Do More Emergent Leaders Enhance More Knowledge Construction? Examining the Impact in Collaborative Learning

• In Event: If You Build It: Investigating Knowledge Construction and Generative Learning Strategies

Abstract

This study examines how the number of emergent leaders in collaborative problem-solving influences knowledge construction among 122 students from grades 3 to 6 in a Beijing elementary school. Utilizing epistemic network analysis and lag sequential analysis based on transcribed video, key findings include: leadership within groups was distributed, one to two students usually emerge as leaders within the group, and groups with two emergent leaders showed higher levels of knowledge construction and closer cognitive network connections than those with one leader. Additionally, groups with two leaders had five more significant leadership to knowledge construction paths. The study highlights the importance of fostering emergent leadership skills in students and discusses the pedagogical implications of these findings.

Authors

• Qi Zeng, Beijing Normal University

• Xingguang Guo, Beijing Normal University

• Liu Ziyu, Beijing Normal University