013), collaborationteam work activities is likely to be effective if children share a goal, and have differing perpectives on the best way of attaining it. This sharing of differing points of view in the attempt to achieve a common goal results in cognitive and creative advance. Collaborationteam work activities often occurs in classrooms-for example, when two children attempt to ride on swing at the same time. One of the methods, which improves stu-dents creativity and learning can begroup activities activities s as it has proven to have positive impacts on students achievement.
Students need to develop the ability to apply problem-solving skills when faced with issues or problems that are new to them. The development and use of problem-solving skills also improves learning. The problem should captivate students’ attention, be meaningful, and allow a wide range of individual responses. Altun (2019th ) emphasised on collaborative problem-solving has led many schools to adopt student-centered instructional strategies. These strategies often ask students to collaborate, work on contextualized problems, and exhibit learning through speaking and presenting, instead of answering questions via paper and pencil. Despite a school or an administrators desire to move instruction from teacher-centered to student-centered, teachers often do not deliver instruction in this manner. What causes the gap between the current reality in many schools and the vision of student-centered instruction? Teachers attitudes and beliefs often impede them from fully integrating student-centered instruction.
Harjono & Sahidu (2019th ) defined thatgroup activities activities s occurs as you collaborate with other people to exchange information, ideas or perspectives. The essence of this type of collaboration is based on yes, and thinking building on and valuing each other’s ideas. Any individual, team or company can take advantage of this approach.
Collaboration activities oriented science teaching method seems to have significant effect on creativity and learning. It might be helpful if some more information is available about the effectiveness of the collaborationteam work activities oriented science teaching method. In other words, as stated in the assumption of present study, collaborationteam work activities oriented science teaching method needs to be further studied in relation to its reaching objectives. All teachers can be studied uniquely, in order to understand the educational process more clearly.
In grouping students skills according to a pre-determined criteria needs much serious study of multiple effects leading to different performances of students. And afterwards a qualitative synthesis can be done. collaborationteam work activities setting is inexpensive to implement, it takes time and practice for techers to become skiled in its use. Edwards and Stout say that collaborationteam work activities is useful when students are practicing a new concept, when discussion and higher order thinking skills are required, or when group brainstorming is needed. They advise teachers wishing to try this method to enlist coleagues in trying it in their classrooms so that a support group can develop.
Kaptan & Korkmaz (2019) admitted that teaching strategies that may be appropriate for other activities limit the effectiveness of collaboration problem solving. Even if students are struggling, it is not appropriate to demonstrate solutions or solve a problem for them. Research suggest that arriving at the correct answer is less important for students creative thinking development than theteam work activities the process of struggling with the problem collaborationly. The implication of this study is that small collaborationteam work activities groups as well as individualized groups should be used in primary science classes is one of the instructional objectives.
Winston (2002), in a study performed on fifth grade students of different cultures in the USA, concluded thatgroup activities activities s has a positive effect on students attitude towards math and their academic achievement in this course. In a study, Nichols (2002) examined the effect of one collaboration teaching method on the motivation and academic achievement of6 th 0 geometry class high school students. The results showed that the students in thegroup activities activities s group were more efficient compared to the students in the control group and had a goal-oriented learning. They also valued the geometry course more and had higher academic achievement.
Bamberger (2005) showed thatgroup activities activities s grows the cooperation ability of group members and results in students higher academic achievement. Keramati (2002) investigated the effect ofgroup activities activities s on the development of students social and math skills and concluded that the positive changes in the experimental group compared to the group taught traditionally were significant. Yaryari et al. (2009th ) showed that thegroup activities activities s method has a positive influence on students social skills and academic achievement but no such influence was observed in their self-esteem.
Mirzabigi et al. (2009th ) concluded in their research that the durability of the learned materials is higher in the experimental groups compared to the control groups and the difference was also significant. Rasuli et al. (2011) showed that the collaboration group had a positive and significant difference with the lecture group in terms of creativity and learning and academic achievement. In addition, strong, average, and weak students have different creativity and learning levels in their academic achievement based on intervention.
Shekari (2012) demonstrated thatgroup activities activities s method has a higher influence on the development of the social skills of students compared to traditional teaching methods. The research results of Eslamiyan et al. (2013) showed that the average points of learning evaluation test given to the students was significantly higher in group discussion method compared to lecture teaching method. Meanwhile, the results showed that the satisfaction level was higher in students who had been taught in group discussion method compared to lecture teaching method.
Shekari (2012) stated thatteam work activities teaching method, students can state theirs thoughts, interests, and ideas better, and find out about their classmates and friends opinions, this teaching method will make students get more motivated while learning, increase their excitement, encourage them to ask more questions. In collaboration teaching method, since students have higher degrees of freedom, they become more interested and are more satisfied than in lecture teaching method. In this method, since students ask questions of each other, listen to the answers, their creativity and learning and innovation spirits grow. Therefore, all these cause students to be more satisfied compared to lecture teaching method.
- What was the major variables/construct of your project? Give definitions/ description from literature. (05 marks)
(What are the key terms in your topic or study? what do you mean of these terms? What particular meaning you will attach to the term when used in this project?)
Key Terms in the Project/Major Variables:
A word that serves as a key, as to the meaning of another word, a sentence, passage, or the like. The key concept is usually the main idea in the essay question. A good technique for finding the key concept is to reword the question. To provide the readers a better understanding of the frequently used terms in the study, the following terms are defined operationally:
Team Building
Team building is knowing how to help individuals work as a cohesive group where all members feel invested in the direction and accomplishments of the team. All members have input towards developing goals and defining the steps to take to reach those goals
group activities is a successful teaching strategy in which small teams, each with students of different levels of ability, use a variety of learning activities to improve their understanding of a subject.
Peer collaboration
In peer collaboration we try to understand and listen to his concerns, tell him our adult concerns, and then work collaboratively to arrive at a solution that works for everyone. We use the CPS approach to solve chronic and ongoing problems and also to teach important thinking skills.
Creative group activities
Creativeteam work activities (CPS) is a way of using your creativity and learning to develop new ideas and solutions to problems. The process is based on separating divergent and convergent thinking styles, so that you can focus your mind on creating at the first stage, and then evaluating at the second stage.
group activities
group activities activities s is the act of defining a problem; determining the cause of the problem; identifying, prioritizing, and selecting alternatives for a solution; and implementing a solution.
- What did you want to achieve in this research project? (05 marks)
(Objective/purpose of the study; what was the critical question that was tried to be answered in this project)
Objective/Purpose Of The Study
Objectives are planned and structured goals. These goals are used on career resumes, in the workplace to improve environment and collaborations and in the classroom to improve the learning process for students. Professional objectives can be created forgroup activities activities s situations to set a guideline and goals, whether in the workplace, classroom or other situations wheregroup activities activities s is important. Following are the statements of research problems and the related research objectives.
- Describing the importance ofteam work activities for students creativity and learning .
- Determining why group activities s are important for school and students to learn more from teachers.
- To explore the importance of good collaboration through group activities among6 th grade student .
- team workactivities s after schools in the students professional and social life group activities .
- To examinegroup activities activities helpful for students in collaboration through activities among 6the grade student .
Critical Question
Critical action research is a validation and extension of action research or participatory action research processes that combines critical theory with the action research paradigm. Action research, by definition, always occurs within practice in concrete situations. To achieve the mentioned objectives, I tried to answer the following questions:
- What is the importance of group activities activities s for students creativity and learning?
- why group activities activities s are important for school students to learn more from teachers?
- What is the importance of goodteam work through activities .
