Student Attitudes Toward Group Discussions

• In Event: Bridging the Divide: Applications of Mixed Methods to Advance Motivation Studies

Abstract

Student attitudes towards active learning techniques, such as group discussion, are often negative. The purpose of this study is to determine if an intervention informing students of the usefulness of group discussions affects attitudes on group discussions. Students in a social psychology course (N = 51) were randomly assigned to view a video and answer an essay question on the value of group discussions (intervention) or on how group discussions were graded (control). Students who received the intervention indicated group discussions as more useful than did students in the control. Importantly, there were no differences in attitudes prior to the intervention. In addition, students reported their perceptions of the value (benefits) and costs (disadvantages) of group discussions in open-ended items.

Authors

• Virginia E. Clinton, University of North Dakota

• Alison E. Kelly, University of North Dakota