Dissecting study groups
A focus group investigation of informal small group work in anatomy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7146/dut.v20i37.145500Resumé
This study investigates the dynamics of study groups among second-semester medical students enrolled in a gross anatomy course at Aarhus University, Denmark, during the autumn of 2018. Study groups served as organising units that had beneficial motivational, learning, and social effects. They provided accountability, academic support, and progress monitoring. Shared beliefs within these groups, influenced by near-peers, shaped the social norms for studying. The study suggests enhancing the effectiveness of study groups by targeting these beliefs through formal education of social role models, such as student teachers. Recognising the limitations of homogenous groups, the paper advocates for diverse peer groups to develop teamwork and higher order thinking skills. These findings underscore the importance of considering both academic and psychological aspects of group dynamics to improve student wellbeing and academic performance.
Referencer
Bager, A. J., & Herrmann, K. J. (2013). "Du skal ikke stikke næsen for langt frem": Et studie af normer for deltagelse og forberedelse blandt førsteårsstuderende. Dansk Universitetspædagogisk Tidsskrift, 8(15), 36-46. https://doi.org/10.7146/dut.v8i15.7679
Bales, R. F. (1951). Interaction process analysis : a method for the study of small groups (2. print. ed.). Cambridge, Mass: Addison-Wesley.
Bales, R. F. (1970). Personality and interpersonal behavior. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The Need to Belong: Desire for Interpersonal Attachments as a Fundamental Human Motivation. Psychological bulletin, 117(3), 497-529. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497
Berkhout, J. J., Helmich, E., Teunissen, P. W., Vleuten, C. P. M., & Jaarsma, A. D. C. (2017). How clinical medical students perceive others to influence their self‐regulated learning. Medical education, 51(3), 269-279. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.13131
Boekaerts, M. (1993). Being Concerned With Well-Being and With Learning. Educational Psychologist, 28(2), 149-167. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep2802_4
Bowman, N. A., Miller, A., Woosley, S., Maxwell, N. P., & Kolze, M. J. (2019). Understanding the Link Between Noncognitive Attributes and College Retention. Research in higher education, 60(2), 135-152. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-018-9508-0
Bradshaw, D., & Hendry, G. D. (2006). Independent Student Study Groups: Benefits for Students' Self-regulated Learning and Achievement. Focus on Health Professional Education: A Multi-Professional Journal, 8(2), 22-31. Retrieved from https://search.informit.org/doi/full/10.3316/informit.038601237470021
Bransen, D., Govaerts, M. J. B., Panadero, E., Sluijsmans, D. M. A., & Driessen, E. W. (2022). Putting self‐regulated learning in context: Integrating self‐, co‐, and socially shared regulation of learning. Medical education, 56(1), 29-36. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.14566
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Burford, B. (2012). Group processes in medical education: learning from social identity theory. Medical education, 46(2), 143-152. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2011.04099.x
Caillaud, S., Kalampalikis, N., & Doumergue, M. (2022). Designing focus groups. In. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529770278.n42
Carrell, S. E., Sacerdote, B. I., & West, J. E. (2013). From Natural Variation to Optimal Policy? The Importance of Endogenous Peer Group Formation. Econometrica, 81(3), 855-882. https://doi.org/10.3982/ECTA10168
Chiriac, E. H. (2014). Group work as an incentive for learning - students' experiences of group work. Frontiers in psychology, 5(558), 558-558. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00558
Christian, K., & Talanquer, V. (2012). Content-Related Interactions in Self-initiated Study Groups. International Journal of Science Education, 34(14), 2231-2255. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2012.708064
Dolmans, D. H. J. M., & Schmidt, H. G. (2006). What do we know about cognitive and motivational effects of small group tutorials in problem-based learning? Advances in health sciences education : theory and practice, 11(4), 321-336. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-006-9012-8
Feichtner, S. B., & Davis, E. A. (1984). Why some groups fail: A survey of students' experiences with learning groups. Organizational Behavior Teaching Review, 9(4), 58-73. https://doi.org/10.1177/105256298400900409
Fiske, S. T. (2002). What We Know Now about Bias and Intergroup Conflict, the Problem of the Century. Current directions in psychological science : a journal of the American Psychological Society, 11(4), 123-128. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8721.00183
Hackman, J. R. (1990). Groups that work (and those that don't) : creating conditions for effective teamwork (7. printing. ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc.