- How aregroup activities activities s helpful for students collaboration throughteam work activities among
Research Hypotheses
H1:group activities activities s have significant effect on secondary, students creativity and learning
6 . Who were the participants in your project? (05 marks)
(Give details of the individuals or groups who were focused in this project e.g. the early-grade students whose handwriting in Urdu was not good or the students of class VIII who did not have goodgroup activities activities s)
The participants of the study were grade6 th students who were enrolled in Govt. Girls Lower Secondary School Sajjan Sangi. The participants of this study belong to Larkana. I selected grade6 th students which consisted in total 20 in numbers. Most of the participants were quite helpful and were matured enough to understand the purpose of my research. In their classroom there were no posters and pedagogical materials for learning English. A focus group is a group made up of individuals with certain characteristics that focus discussions on a given topic or topic (Anderson, 1990). The study participants were grade6 th students who enrolled in Govt. Girls Lower Secondary School Sajjan Sangi . Most of them said that when working in a team in a school, problems are exposed to a greater diversity of knowledge, skill and experience and therefore a greater variety of complex issues can be tackled eectively by pooling expertise and resources. Faster output is another benet of a goodgroup activities activities s. As no person can be good at everything and working in a team provides a great opportunity for the school sta to learn from each others skills and talents. During these days, I had the opportunity to see differentgroup activities activities s activities. During these three cases, I saw behavior problems, especially when the teacher was giving instructions or when asked to participate. The teacher gave the instructions for the next class activity where they have to create a poster based on a character from the book or a scene. During the observations, I asked to sit in a chair placed in a secluded place designated by the teacher, and from there I could see most of the classroom. I took notes regarding the student and teacher’sgroup activities activities s activities, and tried to avoid making eye contact or talking with any of the students or the teacher during the observation. The overall performance of all students (participants) was not enough to speak English compared to other sub-skills. Most of their parents have a medium economic level, so their study has the full financial support of their family. The participants of this study consisted of 41 students of the same age group from6 th to 12 years. The large age indicates the level of maturity of the individuals in that sense, the age becomes more important to examine the response.
9th . How did you try to solve the problem? (10 marks)
(Narrate the process step-wise. Procedure of intervention and data collection)
This answer presents the methods that were employed to achieve research objectives. The answer is structured into research design, location of the study, target population, sampling techniques and sample size, research instruments, of the instruments, data collection and data analysis.
Action Research
Action research encompasses small scale systematic inquiry and contains of a number of stages which frequently persist in cycles. Like planning, action, observation and reflection. This type of research has become gradually widespread all over the world as a method of professional learning. It has been especially well developed in education, specifically in teaching, and is now used broadly across the professions. Classroom action research was separated into two cycles; they were cycle I and cycle II and each cycle contained of four interrelated activities, specifically: Planning, Action, Observation and Reflection. In the present study, data collection was based on following steps.
Method of The Study
The methodology of this research was comprised on an action research to found out and solve the problem. The social phenomenon under scrutiny was collaborative learning andteam work activities skill among students at elementary school. Questionnaires, interviews, field notes and observations were used to collect the data needed to provide the information and insight necessary to answer the research questions.
Population
The entire group from which a sample is chosen is known as the population. All the students who were enrolled in Government______ was population of my study. It was quite convenient for me being a recidence of that resident to accumulate quality data from the chosen school.
Sample
Sample is smaller representation of large whole. Generally, it consists of some of the observations that represent the whole population. In the existing action research grade6 th students of were grade6 th who were enrolled in Government ________ was sampled for this study.
Sample Size
The numbers of observation included in a sample is called size of sample. The 40 students of the grade6 th were selected for this class based action research.
Research Instrument
Interview schedule is referred to formal meeting between the respondent and the interviewer. In this technique a number of questions were designed according to the requirement and relevancy of researcher being conducted. The questionnaire was prepared to attain study objectives as discussed earlier.
Ethical Considerations
From the inception of this research I was extremely particular to carry out an ethical inquiry and therefore gave serious thought to all ethical aspects this study would entail. Permission to conduct the study was first sought from the principal and school governing body. Permission was sought from school head. The rights of the participants (grade6 th ) were spelled out clearly i.e. they could refuse to be audio recorded and they could demand to see any notes or recordings.
Collection of Data
The term questionnaire is often used interchangeably with survey. It is common and easy method of data collection in action research. I collected data through well-structured research tool (Interview schedule). Quantitative method was used to get important and meticulous information. Information was collected through questionnaire consisting only close ended questions relative to research objectives. The close ended questionnaire was made for data collection.
The four main phases of the Action Research Cycle
Action Research cycle
Plan
Planning was the first step of the research procedure. This activity covered the problem identification. Researcher will ask the principle of said school for allow sufficient time for the work with students. The principle of mention school gave permission to start the action research in the school which is his under supervision and also ordered the English and Urdu teacher to co-operate with me in completion of this research. Researcher also discuss about data collection procedure (questionnaire) with principle of school and also developed plan to start the research. For the execution of this research fifteen students of grade6 th selected as sample and give them a questionnaire to achieve study objectives.
Action
After the planning was completed, then the researcher carried out an action. In step first I discussed about action research. Total 41 students were selected by mutual consult with teacher. I interviewed them according to the given instruction. Checklist is collected, after all the students had filled it. Checklist is attached as evidence in Annexure.
Observation
In this classroom action investigation, I acted as an observer. In this study, I observed the situation of classroom during the present action study. I observed the activities of students in teaching learning process in order to know the effectiveness of learning process and whether or not the strategy could improve the students class environment. This was an observation step and interest and competence level of students was assessed through the need base assessment documents or checklist.
Following are the main points of the collected data after observation.
- Students answer the questions according to their interest and competence level.
- I see about improvement of class environment charts on the wall
- Studnts were eager to buildgroup activities activities s for problem solving
- Most of the students follow thegroup activities activities s rules
- Students want to learn about improvement of class learning throughgroup activities activities s
9th . What kind of instrument was used to collect the data? How was the instrument developed? (05 marks)
(For example: observation, rating scale, interview, student work, portfolio, test, etc.)
Data Collection
Data collection is the process of gathering and measuring information on targeted variables in an established system, which then enables one to answer relevant questions and evaluate outcomes to answer the research problem. In this Action Research, I kept all ethical consideration in mind. The researcher discussed the plan with the students and also took permission from the management, students and parents before initiating the action cycle. I used following instruments for data collection.
Research Instruments
Research instruments are a way of gathering data concerning the research focus. Gathering data using different research instruments is in fact creating different ways to study the social event being researched.
Questionnaire
Questionnaires are a convenient way of collecting data from a large number of individuals. In this study, I developed the questionnaire to obtain data on impact ofgroup activities activities s on students.
Rating Scale
A rating scale is a tool used for assessing the performance of tasks, skill levels, procedures, processes, qualities, quantities, or end products, such as reports, drawings, and computer programs. These are judged at a defined level within a stated range. I also develop rating scale to judge students performance.
Case Study
A case study is usually an in-depth description of a process, experience, or structure at a single institution. In order to answer a combination of what and why questions, case studies generally involve a mix of quantitative (i.e., surveys, usage statistics, etc.) and qualitative (i.e., interviews, focus groups, extant document analysis, etc.) data collection techniques. I analyze quantitative data first and then use qualitative strategies to look deeper into the meaning of the trends identified in the numerical data.
Checklists
Checklists structure a persons observation or evaluation of a performance or artifact. These tools can provide consistency over time or between observers. Checklists can be used for evaluating databases, virtual IM service, the use of library space, or for structuring peer observations of instruction sessions. I also used checklists for effective data collection.
Interviews
A focus group interview involves the asking of open-ended and close ended questions based on the topic being investigated. Through these questions, I prompt the interviewee for detail information regarding my study themes. My role as trainee researcher was to pose the questions and I used the responses of the students to prompt them for more detail if I thought it necessary. On several occasions, the interviewees responses led to discussions not pertinent to the research and I had to focus their thoughts on the topic. In the course of these discussions, their understanding of the topic was revealed. The complete interview was audio recorded and the recorder was placed in such a way that everybody could see it.
