Apples and oranges or what we learnt from comparing group work in Swiss and English primary schools

Abstract

The article describes and reflects on a short-term mobility project that brought together 10 future primary teachers from the University of Winchester (UK) and the Haute Ecole pédagogique du Canton de Vaud (Switzerland). The goal of our collaboration was to compare and contrast ways in which group work and learning stations are used in UK and Swiss schools and identify practices that can help integrate these methods more effectively into the fabric of class life. With Swiss teachers encouraged to foster inclusion and personalized learning, we set out to observe and experiment how group work and learning stations enable pupils to learn in a range of modalities, while making differentiation manageable for the teacher. We developed observation tools to monitor the impact of the teacher’s instructional methods, task setting and group composition. We reflected on the benefits of these modalities on pupils’ engagement and motivation and put our thoughts to the test of fire by teaching a series of group work lessons, first in the students’ placement school, then in an English classroom. The intercultural interactions with students, teachers and pupils, both in and out of the classroom, challenged us to consider the multiple perspectives of what constitutes good teaching and learning. What better way to prepare preservice teachers for the complex challenges of tomorrow’s diverse classroom?