Group Work Study

Students learn best from one-on-one interaction with an adult, but group work follows as a strong alternative, according to an analysis of 71 studies -- mostly from the US and UK. Data shows that students benefit from working in pairs, as well as in groups of three or four. The ones that produced the strongest learning gains for peer interaction were those where adults gave children clear instructions for what do during their conversations. The instructions force children to debate and negotiate, during which they can clear up misunderstandings and deepen their knowledge.
Tenenbaum, H. R., Winstone, N. E., Leman, P. J., & Avery, R. E. (2019). How effective is peer interaction in facilitating learning? A meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000436
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-75000-001?doi=1

High School Engagement

This study sought to determine whether American high schoolers could be placed into distinguishable groups that share common sets of behaviors, perceptions, and emotions that define what “being engaged in school” means to them. The nationally representative survey of over two thousand high schoolers in traditional public, charter, and private schools finds that nearly all students report being motivated to apply themselves academically, but they also primarily engage in school through different levers. Specifically, they identified six subgroups of students with varying engagement profiles. Among high school students who consider dropping out, half cite lack of engagement with the school as a primary reason, and under half report that they don’t see value in the schoolwork they are asked to do.

Geraci, J., Palmerini, M., Cirillo, P., McDougald, V. (2017). What teens want from their schools: A national survey of high school student engagement. Washington, D.C.: Thomas B. Fordham Institute. http://edex.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/publication/pdfs/%2806.27%29%20What%20Teens%20Want%20From%20Their%20Schools%20-%20A%20National%20Survey%20of%20High%20School%20Student%20Engagement.pdf