Students Portfolio
Portfolios can be a physical collection of student work that includes materials. I check students portfolio such as written assignments, journal entries, completed tests, artwork, lab reports, physical projects (such as dioramas or models), and other material evidence of learning progress and academic accomplishment, including awards and honours.
Field Notes
So based on these field notes I was prepared my final observation. I also took field notes. Field notes were taken during and immediately after each interview, specifically to identify classroom areas mentioned by English and Urdu teacher during the interviews. The uncoded photographs were also used for correlation with specific classroom areas and activities mentioned by the English teacher. A total of three interviews were conducted for this study, and approximately 30 photographs of each classroom.
- What were the findings and conclusion? (Provide instruments and analysis as appendix) (10 marks)
Peer collaboration is an essential soft skills that need to be applied to every student in the national education institutions for enhancing creativity and learning among them.
Appendix
Scale
- Often Sometimes 3. Never
| Sr. No. | Indicators | Often | Sometimes | Never |
| 1 | Peer collaboration added values to students | 45% | 50% | 5.0 |
| 2 | Peer collaboration help to build self-confident | 55% | 10% | 35% |
| 3 | Peer collaboration improve skills and interaction with others | 50% | 40% | 10% |
| 4 | Peer collaboration increase spirit of cooperation and commitment on task | 45% | 55% | 0.0 |
| 5 | Peer collaboration improve creative and critical thinking | 50% | 45% | 5% |
| 9th | Peer collaboration generate theteam work activities skills for students for attaining good marks | 9th 5% | 25% | 10% |
| 9th | Peer collaboration improve quality of work | 9th 5% | 0 | 35% |
| 9th | Peer collaboration improve quality of learning process | 20% | 9th 0% | 0 |
| 9 | Extra-curricular activities improvinggroup activities activities s of the students | 9th 5% | 15% | 0 |
| 10 | Peer collaboration can improve the students communication skills effectively | 9th 0% | 30% | 0 |
The major findings of the project are listed below.
Major Findings
- I found that 50% of the students stated that sometimesgroup activities activities s added values to students
- I found that 55% of the students told thatgroup activities activities s help to build self-confident
- Half 50% of the students accepted thatgroup activities activities s improve skills and interaction with others
- More than half 55% of the students stated thatgroup activities activities s increase spirit of cooperation and commitment on task
- Majority 50% of the students stated thatgroup activities activities s improve creative and critical thinking
- Majority6 th 5% of the students stated thatgroup activities activities s generate theteam work activities skills for students for attaining good marks
- Majority6 th 5% of the students watched television and listen radio for improvinggroup activities activities s
- Majority6 th 0% admitted thatgroup activities activities s can improve the students communication skills effectively
Conclusion
According to my conclusion soft skills ofgroup activities activities s contributed to positive impacts on students. The impact of thegroup activities activities s on students help to add values to the students, build self-confidence, helping to improvegroup activities activities s and interaction with others and enhance the spirit of cooperation and commitment to the tasks given. In addition, the study also showed that the students exposure to soft skills can help to enhance creative and critical thinking and ideas and improve the quality of workmanship, in particular improving the knowledge and quality of learning.
Recommendations
In brief, my study suggests that the implementation ofgroup activities activities s should be included together with the other prescribed soft skills with varied learned-centred activities to optimize its impact on the teaching and learning process in the university. Thegroup activities activities s in teaching and learning process in university should be continued through varied learned-centred activities. The implementation ofgroup activities activities s should be included together with the other prescribed soft skills for example,group activities activities s (cs), critical thinking andteam work activities skills.
- Summary of the Project (05 marks)
(What and how was the research conducted main objective, process and findings)
Results showed a positive impact ofgroup activities activities s on students creativity and learning. Thegroup activities activities s could help to enhance the added-values on students, build their self-confidence and help to improve theirgroup activities activities s and interaction with the others. In addition, the study also showed that the implication ofgroup activities activities s on the students could expose and help them to develop critical and creative thinking, to solve problems related to their tasks and improve the quality of learning process. In conclusion, this study suggests that the implementation ofgroup activities activities s should be included together with the other prescribed soft skills with varied learned-centred activities.
Purpose of the Study
- Describing the importance ofgroup activities activities s for students creativity and learning.
- Defining whygroup activities activities s are important for school and students to learn more from teachers.
- To explore the importance of goodgroup activities activities s after schools in the students professional and social life
- To examineteam work activities helpful for students in education and studies
Process of Data collection
In order to define the problem in detail and present possible solutions, quantitative data was collected from the achievement test and qualitative data was collected from the focus group interviews by taking the research question into consideration. Action research method was used for existing research. Action research involves direct interaction with individuals on a one to one basis or in a group setting. Observation, focus group interviews, questionnaires and field notes were used to collect the data. The interviews used in this study were semi-structured. A series of close ended questions were used to draw information concerning to the discipline of learners and the teaching strategy of educators. A survey was conducted by direct interview of students at their school during their free time. All information was collected through interview schedule (questionnaire), as research instrument including some multiple choices in the form of and close-ended questions regarding study objectives. Tape recorded data were transcribed, analysed and then discussed. The head teacher introduced me to the class teacher. I assured that the study is the sole purpose of writing a research project and that the data collected would be treated with utmost. The Statistical Package for Social Scientists (IBM SPSS Statistics 20) program was used for data screening, data transformations and analysis. Study identified a significant, causal, and reciprocal relationship between classroom effective environment and students learning.
Findings of the Study
Soft skills ofgroup activities activities s contributed to positive impacts on students, creativity and learning, learning and also help to add values to the students, build self-confidence, helping to improvegroup activities activities s and interaction with others and enhance the spirit of cooperation and commitment to the tasks given. Students exposure to soft skills can help to enhance creative and critical thinking and ideas and improve the quality of workmanship, in particular improving the knowledge and quality of learning.
- How do you feel about this practice? What have you learnt? (Self-reflection) (10 marks)
Feeling about this Practice/Action Research
Action research provides me a structured process for customizing research findings, enabling educators to address specific questions, concerns, or problems within their own classrooms, schools, or districts. I had mixed feelings with research. I was bit nervous and somewhat curious to learn action research. I attend all of the meeting to reach6 th 0% attendance to learn about how to do action research effectively. My experience regarding current research was informative. In this regard my respective supervisor helps me a lot.
Self-Reflection
Self-reflection is like looking into a mirror and describing what you see. Reflecting and composing a piece of self-reflective writing is becoming an increasingly important element to any form of study or learning. Self-reflection helps to build emotional self-awareness. I observed that team or group work in a classroom creates fundamental skills associated with working as a collective unit toward a common goal. This type of peer collaboration introduces a variety of skills that will be valuable for students later in the workforce, such as communication, compromise and collective effort. I called on students by name and used information about them (from the information sheets they filled out during the first class period) in the examples I gave. Unfortunately, I spent so much time on the presentation stage of the lesson that we had to rush through the other activities. Moreover, while observing classes there were some interruption from other classes. Students from other classes came to the teachers for their purposes and the teachers had to solve their problems. Furthermore, during class observation some students did not cooperate. While taking interview some of the interviewees were imitating the answers of others. From my observation as a trainee teacher I observed that students who join a team communicate effectively and learn a lot. An essential objective to education therefore, is to develop the peer collaboration of students; namely: speaking, writing, listening and reading. Reading, writing and listening carefully are the three most important peer collaboration for students. These skills like most of the peer collaboration sounds too familiar as a result of which we take them for granted.group activities activities s are essential for the successful future career of a student. Reading, writing and listening carefully are the three most importantgroup activities activities s for students. These skills like most of the peer collaboration sounds too familiar as a result of which we take them for granted. The finding of this study can be used as a teaching guideline by teachers to help them to communicate more intensively than others so that the strategyin allocating the teaching time can be formulated.
