69传媒

Opinion Blog

Ask a Psychologist

Helping 69传媒 Thrive Now

Angela Duckworth and other behavioral-science experts offer advice to teachers based on scientific research. Read more from this blog.

Teaching Opinion

What 69传媒 Wish Teachers Understood About Group Projects

The hidden side of group work
By Linda Babcock 鈥 November 09, 2022 1 min read
How can students divide up group projects more fairly?
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

How can students divide up group projects more fairly?

One person often gets stuck with thankless tasks鈥攁nd the problem exists not only in schools but in the workplace. Here鈥檚 something I wrote about the topic for as a :

鈥淗ow did I get stuck doing this again?鈥 my daughter moaned.

For a group project at school, she once again found herself in the role of 鈥渃ompiler.鈥 You know, the person who takes everyone鈥檚 content and threads it together into a compelling narrative.

Compiling is a thankless task, one that is done behind the scenes and takes a tremendous amount of time yet is rarely rewarded. Sometimes a teacher knows who contributed each section of content but almost never asks who handled this administrative role.

This problem goes beyond school. The workplace equivalent is the nonpromotable task鈥攔esolving conflicts, sitting on organizational governance committees, taking meeting notes for team projects.

shows that there is significant inequity in who performs these types of tasks, and often, the same people keep doing them over and over again. It probably won鈥檛 surprise you to learn that women, more often than men, fall into this category. The downside goes beyond lack of recognition for the work. When the same people shoulder thankless tasks, it can lead to bruised feelings and create hesitancy about collaborating with others.

But life is essentially a group project, so how do you better manage these tasks? To start, you can make sure everyone recognizes the problem, then enlist your teammates to divide and conquer in an equitable way.

顿辞苍鈥檛 feel resigned to taking on thankless tasks by yourself.

Do help young people learn simple techniques to split thankless tasks up more fairly. If it鈥檚 a repeated responsibility, taking turns is a good option. If it is a one-time chore, suggest ways to divvy it up. For example, compiling a group report can be divided into the following tasks: putting the sections together, making the report visually appealing, polishing the graphics, putting together references and footnotes, and threading the story together. As the saying goes, many hands make light work.

Related Tags:

The opinions expressed in Ask a Psychologist: Helping 69传媒 Thrive Now are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by 
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Teaching Opinion 3 Stories About How Teachers Turned Things Around With a Student
Some students struggle with learning how to function in a classroom. With patience and understanding, teachers can change that dynamic.
9 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion The Hidden Benefits of Distraction in the Classroom
Distraction can support healthy emotional regulation鈥攂ut only when properly understood. Here鈥檚 what teachers need to know.
Eliya Ahmad & Zi Jia Ng
4 min read
Concept art, idea of brain and psychology, surreal painting, conceptual illustration. Distracted mind, emotional regulation.
Jorm Sangsorn/iStock
Teaching Opinion 5 Urgent Classroom Issues for Teachers, According to Larry Ferlazzo
What educators and researchers need to know.
3 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
iStock/Getty
Teaching Opinion Struggling to Discuss the Election in Class? These 5 Steps Can Help
For many teachers, political anxiety is the elephant in the classroom. The science of emotional intelligence can offer clarity.
Marc A. Brackett & Robin S. Stern
5 min read
The elephant in the classroom.
iStock/Getty Images