STUDENTS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS GROUP WORK

Group work is a technique within the field of social work wherein various groups (as educational and recreational) are guided by an agency leader to more effective personal adjustment and community participation (Merriam-Webster, n. d). It is believed that group work has a high value, it is also regarded as one of the most essential components in the workplace and educational environment. Group work provides people with a support system and helps them feel less alone and powerless. Furthermore, being in a group environment will aid people in learning how to act in social situations in the future. In a learning environment, it may be a good way to engage students, stimulate active learning, and help them develop critical thinking, communication, and decision-making abilities. However, group work always has certain difficulties and benefits because each individual may have different opinions and views. According to Pape (2018), every student has their own timetable. This might be a problem when trying to schedule a meeting with everyone in the organization. It could be difficult to arrange a time when everyone is available to work together. On the other hand, McDonald (2020) stated that the advantages of group work for students are numerous. First of all, students can learn how to plan and manage their time when they are working. Students can also be exposed to a wide range of opinions and ideas through group work. Above all, they learn how to collaborate with one another. This is an essential talent that will be required in any career. Nevertheless, both the article and the research above just mention benefits and challenges when students work in groups while they do not emphasize students’ perspectives on group working. Many articles and researches discuss the need for group work but they do not mention whether students are interested in it or not. Therefore, our research is essential and it will focus on a more in-depth topic: student's attitude towards group work, especially in class 2TC-21 and 3TC-21 in Hanoi University. Bearing this in mind, this paper aims to clarify three main questions. Firstly, why do students like working in groups? Secondly, why do students struggle with group work? And last but not least, what should they do to work effectively in groups?