Student Behaviors and Interactions Influence Group Discussions in an Introductory Biology Lab Setting

Abstract

Students naturally take on different behaviors when engaged in group discussion of data, which sorts them into preferred roles. In discussions in which all students collaborate, groups generate more complete arguments to support conclusions. Without guidance, groups generally focus on analyzing data rather than building reasoned explanations.

“Oh, that makes sense”: Social Metacognition in Small-Group Problem Solving

“…, 2021 ) and how to reason ( Knight et al. , 2013 ; Paine and Knight, 2020 ). Our rich, qualitative work begins to provide the foundational knowledge needed to develop this guidance.…”

“…Another way to possibly facilitate social metacognition during small-group problem solving is through the use and modification of group roles. Other researchers suggest that students’ natural role choices are not necessarily optimal and that consideration of group roles can improve group discussions ( Paine and Knight, 2020 ). In our study, students took on a defined group role as either recorder, presenter, or manager which are common group roles for a POGIL-style classroom ( Moog et al.…”

“…, 2004 ; Sampson and Clark, 2008 ; Knight et al. , 2013 , 2015 ; Paine and Knight, 2020 ). A key adaptation of Toulmin’s argument pattern is the evidence-based reasoning framework ( Brown et al.…”

Investigating Student Engagement in General Chemistry Active Learning Activities using the Activity Engagement Survey (AcES)

“…Therefore, although students may have been socially engaged, they may not have been behaviorally/cognitively engaged in the activity. Although students are thought to be more cognitively engaged when they are interacting with other students to create new material and build off each other’s ideas, one study found that student discussion more frequently centers around exchanging information instead of exchanging reasoning . Therefore, it would be informative for further research to explore how group dynamics and social interactions influence students’ overall, behavioral/cognitive, emotional, and social engagement.…”

Successful Problem Solving in Genetics Varies Based on Question Content

“…The detailed studies of these specific subcategories of reasoning have usually involved extensive interviews with students and/or very specific guidelines that prompt the use of a particular type of reasoning. Those who have explored students’ unprompted general use of reasoning have found that few students naturally use reasoning to support their ideas ( Zohar and Nemet, 2002 ; James and Willoughby, 2011 ; Schen, 2012 ; Knight et al , 2015 ; Paine and Knight, 2020 ). However, with explicit training to integrate their knowledge into mental models ( Kuhn and Udell, 2003 ; Osborne, 2010 ) or with repeated cueing from instructors ( Russ et al , 2008 ; Knight et al , 2015 ), students can learn to generate more frequent, specific, and robust reasoning.…”