Peer Partnerships and Collaboration in the Classroom Setting and Their Effects on Academic Achievement

Rachael L. Foutch
Mentor: Dr. Sara Waring-Tiedeman
Graduate School & Adult Learning

Several studies have been conducted about student grouping. Many of which focus on one or two types of grouping (such as ability grouping) and the many positive and/or negative effects that grouping design had upon diverse groups of learners. My research mirrors the structure of others'. For example, in the study, Thinking Together and Alone, Kuhn compared partner collaboration and individual work on a similar task in order to determine the variable that leads to effective collaboration. The unique variables that I added into my own research were: student choice in group composition and the use of five different grouping scenarios. The overall aim of the study was to determine the effect that teacher-assigned groupings and student-selected groupings had on the level of student's academic performance.