Verbal inactivity in tutorial groups, under conditions of varying preparation and leadership

Abstract

The effects of variations in preparation and leadership on verbal inactivity in tutorial groups were investigated in a field-experimental setting. A factorial, randomized, longitudinal design was employed, with controls imposed over many of the identifiable extraneous effects. Four groups (n = 15) discussed problematic case study material under conditions of varying preparation (prepared vs. unprepared) and leadership (emergent vs. assigned leadership), for eight consecutive weekly sessions of one hour's duration. The principal hypotheses were tested by Chisquare analysis, and a cautious approach was adopted to the interpretation of statistically significant results, in that preparation or leadership effects were only taken as being of any theoretical or practical significance if they reached significance in at least three of the eight discussion sessions. Both preparation and leadership influenced verbal inactivity in groups. The obtained leadership effects were explained in terms of interaction-expectation theory, and behaviour modelling.