Final Project

Introduction
A team is a group of individuals working interdependently to accomplish a specific goal.
There are many teams in society, each working towards a certain direction. Groups are easy to
work with and influence as opposed to individuals. For this project, I observed a group of tenth
graders during a social studies lesson (Massachusetts DESE, 2015). The observation was
conducted virtually. The virtual option was preferred because of the ease of access and safety,
especially during this time when the world is dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. I observed the
lesson from the beginning to the end as the students interacted with one another and with their
teacher. The paper explains elements noted during the observation and the dynamics of the
group.
Communication
communication is central to any actions of a team (Levi & Askay, 2020). The
communication flows freely during the classroom. The teacher communicates and uses oral
questions to interact with the students. The lesson is quite interactive, and students appear to be
confident in themselves and in sharing their opinions. For instance, at the beginning of the
question, the teacher asks students questions where they are supposed to either agree or disagree.
The students take sides, and then a few give explanations for their decisions.
Additionally, there was instrumental communication during the lesson. Instrumental
communication refers to the process by which the teacher establishes affective and effective
communication relationship with the student (Wrench et al., 2009). The aim of instrumental
communication is to give the learner an opportunity to achieve optimal success in the mastery of

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the content. The communication during the lesson is two-way. Both the teacher and the students
communicate freely. The teacher asks questions, and the students respond. I observed the use of
non-verbal cues in the interactions. Students also nod to signal that they agree or that they have
understood the statement being made by the teacher. Some of these include gestures and facial
expressions used at different times during the lesson. The teacher also exchanges a few smiles
and laughter’s with the students, and this is indicative of a warm relationship within the group.
Power
In terms of power, societies are categorized either as large power distance societies or as
small power distance societies. Large power distance societies have a wide gap between
individuals in a group. For instance, in a classroom setting, the power distance between the
teacher and the students is wide, and this affects the flow of communication. Communication is
largely dominated by the teacher, and students take a passive role where they act as listeners or
consumers of content being delivered by the teacher. On the other hand, a classroom in a small
power distance society is one where there is no wide power distance between the teacher and the
students. Communication can be initiated from either side, and learning is student-centered
(Kasuya, 2008). The teacher does not dominate the lesson, and students are actively involved
throughout the lesson.
During the observation, it became evident that there is a small power distance in the
group. Students have a considerable degree of freedom to express their opinions. The teacher
asks prompting questions to trigger the students’ creativity, thinking and to enhance self-reliance.
Communication flow is not unidirectional; both the students and the teacher initiate
communication. The teacher asks open-ended questions to encourage students to develop their
thoughts and explain their answers. Additionally, students speak voluntarily and make

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contributions throughout the class. There is no wide power distance between the teacher and the
student, and I think this works to enhance the learner’s understanding of the content being
delivered by the teacher.
Norm
Norms within a group generally referred to ground rules that explain or define conduct
that is deemed acceptable or inappropriate within the group (Levi & Askay, 2020). Norms
generally express the central values of a group and give members a sense of who they are as a
team. During the observation, I observed certain norms that were not mentioned but seemed
apparent. For instance, students do not speak pr interrupt their peers when they are
communicating. It was also apparent that only one person can be speaking at any given moment.
The ground rule is very important in a classroom setting as it helps create order. It also makes it
easy for the teacher to manage the classroom. Additionally, the teacher does not interrupt the
students when they are explaining or giving their answers or thoughts.
Cohesion
Cohesion within a group refers to the interpersonal bond that exists in a group, and that is
necessary to hold it together. According to Levi & Askay (2020), one of the elements found
within a cohesive group is a shared identity. The group I observed shares an identity. It
comprises of students in tenth grade who are all learning content in social students and a teacher
who is delivering the instruction. This commonality binds the group together. They have shared
objectives that they need to master, and the teacher has a role to instruct and deliver content in a
way that the students can understand. Individuals within a cohesive group feel a sense of
connection between them because they are socially attracted to one another. Group cohesion