Hall, D., & Buzwell, S. (2013). The problem of free-riding in group projects : looking beyond social loafing as reason for non-contribution. Active learning in higher education, 14(1), 37-49. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787412467123
Hammond, C. (2004). Impacts of lifelong learning upon emotional resilience, psychological and mental health: fieldwork evidence. Oxford Review of Education, 30(4), 551-568. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305498042000303008
Hansen, R. S. (2006). Benefits and Problems With Student Teams: Suggestions for Improving Team Projects. Journal of education for business, 82(1), 11-19. https://doi.org/10.3200/JOEB.82.1.11-19
Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The Power of Feedback. Review of educational research, 77(1), 81-112. https://doi.org/10.3102/003465430298487
Hendry, G. D., Hyde, S. J., & Davy, P. (2005). Independent student study groups. Medical education, 39(7), 672-679. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2929.2005.02199.x
Herling, P. J., Mohseni, B. T., Hill, D. C., Chelf, S., Rickert, J. A., Leo, J. T., & Langley, N. R. (2017). Impact of Anatomy Boot Camp on Students in a Medical Gross Anatomy Course. Anatomical sciences education, 10(3), 215-223. https://doi.org/10.1002/ase.1653
Herrmann, K. J., Bager-Elsborg, A., Jensen, T. K., & Hansen, I. B. (2017). Studiemiljø 2017 Undersøgelse af studiemiljøet ved Aarhus Universitet. Uddannelsesrapporter for HE. Retrieved from https://studerende.au.dk/studieundersoegelse/tidligere-undersoegelser
Hommes, J., Arah, O. A., de Grave, W., Schuwirth, L. W. T., Scherpbier, A. J. J. A., & Bos, G. M. J. (2014). Medical Students Perceive Better Group Learning Processes when Large Classes Are Made to Seem Small. PLOS ONE, 9(4), e93328. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0093328
Hubbell, L., & Hubbell, K. (2010). When a College Class Becomes a Mob: Coping with Student Cohorts. College student journal, 44(2), 340.
Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Smith, K. A. (2006). Active Learning: Cooperation in the College Classroom: Interaction Book Company.
Kamp, R. J. A. (2012). The relationship between students' small group activities, time spent on self-study, and achievement. Higher education, 64(3), 385-397. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-011-9500-5
Kaya, M., & Erdem, C. (2021). Students' Well-Being and Academic Achievement: A Meta-Analysis Study. Child Indicators Research, 14(5), 1743-1767. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-021-09821-4
Keren, D., Lockyer, J., & Ellaway, R. H. (2017). Social studying and learning among medical students: a scoping review. Perspectives on medical education, 6(5), 311-318. https://doi.org/10.1007/S40037-017-0358-9
King, N. (2012). Doing Template Analysis. In (pp. 426). 55 City Road, London: SAGE Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781526435620.n24
Kitzinger, J. (1995). Qualitative Research: Introducing focus groups. BMJ, 311(7000), 299-302. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.311.7000.299
Lachman, N., Christensen, K. N., & Pawlina, W. (2013). Anatomy teaching assistants: Facilitating teaching skills for medical students through apprenticeship and mentoring. Medical teacher, 35(1), e919-e925. https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2012.714880
Lerchenfeldt, S., Mi, M., & Eng, M. (2019). The utilization of peer feedback during collaborative learning in undergraduate medical education: a systematic review. BMC medical education, 19(1), 321-321. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-019-1755-z
Livingstone, D., & Lynch, K. (2000). Group Project Work and Student-centred Active Learning: Two different experiences. Studies in higher education (Dorchester-on-Thames), 25(3), 325-345. https://doi.org/10.1080/713696161
Lovell, B. (2015). 'We are a tight community': social groups and social identity in medical undergraduates. Medical education, 49(10), 1016-1027. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.12781
McKendall, M. (2000). Teaching Groups to Become Teams. Journal of education for business, 75(5), 277-282. https://doi.org/10.1080/08832320009599028
McMahon, M. (1997). Social constructivism and the World Wide Web-A paradigm for learning. Paper presented at the ASCILITE conference. Perth, Australia.
