Parto Balazadeh on Leading Learners Blog

Feb 13, 2022

Do Students Work Better Collaborating In Groups Or Individually?

With the start of every new school semester, many middle school and high school students may be dreading not having their peers in their designated classrooms ⏤ already anxious for the upcoming group projects.

The reality is that collaborating with others is a necessary skill and cannot be avoided forever.

By working in groups, students pool in a variety of expertise and perspectives to tackle a problem. There may not always be agreement within a group, but that is also a significant and much-needed experience.

Learning to work with any other individual, no matter their point of view, will happen at one time or another. At least, in schools, there can be a little flexibility as to who the chosen team members are.

However, in the real world, a person would have to pass on many great opportunities for the sole purpose of working with only somebody they like.

On the other hand, working alone should not be disregarded either. Working individually can raise a student’s creativity and independence too!

As with most things in life, it is preferable to have a balance of both.