- What has it added to your professional skills as a teacher? (05 marks)
This action research helped me to maintain classroom management through effective discipline practices for effectivegroup activities activities s. I learnt thatgroup activities activities s are associated with high academic performance or academic gains. From this practice Im able to assess the problem in my class viagroup activities activities s. Now I can identified, process and solve the problem throughgroup activities activities s which results better than previous which was beating about bush. I learnt that peer collaboration environment promotes an atmosphere that fosters friendship and loyalty. These close-knit relationships motivate employees in parallel and align them to work harder, cooperate and be supportive of one another. Individuals possess diverse talents, weaknesses, communication skills, strengths, and habits. Action research helps me to pick up threads suggested in academic circles, and weave them in my own classroom. Action research allows me to take ownership over my teaching and occurs when teacher researchers contemplate a classroom or instructional issue, design a study, execute the study, track data and results, and reflect. This research provides me with data from my own experiences and my own students. This study added my professional skills as trainee teacher that sharing usefulgroup activities activities s strategies with students and provide them examples enhance their English writing and speaking skills. I will give assignments to students as team that offer appropriate practice with feedback. Im talking about general and specific tips and tricks on how to approach a specific type of essay. As a teacher, my role is to help each and every student improve themselves, acquire new skills, and become a better individual by the end of their time spent in college. Now I will improve my studentgroup activities activities s in class, reinforce active listening, offer group presentations and assignments, ask open-ended questions to students, use tasks and activities that foster critical thinking and offer reflective learning opportunities.
- List the works you cited in your project (follow the APA manual 6 th Edition). (05 marks) Examples of format are available on websites.
Literature Cited
Ary, D., Jacobs, L.C., Razaviah, A., & Sorenson, C. (2009th ). Introduction to research in education, (9th , ed). Belmont, C.A: Thomson.
Altun, S. (2019th ). The effect ofgroup activities activities s on students achievement and
views on the science and technology course. International Electronic Journal of Primary Education, 9th (3), 451-49th6 th .
Brame, C.J. & Biel, R. (2015). Setting up and facilitating group work: Using collaboration learning groups effectively. Retrieved from http://cft.vanderbilt.edu
Eslamiyan, H., Saeedi, R. M., & Jarosz, M. J. (2013). Comparison of the effects of group
discussion and lecture teaching methods on students learning and satisfaction level
from teaching in the courses of theology. Research on Curricula, 2(11), 13-23
Ferrari, A., Cachia, R., & Punie, Y. (2009). In-novation and creativity and learning in
education and training in the EU member states: Foster-ing creative learning and
supporting in- novative teaching. Retrieved November 10, 2019th , from
http://ipts.jrc.ec.europa.eu
Gillies, R., & Boyle, M. (2010). Teachers’ reflec-tions ongroup activities activities s:
Issues of implementation. Teaching and Teacher Education, 29th , 933-940
Harjono, A., & Sahidu, H. (2019th ). Improving students creativity and learning using Peer collaboration with virtual media on static fluida concept. In Journal
of Physics: Conference Series (Vol. 1009th , No. 1, p. 012019th ). IOP Publishing
Hadley, A. O. (2003). Teaching language in con-text (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle
John, E. B., & Meera, K. P. (2014). Effect ofgroup activities activities s strategy on the
creative thinking skills of secondary school students of Kozhikode
District. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 19(11),6 th 0-9th 4.
Kaptan, F., & Korkmaz, H. (2019). The effects of collaborationteam work activities approach on
creativity and learning in science course. Education. Science, 9th 9, 555-59th 1.
Keramati, M. (2001). Investigating the effect ofgroup activities activities s on the
development of social skills and learning of math in6 th grade students (Unpublished
doctoral dissertation). Tarbiyat Moallem University
Marashi, H., & Dibah, P. (2013). The compara-tive effect of using competitive and co- operative learning on the oral proficiency of Iranian introvert and extrovert EFL learners. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 4(3), 545-555.
Mehdizadeh, S., Nojabaee, S., & Asgari, M. H. (2013). The effect of Collaborative problem
solving on math anxiety, help seeking behavior. Journal of Basic and Applied Sci-
ence Research, 3, 119th 5-1190.
Molla, E., & Muche, M. (2019th ). Impact ofgroup activities activities s Approaches on Students Academic Achievement and Laboratory Proficiency in Biology Subject in Selected Rural Schools, Ethiopia. Education Research International, 2019th .
Mirzabigi, M. (2009th ). Comparison of the effects ofgroup activities activities s method,
collaboration learning with discussion principles, and lecture method on fifth grade
primary school students academic achievement in geography course
Nichols, J. D. (2002). The Effect ofgroup activities activities s on student achievement
and motivation in a high school geometry class. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 21, 49th6 th -49th6 th
Runco M. A. (2004). Creativity and learning. Retrievedfrom: www.arjournals.annualreviews.org
Rasuli. (2011). Comparison of the effect ofgroup activities activities s method and
lecture teaching methods on the creative thinking and academic achievement in career
and technology course of third grade secondary school female students of Yazd
city.
Slavin, R. E. (2004). Translating research into widespread practice: The case of success for all. ERIC.
Shekari, A. (2012). The effect ofgroup activities activities s on the development of
students social skills. Journal of Teaching Strategies, 1(5), 31-39th .
Winston, V. (2002). Effect ofgroup activities activities s on Achievement and Attitude
among Student of Color. Journal of Educational Research, 95, 220-229
Webb, N. M. (2009). The teacher’s role in pro-moting collaborative dialogue in the classroom. British Journal of Education-al Psychology,6 th 9(1), 1-29th
MANUAL
RESEARCH PROJECT
B.Ed (1.5 Years)
Course Code: 8613
Name:
Roll No:18SLA00134.
Registration No.18SLA00134.
Semester: 3rd (Autumn 2022 )
Region: Larkana.
Theme: Developing 21st century skill among student
Sub-Theme: collaboration
Topic: Developing Collaboration among grade 6th students through group activities.
DECLARATION
(To be filled and signed by the student and retained by the Controller of Examination)
I ___ son of ___ Roll No., Registration No. , a student of B.Ed Program (1.5 Years) at Allama Iqbal Open University do hereby declare that the research project entitled submitted by me in partial fulfillment of B.Ed (1.5 Years) program is my original work and has not been submitted or published earlier. I also solemnly declare that it shall not, in future, be submitted for obtaining any other degree from this or any other university or institution.
I also understand the zero tolerance policy against plagiarism of the university and the HEC and if my work is found to be plagiarized or copied from someone others work at any stage, even after the award of the degree, the work may be cancelled and the degree confiscated.
_________________________________
(Signature of the Student)
_________________________________
Date: _____________________
(Day-Month-Year)
Research Project Submission Approval Form
(To be filled by the student; and signed by the supervisor and the RD)
This research project entitled submitted by son of Roll No. ____Registration No. ___ Program (1.5 Years) was conducted under my supervision. I have read it and found it to be satisfactory regarding its originality, content, language, relevancy, consistency, citation and reference list. It is ready for submission for evaluation to Allama Iqbal Open University as a partial fulfillment of B.Ed.
___________________________
(Signature of the Supervisor)
Date: ________________________
(Day-Month-Year)
_____________________
( )
Certified that the student has completed at least6 th 0% attendance and all required components of the workshop.
_______________________
(Signature of the Regional Director)
Name of the School (where the action research was conducted):
Action research was conducted in Govt. Girls Lower Secondary School Sajjan Sangi
. Overall background of the participants of the project; area/school: (socio-economic status, occupation/profession earning trends of majority of the parents, literacy rate, academic quality, and any other special trait of the community where the school is situated) (10 marks)
- Background of the Participants:
The participants of the study were grade6 th students who were enrolled in Govt. Girls Lower Secondary School Sajjan Sangi The participants of this study belong to Larkana. selected grade6 th students which consisted in total 41 in numbers. Most of the participants were quite helpful and were matured enough to understand the purpose of my research. In their classroom there were no posters and pedagogical materals for learning English. Most of the students (participants) parents had a medium economic level, so their study did not receive full financial support from family. The interest of the students in the investigation led to their keenness for the task and the interview. As a result, teachers sometimes found it difficult to maintain order among students. Most of the participants were eager to build a team to work as a group.