McNeill, K. G., Kerr, A., & Mavor, K. I. (2014). Identity and norms: the role of group membership in medical student wellbeing. Perspectives on medical education, 3(2), 101-112. https://doi.org/10.1007/S40037-013-0102-Z
Michaelsen, L. K., Davidson, N., & Major, C. H. (2014). Team-Based Learning Practices and Principles in Comparison with Cooperative Learning and Problem-Based Learning. Journal on excellence in college teaching, 25(3-4), 57.
Mishra, S. (2020). Social networks, social capital, social support and academic success in higher education: A systematic review with a special focus on 'underrepresented' students. Educational Research Review, 29, 100307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2019.100307
Ohana, M. L. (2017, 10.10.2017). Health holder fast i højt kvote 2-optag på medicin. Retrieved from https://newsroom.au.dk/nyheder/vis/artikel/health-holder-fast-i-hoejt-kvote-2-optag-paa-medicin/
Pintrich, P. R. (2004). A Conceptual Framework for Assessing Motivation and Self-Regulated Learning in College Students. Educational psychology review, 16(4), 385-407. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-004-0006-x
Raat, J., Kuks, J., & Cohen-Schotanus, J. (2010). Learning in clinical practice: Stimulating and discouraging response to social comparison. Medical teacher, 32(11), 899-904. https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2010.497820
Raat, J., Kuks, J. B. M., van Hell, E. A., & Cohen-Schotanus, J. (2013). Peer influence on students' estimates of performance: social comparison in clinical rotations. Medical education, 47(2), 190-197. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.12066
Rayle, A. D., & Chung, K.-Y. (2007). Revisiting First-Year College Students' Mattering: Social Support, Academic Stress, and the Mattering Experience. Journal of college student retention : Research, theory & practice, 9(1), 21-37. https://doi.org/10.2190/X126-5606-4G36-8132
Robbins, S. B., Lauver, K., Le, H., Davis, D., Langley, R., & Carlstrom, A. (2004). Do psychosocial and study skill, factors predict college outcomes? A meta-analysis. Psychological bulletin, 130(2), 261-288. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.130.2.261
Roberts, T. S. (2004). Online collaborative learning : theory and practice. Hershey Pa: Information Science Pub. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-59140-174-2
Rosman, T., Mayer, A.-K., Leichner, N., & Krampen, G. (2020). Putting big fish into a bigger pond: self-concept changes in psychology undergraduate entrants. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 44(1), 14-28. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2018.1493095
Rybczynski, S. M., & Schussler, E. E. (2011). Student Use of Out-of-Class Study Groups in an Introductory Undergraduate Biology Course. CBE life sciences education, 10(1), 74-82. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe-10-04-0060
Ryff, C. D. (1989). Happiness Is Everything, or Is It? Explorations on the Meaning of Psychological Well-Being. Journal of personality and social psychology, 57(6), 1069-1081. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.57.6.1069
Sampson, R. J. (1984). Group Size, Heterogeneity, and Intergroup Conflict: A Test of Blau's Inequality and Heterogeneity. Social forces, 62(3), 618-639. https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/62.3.618
Seifert, K., & Sutton, R. (2019). Educational Psychology Second Edition. In: The Global Text Project is funded by the Jacobs Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland.
