Resumen de Strategies for Supporting Equitable Group Work

Marta R. Stoeckel, Kelly O'Shea

• Science is a collaborative activity, making group work an important element of many science classrooms.1 However, group work is also frequently a source of inequity, especially when there is minimal structure.2 The ways students interact during group work are shaped by status, which students assign based on factors including perceived ability, race, gender, economic status, and even perceived social savvy.3,4 The choices that we make as teachers about when, why, and how students work in groups, how and what students learn about working in groups, and even the composition of those groups has the potential to disrupt—or perpetuate—social power dynamics, ideologies, and hierarchies that shape status. In this article, we will share some strategies for structuring and facilitating group work that disrupt status and promote equitable participation.