ESPACIO ENTRE LAS POLEAS

Almost all teachers organised their classes with a variety of different groupings. Some of the teachers saw group work as a practical teaching technique. Jess saw it in a more ideological way and she recognised that by encouraging learners to support each other, she was building their autonomy and making them less reliant on her presence to be able to learn.

I think that’s changed for me because before, I probably was doing a lot of the talking […], but what I try and do now is get them to learn from each other and even if I get them to come up to the board, OK, you tell the class, you help, like they did with the spelling when they realised, I think it was Maria had spelled something wrong and they were able to help her […], they were able to say to her without me pointing it out, "Oh, you’ve missed." (Jess)

Karla talked about the women in her group supporting each other, but in Jodie's class there was also some male bonding. In this case, the support of a few men in the same circumstances was crucial in making a reticent learner comfortable enough to stay in the class. His easing into education was facilitated by a sensitive teacher who was able to recognise that he was bringing some skills and knowledge and that his embarrassment would be alleviated somewhat by the support of his male peers.

Well they don’t [all sit together] but they try to. They tend to sit along the back row in the horseshoe and I think that’s okay because they’re quite encouraging of each other. Colin has only just joined the course. Colin was

98 very nervous and reticent. In fact I met him on the street once and he was

asking me about the course and I said “No, come along, come along,” and when he came to admissions he didn’t write anything. He didn’t answer anything. All he wrote on his paper was “I don’t understand”. And luckily I was there and because I’d spoken to him and they were saying “He’s not ready, he shouldn’t be here.” And I said, “No, put him in my E2s, I think he will be fine.” And because he’s got the support of the other men, he’s settled in really well, so I do let them work together because I think it works well. They went for the back because Gary likes the air so he always goes to that corner and opens the window. So there are all these little quirks that go on. (Jodie)

Teachers had different views on how to group or pair up learners. There is no one right way, only different options for different contexts. Karla opts for pairing like with like:

I’d make sure there were people with similar issues together so that they can share and identify learning-that sort of peer learning thing. (Karla)

Peer marking is a proven strategy for formative assessment (Marshall and Wiliam, 2006) and a couple of the participants initiated it with their groups. It was particularly

noticeable with Grainne's group and she talks about it as a rich resource, informing me how they do it habitually now, even if she has not asked them to.

But the peer work is because they are being piled up with so much and there just isn’t the time for marking everything and giving it back as well as doing the controlled assessment work and the admin for the GCSE at the end of things. But they are used to it […] and I’m aware enough to know who needs a little bit of stronger supervision and I will select odd ones to check and ask them. If I think it’s really good, I’ll ask them to share with particular people. And that has worked quite well for them. And they know now not always to just share with the person beside them or their mate or whoever they become friends with. […] and I say make sure you look for somebody whose work you haven’t seen. Because I think it’s a great way of learning and they were very resistant at first but they've gradually recognised how rich that is. (Grainne)

Maureen has an ideological view of collaborative learning, seeing it as a way of relinquishing the teacher's power and enabling students to learn from each other in a more equitable environment.

I think working in pairs and groups is important because it’s not just about me and them because there’s obviously…you know, it’s a power thing isn’t it. I’m asking the questions and they’re answering, whereas in a group they’re all equals and they’ve got to work in partnership and

99 work helps and I think it helps them appreciate each other more, that you

know, their skills and what they have to offer and what other people have to offer so I think that kind of works. (Maureen)