Valuing emotions and reflecting on group work: A ‘metalogic’ approach to teaching research methods in a university course

Abstract

Students are often apprehensive about group work and about learning research methods. Challenges such as group work ‘free-riders’, and high anxiety about methods, dominate the literature on teaching within these complex learning domains. Drawing on both reflexive and emotional turns in sociological theory, we explore the potential of a group research project on students' experiences of group work for fostering reflexive learning of skills in group work and research methods. Guided by a socio-personal pedagogical theory, which prioritises students reflecting on and integrating experiences within their identities and values, the group project featured an individual reflexive journal assessment on students' socio-emotional experiences of group work. The findings highlight the merits of taking such a ‘metalogic’ approach that prompts learning about learning itself. Students showed experience-based understanding of the socio-emotional complexities of qualitative research practices, and insight into their emerging group work skills – identifying how they, not just others, can develop skills to improve reflexive practice and group work, and to better grapple with the complexities of learning and applying research methods.

Keywords

• Group work
• Research methods
• Socio-personal theory
• Metalogic approach
• Emotional reflexivity