School Area:
Project School was Govt. Girls Lower Secondary School Sajjan Sangi _school building that contains 21 classrooms. According to the school record, there are a total of 99th 0 students in numbers. The total staff of that school was 29th , including the principles, clerk, watchman and the teachers. This school system has been appreciated by members of the nearby people, as well as by parents, teachers and other respective members of the community. Quran Majeed was taught since the third class. The school area belongs to the urban area. The school environment also represents the market within which a school and its leader must position themselves. The pedagogical approach of the school is to teach the skills and abilities with the student as a center and aims at the integral development of the students. My project school was recently renovated the building. The location of this school is far from the main street. Each classroom shows a list of school values, class rules and a blackboard that shows the learning structure of each day. It makes the teaching and learning process situation work well because the situation is conducive and comfortable. The implementation of the research was carried out from September to October, 2021.
- Socio-Economic Status, Occupation/profession and Earning Trends of Participants Parents
I found that large majority of households were living in neuclear family system and the rest of them had joint and extended family. Most of the students resided in “Packa” houses. Then, more than half of the students’ parents belonged to the high-income group and less than a quarter of the students, belonged to the low-income group. A small number of parents of students were businessmen, government and private employees. A considerable number of the parents of the participants were well educated. The number of parents of the participants was dedicated to government services, as well as private services, respectively. Their parents were progressive in education, but they were still far from higher education. Parents have high expectations of their children. They show considerable participation in their children’s studies by providing facilities for studies and encouraging them.
Topic:Developing Collaboration among grade 6th students through group activities.
- Why did you select this specific sub-theme and topic? Relate it to your experience / problem in your classroom/institution. (10 marks)
(Give the background and rationale of the study)
Reasons of Selecting This Specific Sub-Theme and Topic
I select this topic because I want to Developing Developing Collaboration among grade 6th students through group activities in Govt. Girls Lower Secondary School Sajjan Sangi . Also there are many factors which are responsible for selecting this specific sub-theme and topic.group activities activities s will help students to increase their creativity and learning, social skills and self-confidence, and help them to develop into happier adults. Peer collaboration teaches kids important skills and life lessons, but like any other skill, having a good teacher or teacher is a critical aspect of the process.
Rational of the Study
Collaboration earning is any learning activity in which students of adverse backgrounds work together in group toward a specific goal. There is broad agreement that group activities activities s methods should be promoted in teaching Mathematics and Science. This study aims to identify the impact of group activities activities s as embedded soft skills. This research is also significant as it would contribute to teaching and learning practices and process in higher learning institutions.
Background of The Project:
group activities activities s collaboration (CCA) is a critical and necessary skill used in education and in the. workforce. While problem solving as defined in PISA 2012 (OECD, 2010) relates to individuals working. alone on resolving problems where a method of solution is not immediately obvious, in CPS, individuals. (Hadley, 2003). Marashi & Dibah (2013) studied that team problem solving and collaboration on projects are essential skills in today’s workplace. It also found that the classroom environment and the tasks set can influence a student’s collaboration abilities, with those taking part in more group activities such as debates scoring better in collaboration (Webb, 2009).
Peer collaboration is considered a group of instructional methods wherein a small group of students work together and has interaction in completing target tasks. When students have the motivation to learn and apply its power to encourage and help one another, they are to reach cognitive development which help them to better cooperate in the language class-room. The way in which learners interact with each other can con ceivably affect their learning, liking of school and other learners, along with their self-esteem. Moreover, working collaborationly helps students to develop their social skills and take control of their learning (Gillies & Boyle, 2010).
Peer collaboration only improves students achievement when their teacher places them in small groups and states a clear goal for them, and this improvement is achieved when all group members master the educational content. In other words, if the possibility exists that one or more group members find an answer and share it with the others, or perform the intellectual part of the group assignment while others only observe, then in that case,group activities activities s has not been achieved (Slavin, 2004).
Over the years, primary school students education has stressed the importance of group activities activities s for the childrens development.group activities activities s, involves children in the active exchange of ideas rather than pasive learning. Research has demonstrated the potential of collaborationteam work activities for enhancing childrens cognitive devolepment, creativity and learning and learning (Molla & Muche, 2019th ).
- What was your discussion with your colleague/friend/senior teacher or supervisor regarding the problem? (05 marks)
(Provide your discussion with your colleague or supervisor for better understanding of the problem and alternate solutions)
Discussion With Colleagues/Friends/Supervisor
I told them that this study will provide information for parents, educators and school administrator about how to improve students learning and group activities activities s at grade6 th . I discussed with my colleague, friends, senior teachers and supervisor regarding effect of group activities activities on students creativity and learning at primary level. I told them that in formalgroup activities activities s students work together for one or more class periods to complete a joint task or assignment. There are several features that can help these groups work well:
My supervisor added that group activities activities follows this idea as groups work together to learn or solve a problem, with each individual responsible for understanding all aspects. The small groups are essential to this process because students are able to both be heard and to hear their peers, while in a traditional classroom setting students may spend more time listening to what the instructor says.group activities activities s uses both goal interdependence and resource interdependence to ensure interaction and communication among group members.
One of my friend told me that almost all forms of active learning assume that students will work collaborationly in small group activities is, therefore, the foundation on which most active learning strategies are built.
During discussion one of my senior college suggested that Students must understand the benefits of group activities activities s . Don’t assume that students know what the pedagogical purpose is. Explicitly connect these activities to larger class themes and learning outcomes whenever possible.
At the end of our related discussion we suggested some tips and tricks for solving students lerning andgroup activities activities s problems. We suggested that English teacher play an important role for the betterment of studentsgroup activities activities s style.group activities activities s will help kids communicate with others, increase their social skills and self-confidence, and help them to develop into happier adults. Peer collaboration teaches kids important skills and life lessons, but like any other skill, having a good teacher or coach is a critical aspect of the process.
- What did you find about the problem in the existing literature (books / articles / websites)? (10 marks)
(Explore books and online resources to know what and how has been already done regarding this problem)
Review of Literature
According to Ferrari et al. (2009), creativity and learning in the classroom encompasses innovative instruction, high incentive, the capability of listening and communicating and the ability to inspire and interest. Furthermore, as pointed out by Runco (2004), establishing a creative atmosphere throughgroup activities activities s in the classroom will improve language teaching and learning.
According to Mehdizadeh et al. (2013), collaborationteam work activities is likely to be effective if children share a goal, and have differing perpectives on the best way of attaining it. This sharing of differing points of view in the attempt to achieve a common goal results in cognitive and creative advance. Collaborationteam work activities often occurs in classrooms-for example, when two children attempt to ride on swing at the same time. One of the methods, which improves stu-dents creativity and learning can begroup activities activities s as it has proven to have positive impacts on students achievement.
Students need to develop the ability to apply problem-solving skills when faced with issues or problems that are new to them. The development and use of problem-solving skills also improves learning. The problem should captivate students’ attention, be meaningful, and allow a wide range of individual responses. Altun (2019th ) emphasised on collaborative problem-solving has led many schools to adopt student-centered instructional strategies. These strategies often ask students to collaborate, work on contextualized problems, and exhibit learning through speaking and presenting, instead of answering questions via paper and pencil. Despite a school or an administrators desire to move instruction from teacher-centered to student-centered, teachers often do not deliver instruction in this manner. What causes the gap between the current reality in many schools and the vision of student-centered instruction? Teachers attitudes and beliefs often impede them from fully integrating student-centered instruction.
Harjono & Sahidu (2019th ) defined thatgroup activities activities s occurs as you collaborate with other people to exchange information, ideas or perspectives. The essence of this type of collaboration is based on yes, and thinking building on and valuing each other’s ideas. Any individual, team or company can take advantage of this approach.