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tends to have a positive influence on the performance of the group. The class of tenth graders is
enjoyable, and there is an interaction between the teacher and the students because there is group
cohesion.
Apart from being students in the same grade level, all students reside in the United States.
This is another element that unites them. When asked whether they would be willing to fight and
defend their country, students agree. They seem to be conforming to social norms in the United
States. One of the students states that although they would defend their country, they are not
willing to go and fight in another country as a way of offering support to that other country. Levi
& Askay (2020) note that members of a cohesive group have a higher likelihood of accepting
decisions, norms and goals of the group. Additionally, the increased interpersonal bonds among
members of the group may exert pressure on them to conform. This is seen when students are
asked to take sides, either agreeing or disagreeing with some of the statements being read aloud
by the teacher. Some students take one side, and then after realizing that they are few on that
side, they shift to the other side that has attracted a large number of students. Cohesiveness, in
this case, breeds conformity. Sundstrom et al. (2000) argue that group norms are double-edged;
they can either enhance or hamper group productivity. When group members feel a desire to
conform, their creativity and independence are limited as they will tend to follow the majority.
Further, studies show that high levels of cohesiveness can have a positive impact on
group performance and processes of decision making. According to Beal et al. (2003), group
members know each other well, and there are able to efficiently communicate and coordinate
their plans. However, studies show that in some instances, group members will “support” a
decision because they do not want to stand alone or even upset other members. Such a scenario
was observed where some students changed sides to join factions that had more people for fear

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of being different or standing alone. Thus, the cohesion within the classroom appeared to have
both positive and negative effects on the overall learning and interaction process.
Conformity
The size of the group and unanimity have a great effect on the level of conformity within
a group (Levi & Askay, 2020). The lesser the number of people within a group, the higher the
conformity effects. The level of cohesion also affects conformity. High cohesiveness within a
group tends to create higher conformity effects, and the effects are low in a group where the level
of cohesiveness is lower. Conformity is evident within the classroom. Students change their
positions when they realize that they have taken a less-supported or less popular position.
Students can be seen taking sides and then changing midway. In some instances, when the
teacher asks students whether they agree or disagree, some wait and see what side their peers
take and then they follow suit. While conformity has been said to enhance decision making by
making the process less time consuming, it has also been said to hamper autonomy and
creativity.
Group development
The process of group development takes place in a series of stages. In the group that I
was observing, the students have been with each other for some time now. Some have been
classmates since they were in elementary grades. The process of group development is not
evident or observable at first since the interaction is mainly led and facilitated by the teacher.
However, at some point during the lesson, the students are divided into groups of at least three
students each. They are asked to sit in different stations and work on a small task assigned to
them. As students are reorganized into these small groups, they have to make adjustments and

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learn to operate as a unit to accomplish the task assigned. Different groups seem to be adjusting
at different rates. While some groups are active and engaging with one another, in some groups,
there is little activity. The group members seem to be in the initial stages of group development
and are uncertain of how to act. The interaction of students within the station is also likely to be
affected by other factors such as the confidence level of students and degree of talkativeness. If
students who are less talkative are placed in one station, then their development is likely to be
slow compared to a group comprising of more talkative students.
Group termination
The group termination for this observation was not a termination per se but the end of the
lesson. Levi & Askay (2020) hold that some groups have planned endings while others may
continue indefinitely. In this scenario, the termination signaled the end of the lesson. Since the
setting is a classroom, the group was not adjourned or terminated indefinitely as there definitely
were other subsequent lessons that followed. For meeting, however, ended with the teacher
asking students to hand in the completed tasks. These were completed within their stations.
Problem Solving
Levi & Askay (2020) define a problem in a work environment as a task or assignment
that a team is simply trying to accomplish. The group in action observed for this project is a
group of students during a social studies lesson. During the lesson, students are asked to solve a
problem in groups or stations that comprise a team of at least three students. They should discuss
the bystander effect and explain why human beings tend to react indifferently when they find
themselves in bystander situations. During problem-solving, the first step is mainly to discuss
personal views and document them until the members reach a consensus. The students can be

