Exploring Group Work in ESL Classroom Using Tuckman’s Model

Abstract

Interaction among students especially in ESL classrooms is highly valued, and group work is one of the ways to encourage interaction among students. In addition, group work offers many advantages and according to the Tuckman Model, during group work, participants will go through four stages; forming, storming, norming, and performing. This study aims to investigate the influence that all these four stages have on group work, as well as the relationship that exist between the stages. The quantitative approach was adopted. Purposive sampling method was selected. A questionnaire consisting of 29 items was distributed online to 200 undergraduate students of Universiti Teknologi Mara, Shah Alam, Malaysia. The questionnaire contains four sections, and these sections aim to elicit respondents’ experience while going through the four stages in Tuckman Model. This study found that all stages do influence students group work experience positively. Additionally, it is also found that there is moderate positive relationship between the stages forming and norming as well as between forming and performing. Hence, educators should observe these stages as students go through them when performing group work and offer guidance to students to enhance the effectiveness of group work in ESL classrooms.