Do College Students Collaborate Differently? A Cultural Lens on Latino and European American Group Work

• In Event: Collaboration, Harmony, Attention & Acomedido: Learning Strengths among Mexican and Indigenous Peoples of the Americas

Abstract

Do college students from European American and Latino cultural backgrounds collaborate differently in small groups? Many college courses emphasize individual learning, which may not reflect the experiences of students from historically underserved groups, such as Mexican-heritage communities, where collaboration and being acomedido (helping without being asked) are central to community life according to LOPI (Rogoff & Mejia-Arauz, 2022) and serval descriptions from Indigenous scholars. This study examines cultural differences in engagement among college students, during small-group problem-solving tasks.

Previous research shows that children from Indigenous-American communities, such as Mexican immigrant families, often collaborate and help one another in small-group tasks (Alcalá et al., 2018; Chavajay & Rogoff, 2002; Correa-Chávez et al., 2016; Dayton et al., 2022; López-Fraire et al., 2024, Mejía-Arauz et al., 2007; Rogoff & Aceves-Azuara, 2024). However, this research focuses on children or family interactions. This study shifts focus to young adults in higher education, exploring whether these practices persist and how they compare to students from cultures prioritizing individual achievement.

We observed triads of college students assembling 3D wooden puzzles, videorecorded their interactions, and analyzed them using microanalysis of video ethnography. Semi-structured interviews explored group experiences, particularly comparing approaches in college and at home.

Results suggest that Latino students were more attentive to others’ needs and helped one another, while European American students focused on their own tasks and avoided helping. These findings align with research on being acomedido in Mexican and Indigenous communities and highlight the importance of fostering inclusive classrooms that support diverse interaction styles.

Authors

• Itzel Aceves-Azuara, California State University - Sacramento

• Amanda Maria Lopez, California State University, Sacramento

• Mariana Lara, California State University - Sacramento