Finding Joy in Group Work
This resource equips educators with strategies to create more inclusive and effective group work experiences through Complex Instruction (CI). By implementing CI, teachers can foster equitable participation, recognize and shift student status, and establish norms that encourage persistence, risk-taking, and productive communication. These techniques help ensure that all students, regardless of perceived ability or social standing, have a meaningful role in group activities.
Teachers can apply this resource by integrating actionable norms into their classrooms, using strategies to make learning public, and designing cognitively demanding tasks that engage all students. Additionally, concepts from CI can be used to rethink classroom structures, redefine student success, and enhance collaboration.
For further development, educators may find resources such as Strength in Numbers: Collaborative Learning in Secondary Mathematics (Horn, 2012) and Mathematical Mindsets (Boaler, 2016) useful. Research on group work dynamics and equitable teaching strategies from Cohen & Lotan (1994) can also provide deeper insights into fostering collaborative learning environments. By using these resources alongside CI, teachers can transform their classrooms into spaces where all students feel valued, capable, and engaged.