Collaboration activities oriented science teaching method seems to have significant effect on creativity and learning. It might be helpful if some more information is available about the effectiveness of the collaborationteam work activities oriented science teaching method. In other words, as stated in the assumption of present study, collaborationteam work activities oriented science teaching method needs to be further studied in relation to its reaching objectives. All teachers can be studied uniquely, in order to understand the educational process more clearly.
In grouping students skills according to a pre-determined criteria needs much serious study of multiple effects leading to different performances of students. And afterwards a qualitative synthesis can be done. collaborationteam work activities setting is inexpensive to implement, it takes time and practice for techers to become skiled in its use. Edwards and Stout say that collaborationteam work activities is useful when students are practicing a new concept, when discussion and higher order thinking skills are required, or when group brainstorming is needed. They advise teachers wishing to try this method to enlist coleagues in trying it in their classrooms so that a support group can develop.
Kaptan & Korkmaz (2019) admitted that teaching strategies that may be appropriate for other activities limit the effectiveness of collaboration problem solving. Even if students are struggling, it is not appropriate to demonstrate solutions or solve a problem for them. Research suggest that arriving at the correct answer is less important for students creative thinking development than theteam work activities the process of struggling with the problem collaborationly. The implication of this study is that small collaborationteam work activities groups as well as individualized groups should be used in primary science classes is one of the instructional objectives.
Winston (2002), in a study performed on fifth grade students of different cultures in the USA, concluded thatgroup activities activities s has a positive effect on students attitude towards math and their academic achievement in this course. In a study, Nichols (2002) examined the effect of one collaboration teaching method on the motivation and academic achievement of6 th 0 geometry class high school students. The results showed that the students in thegroup activities activities s group were more efficient compared to the students in the control group and had a goal-oriented learning. They also valued the geometry course more and had higher academic achievement.
Bamberger (2005) showed thatgroup activities activities s grows the cooperation ability of group members and results in students higher academic achievement. Keramati (2002) investigated the effect ofgroup activities activities s on the development of students social and math skills and concluded that the positive changes in the experimental group compared to the group taught traditionally were significant. Yaryari et al. (2009th ) showed that thegroup activities activities s method has a positive influence on students social skills and academic achievement but no such influence was observed in their self-esteem.
Mirzabigi et al. (2009th ) concluded in their research that the durability of the learned materials is higher in the experimental groups compared to the control groups and the difference was also significant. Rasuli et al. (2011) showed that the collaboration group had a positive and significant difference with the lecture group in terms of creativity and learning and academic achievement. In addition, strong, average, and weak students have different creativity and learning levels in their academic achievement based on intervention.
Shekari (2012) demonstrated thatgroup activities activities s method has a higher influence on the development of the social skills of students compared to traditional teaching methods. The research results of Eslamiyan et al. (2013) showed that the average points of learning evaluation test given to the students was significantly higher in group discussion method compared to lecture teaching method. Meanwhile, the results showed that the satisfaction level was higher in students who had been taught in group discussion method compared to lecture teaching method.
Shekari (2012) stated thatteam work activities teaching method, students can state theirs thoughts, interests, and ideas better, and find out about their classmates and friends opinions, this teaching method will make students get more motivated while learning, increase their excitement, encourage them to ask more questions. In collaboration teaching method, since students have higher degrees of freedom, they become more interested and are more satisfied than in lecture teaching method. In this method, since students ask questions of each other, listen to the answers, their creativity and learning and innovation spirits grow. Therefore, all these cause students to be more satisfied compared to lecture teaching method.
- What was the major variables/construct of your project? Give definitions/ description from literature. (05 marks)
(What are the key terms in your topic or study? what do you mean of these terms? What particular meaning you will attach to the term when used in this project?)
Key Terms in the Project/Major Variables:
A word that serves as a key, as to the meaning of another word, a sentence, passage, or the like. The key concept is usually the main idea in the essay question. A good technique for finding the key concept is to reword the question. To provide the readers a better understanding of the frequently used terms in the study, the following terms are defined operationally:
Team Building
Team building is knowing how to help individuals work as a cohesive group where all members feel invested in the direction and accomplishments of the team. All members have input towards developing goals and defining the steps to take to reach those goals
group activities is a successful teaching strategy in which small teams, each with students of different levels of ability, use a variety of learning activities to improve their understanding of a subject.
Peer collaboration
In peer collaboration we try to understand and listen to his concerns, tell him our adult concerns, and then work collaboratively to arrive at a solution that works for everyone. We use the CPS approach to solve chronic and ongoing problems and also to teach important thinking skills.
Creative group activities
Creativeteam work activities (CPS) is a way of using your creativity and learning to develop new ideas and solutions to problems. The process is based on separating divergent and convergent thinking styles, so that you can focus your mind on creating at the first stage, and then evaluating at the second stage.
group activities
group activities activities s is the act of defining a problem; determining the cause of the problem; identifying, prioritizing, and selecting alternatives for a solution; and implementing a solution.
- What did you want to achieve in this research project? (05 marks)
(Objective/purpose of the study; what was the critical question that was tried to be answered in this project)
Objective/Purpose Of The Study
Objectives are planned and structured goals. These goals are used on career resumes, in the workplace to improve environment and collaborations and in the classroom to improve the learning process for students. Professional objectives can be created forgroup activities activities s situations to set a guideline and goals, whether in the workplace, classroom or other situations wheregroup activities activities s is important. Following are the statements of research problems and the related research objectives.
- Describing the importance ofteam work activities for students creativity and learning .
- Determining why group activities s are important for school and students to learn more from teachers.
- To explore the importance of good collaboration through group activities among6 th grade student .
- team workactivities s after schools in the students professional and social life group activities .
- To examinegroup activities activities helpful for students in collaboration through activities among 6the grade student .
Critical Question
Critical action research is a validation and extension of action research or participatory action research processes that combines critical theory with the action research paradigm. Action research, by definition, always occurs within practice in concrete situations. To achieve the mentioned objectives, I tried to answer the following questions:
- What is the importance of group activities activities s for students creativity and learning?
- why group activities activities s are important for school students to learn more from teachers?
- What is the importance of goodteam work through activities .
- How aregroup activities activities s helpful for students collaboration throughteam work activities among
Research Hypotheses
H1:group activities activities s have significant effect on secondary, students creativity and learning
6 . Who were the participants in your project? (05 marks)
(Give details of the individuals or groups who were focused in this project e.g. the early-grade students whose handwriting in Urdu was not good or the students of class VIII who did not have goodgroup activities activities s)
The participants of the study were grade6 th students who were enrolled in Govt. Girls Lower Secondary School Sajjan Sangi. The participants of this study belong to Larkana. I selected grade6 th students which consisted in total 20 in numbers. Most of the participants were quite helpful and were matured enough to understand the purpose of my research. In their classroom there were no posters and pedagogical materials for learning English. A focus group is a group made up of individuals with certain characteristics that focus discussions on a given topic or topic (Anderson, 1990). The study participants were grade6 th students who enrolled in Govt. Girls Lower Secondary School Sajjan Sangi . Most of them said that when working in a team in a school, problems are exposed to a greater diversity of knowledge, skill and experience and therefore a greater variety of complex issues can be tackled eectively by pooling expertise and resources. Faster output is another benet of a goodgroup activities activities s. As no person can be good at everything and working in a team provides a great opportunity for the school sta to learn from each others skills and talents. During these days, I had the opportunity to see differentgroup activities activities s activities. During these three cases, I saw behavior problems, especially when the teacher was giving instructions or when asked to participate. The teacher gave the instructions for the next class activity where they have to create a poster based on a character from the book or a scene. During the observations, I asked to sit in a chair placed in a secluded place designated by the teacher, and from there I could see most of the classroom. I took notes regarding the student and teacher’sgroup activities activities s activities, and tried to avoid making eye contact or talking with any of the students or the teacher during the observation. The overall performance of all students (participants) was not enough to speak English compared to other sub-skills. Most of their parents have a medium economic level, so their study has the full financial support of their family. The participants of this study consisted of 41 students of the same age group from6 th to 12 years. The large age indicates the level of maturity of the individuals in that sense, the age becomes more important to examine the response.
