Abstract
Determining the optimal discussion group size to improve performance and learning has created an intense debate in psychology and provided mixed findings in laboratory and field settings. In a quasi-experimental study in the education field, we examined the effect of discussion group size on individual learning in a biology exercise performed on a tablet with stylus. The sample involved 102 secondary school students divided into four classes, each corresponding to one of the four experimental conditions (alone without peer discussion vs discussion in dyads vs triads vs four-member groups). They were asked to draw individually a functional schema of the human respiratory system, once before and once after discussing with peers (or reflecting alone). Both drawings were evaluated by four independent coders, and the learning gain for each student was computed from these evaluations. Results revealed that learning gain was greater for students discussing in four-member groups than for those in the other conditions. Additional analyses suggested that this effect was moderated by the students’ gender, with the learning gain being greater after discussion in four-member groups among females only. These findings suggest that group size of four individuals might be the optimal configuration to improve peer learning.
Highlights
Working in groups is a frequent practice in the K-12 science classroom
In the “Alone” condition, 57.7% of students reported having discussed with zero people; in “Dyad,” 68.2% indicated that they had discussed with one person; in “Triad,” 76.7% indicated that they had discussed with two people; in the “four-member group” condition, 73.9% indicated that they had discussed with more than three people
These analyses suggest that students had a relatively good perception of the group size condition in which they had been placed
Summary
Working in groups is a frequent practice in the K-12 science classroom In this context, determining the number of students who should work in a group is problematic. Identifying the optimal group size in peer discussion and its impact on learning is a crucial research issue that can have a determining influence on students learning. It may provide some useful recommendations for teachers to improve group learning in their classroom. Based on the literature about the effects of group size on different outcomes (performance and learning) and the mixed findings generally observed, there is an interest to extend research to complex tasks or exercises in secondary education settings among students using technology-mediated learning environments. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of discussion group size on learning gain in a biology exercise performed on a tablet with stylus
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