Reflections on Group Work: Voices from Preservice Teachers

Abstract

This study focuses on group work in teacher education and aims to determine preservice teachers’ views about group work. The participants were 485 preservice teachers in the faculty of education in a university in Ankara, Turkey. Data in this descriptive study was gathered through a questionnaire, including open ended questions. The results revealed that preservice teachers have positive viewpoints about group work in instructional environment. The participants also reported that group work can be beneficial for developing social and cognitive skills of students. Finally, the effectiveness of group work requires effective design in addition to the necessary knowledge and skills. In a sense, it might be crucial to conduct further research, investigating group work in the context of teacher education.