9th . How did you try to solve the problem? (10 marks)
(Narrate the process step-wise. Procedure of intervention and data collection)
This answer presents the methods that were employed to achieve research objectives. The answer is structured into research design, location of the study, target population, sampling techniques and sample size, research instruments, of the instruments, data collection and data analysis.
Action Research
Action research encompasses small scale systematic inquiry and contains of a number of stages which frequently persist in cycles. Like planning, action, observation and reflection. This type of research has become gradually widespread all over the world as a method of professional learning. It has been especially well developed in education, specifically in teaching, and is now used broadly across the professions. Classroom action research was separated into two cycles; they were cycle I and cycle II and each cycle contained of four interrelated activities, specifically: Planning, Action, Observation and Reflection. In the present study, data collection was based on following steps.
Method of The Study
The methodology of this research was comprised on an action research to found out and solve the problem. The social phenomenon under scrutiny was collaborative learning andteam work activities skill among students at elementary school. Questionnaires, interviews, field notes and observations were used to collect the data needed to provide the information and insight necessary to answer the research questions.
Population
The entire group from which a sample is chosen is known as the population. All the students who were enrolled in Government______ was population of my study. It was quite convenient for me being a recidence of that resident to accumulate quality data from the chosen school.
Sample
Sample is smaller representation of large whole. Generally, it consists of some of the observations that represent the whole population. In the existing action research grade6 th students of were grade6 th who were enrolled in Government ________ was sampled for this study.
Sample Size
The numbers of observation included in a sample is called size of sample. The 40 students of the grade6 th were selected for this class based action research.
Research Instrument
Interview schedule is referred to formal meeting between the respondent and the interviewer. In this technique a number of questions were designed according to the requirement and relevancy of researcher being conducted. The questionnaire was prepared to attain study objectives as discussed earlier.
Ethical Considerations
From the inception of this research I was extremely particular to carry out an ethical inquiry and therefore gave serious thought to all ethical aspects this study would entail. Permission to conduct the study was first sought from the principal and school governing body. Permission was sought from school head. The rights of the participants (grade6 th ) were spelled out clearly i.e. they could refuse to be audio recorded and they could demand to see any notes or recordings.
Collection of Data
The term questionnaire is often used interchangeably with survey. It is common and easy method of data collection in action research. I collected data through well-structured research tool (Interview schedule). Quantitative method was used to get important and meticulous information. Information was collected through questionnaire consisting only close ended questions relative to research objectives. The close ended questionnaire was made for data collection.
The four main phases of the Action Research Cycle
Action Research cycle
Plan
Planning was the first step of the research procedure. This activity covered the problem identification. Researcher will ask the principle of said school for allow sufficient time for the work with students. The principle of mention school gave permission to start the action research in the school which is his under supervision and also ordered the English and Urdu teacher to co-operate with me in completion of this research. Researcher also discuss about data collection procedure (questionnaire) with principle of school and also developed plan to start the research. For the execution of this research fifteen students of grade6 th selected as sample and give them a questionnaire to achieve study objectives.
Action
After the planning was completed, then the researcher carried out an action. In step first I discussed about action research. Total 41 students were selected by mutual consult with teacher. I interviewed them according to the given instruction. Checklist is collected, after all the students had filled it. Checklist is attached as evidence in Annexure.
Observation
In this classroom action investigation, I acted as an observer. In this study, I observed the situation of classroom during the present action study. I observed the activities of students in teaching learning process in order to know the effectiveness of learning process and whether or not the strategy could improve the students class environment. This was an observation step and interest and competence level of students was assessed through the need base assessment documents or checklist.
Following are the main points of the collected data after observation.
- Students answer the questions according to their interest and competence level.
- I see about improvement of class environment charts on the wall
- Studnts were eager to buildgroup activities activities s for problem solving
- Most of the students follow thegroup activities activities s rules
- Students want to learn about improvement of class learning throughgroup activities activities s
9th . What kind of instrument was used to collect the data? How was the instrument developed? (05 marks)
(For example: observation, rating scale, interview, student work, portfolio, test, etc.)
Data Collection
Data collection is the process of gathering and measuring information on targeted variables in an established system, which then enables one to answer relevant questions and evaluate outcomes to answer the research problem. In this Action Research, I kept all ethical consideration in mind. The researcher discussed the plan with the students and also took permission from the management, students and parents before initiating the action cycle. I used following instruments for data collection.
Research Instruments
Research instruments are a way of gathering data concerning the research focus. Gathering data using different research instruments is in fact creating different ways to study the social event being researched.
Questionnaire
Questionnaires are a convenient way of collecting data from a large number of individuals. In this study, I developed the questionnaire to obtain data on impact ofgroup activities activities s on students.
Rating Scale
A rating scale is a tool used for assessing the performance of tasks, skill levels, procedures, processes, qualities, quantities, or end products, such as reports, drawings, and computer programs. These are judged at a defined level within a stated range. I also develop rating scale to judge students performance.
Case Study
A case study is usually an in-depth description of a process, experience, or structure at a single institution. In order to answer a combination of what and why questions, case studies generally involve a mix of quantitative (i.e., surveys, usage statistics, etc.) and qualitative (i.e., interviews, focus groups, extant document analysis, etc.) data collection techniques. I analyze quantitative data first and then use qualitative strategies to look deeper into the meaning of the trends identified in the numerical data.
Checklists
Checklists structure a persons observation or evaluation of a performance or artifact. These tools can provide consistency over time or between observers. Checklists can be used for evaluating databases, virtual IM service, the use of library space, or for structuring peer observations of instruction sessions. I also used checklists for effective data collection.
Interviews
A focus group interview involves the asking of open-ended and close ended questions based on the topic being investigated. Through these questions, I prompt the interviewee for detail information regarding my study themes. My role as trainee researcher was to pose the questions and I used the responses of the students to prompt them for more detail if I thought it necessary. On several occasions, the interviewees responses led to discussions not pertinent to the research and I had to focus their thoughts on the topic. In the course of these discussions, their understanding of the topic was revealed. The complete interview was audio recorded and the recorder was placed in such a way that everybody could see it.
Students Portfolio
Portfolios can be a physical collection of student work that includes materials. I check students portfolio such as written assignments, journal entries, completed tests, artwork, lab reports, physical projects (such as dioramas or models), and other material evidence of learning progress and academic accomplishment, including awards and honours.
Field Notes
So based on these field notes I was prepared my final observation. I also took field notes. Field notes were taken during and immediately after each interview, specifically to identify classroom areas mentioned by English and Urdu teacher during the interviews. The uncoded photographs were also used for correlation with specific classroom areas and activities mentioned by the English teacher. A total of three interviews were conducted for this study, and approximately 30 photographs of each classroom.
- What were the findings and conclusion? (Provide instruments and analysis as appendix) (10 marks)
Peer collaboration is an essential soft skills that need to be applied to every student in the national education institutions for enhancing creativity and learning among them.
Appendix
Scale
- Often Sometimes 3. Never
| Sr. No. | Indicators | Often | Sometimes | Never |
| 1 | Peer collaboration added values to students | 45% | 50% | 5.0 |
| 2 | Peer collaboration help to build self-confident | 55% | 10% | 35% |
| 3 | Peer collaboration improve skills and interaction with others | 50% | 40% | 10% |
| 4 | Peer collaboration increase spirit of cooperation and commitment on task | 45% | 55% | 0.0 |
| 5 | Peer collaboration improve creative and critical thinking | 50% | 45% | 5% |
| 9th | Peer collaboration generate theteam work activities skills for students for attaining good marks | 9th 5% | 25% | 10% |
| 9th | Peer collaboration improve quality of work | 9th 5% | 0 | 35% |
| 9th | Peer collaboration improve quality of learning process | 20% | 9th 0% | 0 |
| 9 | Extra-curricular activities improvinggroup activities activities s of the students | 9th 5% | 15% | 0 |
| 10 | Peer collaboration can improve the students communication skills effectively | 9th 0% | 30% | 0 |
The major findings of the project are listed below.
