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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2000  > January  >
Research: Science and Education
Chemical Education Research
An Action Research Project: Student Perspectives on Small-Group Learning in Chemistry
Marcy Hamby Towns, Kelley Kreke, and Amanda Fields
Chemistry Department, Ball State University Muncie, IN 47306
Cover
January 2000
Vol. 77 No. 1
p. 111
Abstract
An action research methodology was used to learn what small-group learning activities meant to students in a physical chemistry course, to discover how the activities could be improved, and to learn how the students' perception of small-group learning changed. Through an analysis of field notes and a student questionnaire, two findings emerged that describe the students' perception of small-group learning activities. First, small-group learning activities provided a mechanism for students to develop a feeling of community in the classroom: through interacting with each other the students sensed that they could rely on and trust each other. Second, relationships were viewed as a positive force in learning, which promoted achievement through commitment and mutual goals. Students facilitated each other's learning by teaching each other, sharing approaches to problem-solving, and asking questions. Students most frequently recommended that student interactions be maximized during small-group learning activities. Among students whose perception of small-group learning changed from negative to positive, the key factor was the promotion of commitment and mutual goals among group members.
More Information
*  Citation
 Towns, Marcy Hamby; Kreke, Kelley; Fields, Amanda. J. Chem. Educ. 2000 77 111.
*  Keywords
 Chemical Education Research; Collaborative / Cooperative Learning; Teaching/Learning Theory/Practice
*  History
 Created:
Last Updated:		 December 9, 1999
April 15, 2005
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