How to help students deal with conflict in group work

Rachael Roberts
children sat at a desk working together

Is avoiding conflict always a good thing?

Why is it that some groups work smoothly together, whereas for others it always seems to end in arguments? It may seem logical to avoid group work with classes where it often leads to disagreement, but is there such a thing as ‘healthy disagreement’?

Perhaps the groups that appear to be working well together are actually just letting one or two people do everything? This would certainly avoid conflict, but they might also be avoiding learning very much.Ìý

Sometimes conflict is a necessary step that teachers (of all subjects, not just language teachers) have to acknowledge as an important part of a learner's development.Ìý

Conflict in group work
Play
Privacy and cookies

By watching, you agree ÃÛÌÒapp can share your viewership data for marketing and analytics for one year, revocable by deleting your cookies.

The psychologist famously argued that conflict within groups is entirely normal, and can even be desirable. the typical stages of groups learning to work together effectively as Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing:

Forming

When the group is forming, most members will be polite. They will be looking to you or to a more confident group member to take the lead. Many of the group members may actually be quite disengaged.Ìý

Storming

Storming happens as they start to feel more confident and comfortable within the group, and willing to take a more active role. People may be trying to sort out what the unspoken rules are, or what roles everyone is taking. Or they may be more willing to point out potential problems.Ìý

Norming

Norming is when things start to sort themselves out and people are working together better. It’s very common for teams to keep going back and forth between storming and norming for quite a while.Ìý

Performing

Finally, performing is when the team successfully achieves the goal.Ìý

Essentially, Tuckman was saying that, without at least some conflict or storming, groups are unlikely to be able to perform successfully. It is necessary to go through this stage and out the other side.Ìý

Being able to deal effectively with conflict is a very valuable skill, both at school and in life. So how can we help students to develop this skill?Ìý

Learning how to manage conflict

Listening is the most important skill we can teach our language students. Unfortunately, many of us are not as good at listening as we might think. A lot of the time, we are busy thinking about what we are going to say next, or even thinking about something else altogether.Ìý

Students can practice active listening by having to reflect back on what their partner has said. For example: ‘So you’re saying that…’ or by asking relevant questions.

If feelings are running high, we can teach them to still let the other person finish. They should then check they have understood, rather than jumping in too quickly with their own side of the story.Ìý

We can also encourage empathy by asking students to put themselves into the other student’s position. They should try and explain how they think they are feeling, or why they have such a different opinion.Ìý

Finally, we can get students into problem-solving mode, rather than staying with personal feelings. We can do this by asking them to suggest ways of coming to an agreement.

As long as it is managed well and doesn’t get out of hand, conflict and disagreement can ultimately lead to better outcomes than overly polite agreement, because more is at stake.Ìý

So, make sure to help students develop the confidence to deal with conflict in group work and disagree with each other, but also the interpersonal skills to do so in a productive and empathic way.ÌýÌý

More blogs from ÃÛÌÒapp

  • Childten sat at a desk staring up at a tablet

    Embracing AI for the new school year

    By Thomas Gardner
    Reading time: 2 minutes

    Back-to-school season is the perfect time to introduce something new into your teaching toolkit. With advancements in technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly important for educators to incorporate into their workflow and beneficial for students. Here are some practical ways AI can enhance your classroom experience this new school year.

    AI saves valuable time

    One of the biggest challenges teachers face is finding the time to plan and create engaging lessons. AI can maximize your time by generating word sets, images and activities. Imagine having a virtual assistant that can suggest fresh ideas for your lessons, create tailored resources and even develop entire lesson plans. By automating these time-consuming tasks, AI allows you to focus more on teaching and interacting with your students.

    How AI can help

    • Lesson planning: Generate detailed lesson plans and activities.
    • Lesson inspiration: Get new and creative ideas for classroom activities.
    • Resource creation: Develop word sets, images and other teaching materials.

    As you prepare for the upcoming school year, consider how integrating AI tools can elevate your teaching practice, making your lessons more engaging while freeing up precious time for interactions with your students.

    Personalized learning and targeted feedback

    Every student learns differently, and tailoring lessons to meet individual needs can be challenging. AI can help by providing personalized learning experiences and targeted feedback. Using data-driven insights, AI tools can identify areas where learners are struggling and offer customized recommendations to help them improve. This not only enhances the learning experience but also ensures that no student is left behind.

