Browsing by Subject "lapsinäkökulmaisuus"

Working in groups, and developing children’s group experiences and group skills, are a crucial part of primary school (Trach, Lee & Hymel, 2018). Grouping is a part of group’s developmental process, where a group gets to know one another and becomes functioning, tight, and safe for its members (Jauhiainen & Eskola, 1994; Karlsson & Riihelä, 2004). According to earlier studies, focusing on the exercise and doing one’s own part in that, working together, and using collaborative skills are important to children when working in small groups (Cera Guy, Williams & Shore, 2019; Ladd, Kochenderfer-Ladd, Visconti & Ettekal, 2012). Based on database searches of the thesis, grouping has only been studied little from the perspective of children. At child-focused research children are listened, considered, and participated into making the research (James & James, 2012). This thesis adds understanding and knowledge of grouping, shows children’s views on groups and so develops small group actions at school. This thesis studied what children think is a good small group and how it relates to the concept of grouping. The data of this study was collected at a third-grade class in Greater Helsinki by observing a few classes with small group studying and by interviewing 11 pupils. The data was analyzed with content analysis. Codes found from the data were first grouped to 12 theme categories. After that theme categories were typified to five categories which depict phenomena that occur in groups. ATLAS.ti, Microsoft Word and digital notepads were used as a practical aid with the analysis. As the results of the study was stated that according to children, groups are joint spaces where it is salient to be together, do together and plan together. Important elements were also enjoyment in a group, a common goal, safety, sense of belonging, interaction and things that relate to performing the exercise. Challenges at groups were similar to those Cera Guy and colleagues (2019) found. Challenges were, for example, related to goofing around in groups, group size and collective decisions. Being a member of a group was understood to be a relatively permanent feature. However, children thought that a group and its members could change for example if somebody changes their mind or a member talks to others about their behavior. Children’s concepts about good small groups had many similarities with grouping’s central parts and features. Therefore, grouping may refer to becoming good groups. According to what children said to be the challenges in groups, it would be good to support small groups at schools by supporting especially interaction skills and conflict solving, setting a common interesting goal, and focusing on a task.