Shimazoe, J., & Aldrich, H. (2010). Group Work Can Be Gratifying: Understanding & Overcoming Resistance to Cooperative Learning. College teaching, 58(2), 52-57. https://doi.org/10.1080/87567550903418594
Smith, E., & Reimer, D. (2022). Frafaldsintentioner og betydningen af identifikation, integration og self-concept: Aalborg Universitetsforlag.
Springer, L., Stanne, M. E., & Donovan, S. S. (1999). Effects of Small-Group Learning on Undergraduates in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology: A Meta-Analysis. Review of educational research, 69(1), 21-51. https://doi.org/10.2307/1170643
Suhlmann, M., Sassenberg, K., Nagengast, B., & Trautwein, U. (2018). Belonging Mediates Effects of Student-University Fit on Well-Being, Motivation, and Dropout Intention. Social psychology (Göttingen, Germany), 49(1), 16-28. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-9335/a000325
Swanson, E., McCulley, L. V., Osman, D. J., Scammacca Lewis, N., & Solis, M. (2019). The effect of team-based learning on content knowledge: A meta-analysis. Active learning in higher education, 20(1), 39-50. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787417731201
Tinto, V. (1975). Dropout from Higher Education: A Theoretical Synthesis of Recent Research. Review of educational research, 45(1), 89-125. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543045001089
Tinto, V. (2012). Enhancing student success: taking the classroom success seriously. The international journal of the first year in higher education, 3(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.5204/intjfyhe.v3i1.119
Tuckman, B. W., & Jensen, M. A. C. (1977). Stages of Small-Group Development Revisited. Group & organization studies, 2(4), 419-427. https://doi.org/10.1177/105960117700200404
Vaughan, S., Sanders, T., Crossley, N., O'Neill, P., & Wass, V. (2015). Bridging the gap: the roles of social capital and ethnicity in medical student achievement. Medical education, 49(1), 114-123. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.12597
Wallace, J. (1992). Do Students Who Prefer To Learn Alone Achieve Better Than Students Who Prefer To Learn with Peers? Retrieved from
Woolf, K., Potts, H. W. W., Patel, S., & McManus, I. C. (2012). The hidden medical school: A longitudinal study of how social networks form, and how they relate to academic performance. Medical teacher, 34(7), 577-586. https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2012.669082
Zaher, E., & Ratnapalan, S. (2012). Practice-based small group learning programs Systematic review. Canadian family physician, 58(6), 637-642.
Downloads
Publiceret
Citation/Eksport
Nummer
Sektion
Licens
DUT udkommer elektronisk via Statsbibliotekets Open Journal System (Tidsskrift.dk) og DUNs hjemmeside (DUN-net.dk) forår og efterår. Det er gratis og frit tilgængeligt at læse og downloade artikler fra tidsskriftet.
Det er ikke muligt at abonnere på Dansk Universitetspædagogisk Tidsskrift, DUT, men hvis du er medlem af DUN, får du tilsendt en nyhedsmail med link til udgivelsen, når den nyeste udgave er online. Linket vil også være tilgængeligt her på siden, så snart tidsskriftet er publiceret.
© Copyright
Artikler publiseret i Dansk Universitetspædagogisk Tidsskrift, DUT, må bruges (downloades) og genbruges (distribueres, kopieres, citeres) til ikke-kommercielle formål med reference til forfattere og Dansk Universitetspædagogisk Tidsskrift.
Artikler indsendt til Dansk Universitetspædagogisk Tidsskrift må ikke publiseres i andre tidskrifter.
Betingelser
Artikler i Dansk Universitetspædagogisk Tidsskrift, DUT, er omfattet af ophavsretsloven, og der må citeres fra dem.
Følgende betingelser skal dog være opfyldt:
- Citatet skal være i overensstemmelse med „god skik“
- Der må kun citeres „i det omfang, som betinges af formålet“
- Ophavsmanden til teksten skal krediteres, og kilden skal angives ift. ovenstående bibliografiske oplysninger.
