Contextual Influences on the Formation and Behaviour of Out-of-class Study Groups

This article presents four case studies which show that the out-of-class learning approaches of student groups are influenced by the students’ perception of the context and the content of their learning. Group learning approaches are characterised on a spectrum between engager behaviour, in which the group members collaborate to enhance each others understanding of content, to avoider behaviour, where the joint activity aims to minimise the amount of work each individual has to do. The four cases are positioned at diverse points within a conceptual framework with one axis representing engager/avoider behaviour and the other the level of group activity. The case studies highlight the significant impact of curriculum and teaching variables on group study behaviour and cohesiveness.