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seen engaging one another in discussions. Along the way, the teacher interacts with different
teams and asks them prompting questions to drive their discussions further. The students have
different resources, multimedia and printed that they are using to solve the problem. They
address the question assigned to them, and at the end of the lesson, the teacher asks them to hand
in their completed sheets. In the end, each team has completed their task and thus, the abilities of
the different groups to complete the assignment are high. The students demonstrate an ability and
willingness to work with one another to solve the task assigned to them. I think they demonstrate
great problem-solving skills, and the coordination is quite commendable.
Leadership roles
There are different types of groups in terms of leadership roles. There are teams that have
assigned leaders, teams that are leaderless, others that select their own leaders and self-leading or
managing groups (Levi & Askay, 2020). In most cases, groups have one individual who is
assigned the role of the leader. In the virtual observation, there were two types of teams. First,
the class of students was being led by the teacher in the beginning. She facilitated discussions
and instructed the students according. In the middle of the lesson, the teacher then divided the
students into small groups, and she created six stations. Students were assigned tasks to complete
within the different stations. These stations take the form of leaderless groups. No one was
assigned the role of acting as a leader within the small groups. Students just engaged with each
other without anyone specifically taking up the leadership role.
Diversity
Diversity refers to differences in group characteristics such as psychological and
demographic (Levi & Askay, 2020). Diversity is observable within the group. The class

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comprises students with different characteristics. For instance, the two genders are well
represented. Additionally, students are from diverse races. Observably, when the teacher
classifies the students into stations, she does mix grouping where diverse members are put in one
group and asked to collaborate and complete the assigned task.
Listening
Effective listening skills is one of the key elements that enhance cohesion within a group.
Communication is more effective when active listening is demonstrated. In the video, the
students demonstrate active listening. They can be seen listening and responding to questions and
instructions from the teacher. The fact that they provide correct responses shows that they are
listening and contemplating questions being asked or statements being made by the teacher.
Also, the listening is two-way. When it is the turn of the learners to speak, the teacher can be
seen listening to their thoughts. The immediate feedback provided and the teacher’s body
language indicate that they are listening. Johnson & Johnson (1997) state that the goal of active
listening is to respond or provide feedback. Thus, it is possible to know whether one is listening
actively based on the feedback provided back to the sender. Good listening s the basis of
constructive feedback and a key approach to enhanced communication.
Constructive feedback
Constructive feedback is necessary for the improvement of performance. In a classroom
setting, constructive feedback from the teacher and the peers fosters a student’s academic
performance. Constructive feedback can either be positive or negative. When giving constructive
feedback, one should not concentrate solely on negative remarks as this can discourage the
receiver or make them defensive. During the observation, I noted that the teacher gave

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constructive feedback. The feedback provided is aimed at facilitating learning and guiding
students on steps to take to access resources as well as how to use them to get the information
necessary to complete the assigned task. Also, the teacher acknowledges responses provided and
even prompts explanations, and this helps facilitate learning. I did not pick an example of
constructive feedback from the students themselves.
Conclusion
Overall, different elements of group dynamics were evident as the group of students and
their teacher engaged in a social studies lesson. From the observation, I noticed a few things
about the group. For instance, I picked a group norm that was evident even though not mentioned
during the class. The students and teacher seem to accept a standard practice that no one should
interrupt the other when speaking. This norm has helped ensure that the class is very orderly and
organized. Additionally, I observed that communication is a critical element that enhances
efficiency in a group. During the lesson, a lot of communication takes place, and this helps the
teacher achieves the set objectives, and the students master the content being taught. Overall,
other elements such as cohesion, conformity, active listening and constructive feedback all play a
role in the interactions taking place within the group.

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References

Beal, D. J., Cohen, R. R., Burke, M. J., & McLendon, C. L. (2003). Cohesion and performance
in groups: a meta-analytic clarification of construct relations. Journal of applied
psychology, 88(6), 989.
Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, F. P. (1997). Joining together: Group theory and group skills.
Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Kasuya, M. (2008). Classroom interaction affected by power distance. Language Teaching
Methodology and Classroom Research and Research Methods.
Levi, D., & Askay, D. A. (2020). Group dynamics for teams. Sage Publications.
Massachusetts DESE. (2015). 10th Grade ELA/Social Studies. Youtube.com. Retrieved 20
August 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSY0dG59qjo.
Sundstrom, E., McIntyre, M., Halfhill, T., & Richards, H. (2000). Work groups: From the
Hawthorne studies to work teams of the 1990s and beyond. Group Dynamics: Theory,
Research, and Practice, 4(1), 44.
Wrench, J. S., Peck Richmond, V., & Gorham, J. (2009). Communication, affect, & learning in
the classroom.