    Benefits of AI in personalization

    • Personalized lessons: Adapt lessons to suit individual learning styles.
    • Targeted feedback: Provide specific feedback to help students improve.

    Creating an inclusive classroom

    ÌýAI can play an important role in creating an inclusive classroom environment. AI can generate visuals, audio, videos and text, or a combination of all four, catering to different learning preferences. This ensures that all learners, regardless of their learning styles or abilities, have access to the same educational content.

    AI in inclusion

    • Multimodal content: Use various formats to cater to different learning preferences.
    • Accessibility: Ensure that all students can engage with the material.

    Supporting independent learning

    Encouraging students to take charge of their own learning is essential for their development. AI can support independent learning by providing platforms that facilitate self-study at home. These platforms offer a range of resources and tools that help students learn at their own pace, making education more flexible and accessible.ÌýExplore how supports independent learning with immersive AI-powered conversations.

    AI tools for self-study

    • Independent learning: Foster a culture of self-directed learning.
    • Self-study resources: Provide tools and platforms for students to use at home.

    Integrating AI into your teaching practice can revolutionize the way you educate and engage with your students. From saving time on lesson planning to creating an inclusive classroom and supporting independent learning, the benefits are significant.

    Want more AI tips and tricks for the classroom? Join us on the page for the next video in our series.

  • Image of two business women in a office talking together over a document

    Global perspectives: International experience as the ultimate preparation for today’s leaders

    By Samantha Ball
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    From global marketplaces shipping goods between countries to fast-paced remote teams combining talent from all corners of the world, business has never been more international.Ìý

    This multinational, multicultural nature of today’s companies demands more from business leaders. It’s not enough to build a global team, you need to pre-empt and mitigate the challenges that team will face, from overcoming language barriers to navigating new opportunities, and nurturing their differences while creating cohesion.Ìý

    We talked to five leaders about how international experience gave them a global perspective that enhanced their leadership abilities, defined their careers, and shaped their personal lives.Ìý

  • Two teachers sat in a library together talking

    Breakdown of New CASAS STEPS Focus

    By ÃÛÌÒapp Languages
    Reading time: 3 minutes

    Welcome to week 4 of our CASAS STEPS decoding series. We have discussed some of the reasons for the test change, reviewed important ESOL acronyms, answered teachers’ FAQs, and this week we are discussing the focus of the new CASAS STEPS, which replaced the CASAS Life and Work Series in July 2024. The new assessment correlates with ELP Standards and CASAS competencies and tests students’ higher thinking order (DOK levels). Let’s explore what that means and how to prepare our students for this new challenge.

    English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS)

    The ELPS describe the language skills Adult ELL (English Language Learners) need to achieve the higher academic standards required for college and career readiness. The ten anchor standards cover reading, listening, speaking, writing, and language. However, the CASAS STEPS tests only assess ELPS competencies that relate to listening and reading.

    CASAS STEPS Competencies

    TheÌýCASAS CompetenciesÌýidentify more than 360 essential life skills for adult learners; the competencies are relevant from beginning literacy through postsecondary education and training. The new CASAS STEPS covers the following content areas: Basic Communication, consumer economics, community resources, health, employment, and Government and Law.

    Depth of Knowledge (DOK)

    Webb’s Depth of Knowledge was introduced in 1997 by Norman Webb from the Wisconsin Center for Education Research. DOK explains and categorizes academic tasks according to the complexity of thinking required to successfully complete them, ranging from basic recall (level 1) to basic application of skills/concepts (level 2), strategic thinking (level 3), and extended thinking (level 4). (See printable chart).

    Aligned with federal academic standards, the new CASAS STEPS is a valuable tool to assess students in areas that are essential for life in the United States. ÃÛÌÒapp’s Future Series is completely ready and aligned with those critical instructional standards (ELPS and CASAS Competencies) in every lesson. Future Series also specifies cognitive skills in every lesson to ensure that students are engaging in different levels of thinking throughout the instruction (DOK).

    Click hereÌýto download a printable version of the DOK chart, to browse our textbook selection, including our CASAS STEPS aligned FUTURE Series. If your program is not yet using the series, or if you’d like tutorials and tips as a current user,Ìýclick here. Follow along onÌýÌýand share this post with your fellow teachers and administrators.