Major Findings
- I found that 50% of the students stated that sometimesgroup activities activities s added values to students
- I found that 55% of the students told thatgroup activities activities s help to build self-confident
- Half 50% of the students accepted thatgroup activities activities s improve skills and interaction with others
- More than half 55% of the students stated thatgroup activities activities s increase spirit of cooperation and commitment on task
- Majority 50% of the students stated thatgroup activities activities s improve creative and critical thinking
- Majority6 th 5% of the students stated thatgroup activities activities s generate theteam work activities skills for students for attaining good marks
- Majority6 th 5% of the students watched television and listen radio for improvinggroup activities activities s
- Majority6 th 0% admitted thatgroup activities activities s can improve the students communication skills effectively
Conclusion
According to my conclusion soft skills ofgroup activities activities s contributed to positive impacts on students. The impact of thegroup activities activities s on students help to add values to the students, build self-confidence, helping to improvegroup activities activities s and interaction with others and enhance the spirit of cooperation and commitment to the tasks given. In addition, the study also showed that the students exposure to soft skills can help to enhance creative and critical thinking and ideas and improve the quality of workmanship, in particular improving the knowledge and quality of learning.
Recommendations
In brief, my study suggests that the implementation ofgroup activities activities s should be included together with the other prescribed soft skills with varied learned-centred activities to optimize its impact on the teaching and learning process in the university. Thegroup activities activities s in teaching and learning process in university should be continued through varied learned-centred activities. The implementation ofgroup activities activities s should be included together with the other prescribed soft skills for example,group activities activities s (cs), critical thinking andteam work activities skills.
- Summary of the Project (05 marks)
(What and how was the research conducted main objective, process and findings)
Results showed a positive impact ofgroup activities activities s on students creativity and learning. Thegroup activities activities s could help to enhance the added-values on students, build their self-confidence and help to improve theirgroup activities activities s and interaction with the others. In addition, the study also showed that the implication ofgroup activities activities s on the students could expose and help them to develop critical and creative thinking, to solve problems related to their tasks and improve the quality of learning process. In conclusion, this study suggests that the implementation ofgroup activities activities s should be included together with the other prescribed soft skills with varied learned-centred activities.
Purpose of the Study
- Describing the importance ofgroup activities activities s for students creativity and learning.
- Defining whygroup activities activities s are important for school and students to learn more from teachers.
- To explore the importance of goodgroup activities activities s after schools in the students professional and social life
- To examineteam work activities helpful for students in education and studies
Process of Data collection
In order to define the problem in detail and present possible solutions, quantitative data was collected from the achievement test and qualitative data was collected from the focus group interviews by taking the research question into consideration. Action research method was used for existing research. Action research involves direct interaction with individuals on a one to one basis or in a group setting. Observation, focus group interviews, questionnaires and field notes were used to collect the data. The interviews used in this study were semi-structured. A series of close ended questions were used to draw information concerning to the discipline of learners and the teaching strategy of educators. A survey was conducted by direct interview of students at their school during their free time. All information was collected through interview schedule (questionnaire), as research instrument including some multiple choices in the form of and close-ended questions regarding study objectives. Tape recorded data were transcribed, analysed and then discussed. The head teacher introduced me to the class teacher. I assured that the study is the sole purpose of writing a research project and that the data collected would be treated with utmost. The Statistical Package for Social Scientists (IBM SPSS Statistics 20) program was used for data screening, data transformations and analysis. Study identified a significant, causal, and reciprocal relationship between classroom effective environment and students learning.
Findings of the Study
Soft skills ofgroup activities activities s contributed to positive impacts on students, creativity and learning, learning and also help to add values to the students, build self-confidence, helping to improvegroup activities activities s and interaction with others and enhance the spirit of cooperation and commitment to the tasks given. Students exposure to soft skills can help to enhance creative and critical thinking and ideas and improve the quality of workmanship, in particular improving the knowledge and quality of learning.
- How do you feel about this practice? What have you learnt? (Self-reflection) (10 marks)
Feeling about this Practice/Action Research
Action research provides me a structured process for customizing research findings, enabling educators to address specific questions, concerns, or problems within their own classrooms, schools, or districts. I had mixed feelings with research. I was bit nervous and somewhat curious to learn action research. I attend all of the meeting to reach6 th 0% attendance to learn about how to do action research effectively. My experience regarding current research was informative. In this regard my respective supervisor helps me a lot.
Self-Reflection
Self-reflection is like looking into a mirror and describing what you see. Reflecting and composing a piece of self-reflective writing is becoming an increasingly important element to any form of study or learning. Self-reflection helps to build emotional self-awareness. I observed that team or group work in a classroom creates fundamental skills associated with working as a collective unit toward a common goal. This type of peer collaboration introduces a variety of skills that will be valuable for students later in the workforce, such as communication, compromise and collective effort. I called on students by name and used information about them (from the information sheets they filled out during the first class period) in the examples I gave. Unfortunately, I spent so much time on the presentation stage of the lesson that we had to rush through the other activities. Moreover, while observing classes there were some interruption from other classes. Students from other classes came to the teachers for their purposes and the teachers had to solve their problems. Furthermore, during class observation some students did not cooperate. While taking interview some of the interviewees were imitating the answers of others. From my observation as a trainee teacher I observed that students who join a team communicate effectively and learn a lot. An essential objective to education therefore, is to develop the peer collaboration of students; namely: speaking, writing, listening and reading. Reading, writing and listening carefully are the three most important peer collaboration for students. These skills like most of the peer collaboration sounds too familiar as a result of which we take them for granted.group activities activities s are essential for the successful future career of a student. Reading, writing and listening carefully are the three most importantgroup activities activities s for students. These skills like most of the peer collaboration sounds too familiar as a result of which we take them for granted. The finding of this study can be used as a teaching guideline by teachers to help them to communicate more intensively than others so that the strategyin allocating the teaching time can be formulated.
- What has it added to your professional skills as a teacher? (05 marks)
This action research helped me to maintain classroom management through effective discipline practices for effectivegroup activities activities s. I learnt thatgroup activities activities s are associated with high academic performance or academic gains. From this practice Im able to assess the problem in my class viagroup activities activities s. Now I can identified, process and solve the problem throughgroup activities activities s which results better than previous which was beating about bush. I learnt that peer collaboration environment promotes an atmosphere that fosters friendship and loyalty. These close-knit relationships motivate employees in parallel and align them to work harder, cooperate and be supportive of one another. Individuals possess diverse talents, weaknesses, communication skills, strengths, and habits. Action research helps me to pick up threads suggested in academic circles, and weave them in my own classroom. Action research allows me to take ownership over my teaching and occurs when teacher researchers contemplate a classroom or instructional issue, design a study, execute the study, track data and results, and reflect. This research provides me with data from my own experiences and my own students. This study added my professional skills as trainee teacher that sharing usefulgroup activities activities s strategies with students and provide them examples enhance their English writing and speaking skills. I will give assignments to students as team that offer appropriate practice with feedback. Im talking about general and specific tips and tricks on how to approach a specific type of essay. As a teacher, my role is to help each and every student improve themselves, acquire new skills, and become a better individual by the end of their time spent in college. Now I will improve my studentgroup activities activities s in class, reinforce active listening, offer group presentations and assignments, ask open-ended questions to students, use tasks and activities that foster critical thinking and offer reflective learning opportunities.
- List the works you cited in your project (follow the APA manual 6 th Edition). (05 marks) Examples of format are available on websites.
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