What is Group Dynamics and How It Help a Teacher in Classroom Transaction?

Dynamics mean change and group dynamics means the change of behaviour through interaction in the group. As we know that students live in groups in school as their classroom, group of playmates, hobby club, science club, library etc.

It is natural that students interact with each other in groups to perform their needs, get information’s, provide messages etc. As we know that human behaviour is not static, so when students interact in their group/groups with other members then the behaviour of members who constantly, interact, undergoes continuous changes. This kind of changing in behaviour of students due to their interaction in group with group members is called group dynamics.

We see that when teacher organize any group project work in classroom regarding any topic, then he/she formulates various groups and provide them project work/works. Students have to interact with the members of their group to perform various works of project, to get information, to seek help, etc.

Every group demands reciprocity among its members. Every group influences, to a great extent, the behaviour of its members. Students interact with the environment for their development. This development depends on social interaction. A teacher should study group dynamics to deal with various groups of students.

Now we shall discuss, how study of group dynamics help a teacher in classroom transaction:

1. To provide appropriate guidance to students for their adjustment:

If teacher has basic knowledge of group dynamics then he/she can provide appropriate guidance to his/her students for their adjustment. As we know that education aims to make socially adjustable citizen of the country, we want that our students should have positive adjustment with their friends, classmates, playmates and others.

Sometimes students can face certain problems regarding their process of adjustment. If teacher is well-equipped with the basic knowledge of group dynamics, if teacher knows how a student should interact with other members of his/her group positively then he/she (teacher) can provide proper guidance to students about their adjustment.

2. To improve the emotional and social climate of the class:

As we know that we can not even imagine organising participative, effective and armful teaching-learning process in the class which does not have proper emotional and social climate.

If the students of the class have negative attitudes about each other, if they act unsociably as enemies, if they do not care emotions, needs, expectations of others then we cannot expect a successful transaction of teaching-learning process in that kind of class.

Through the study of group dynamics, a teacher can guide his/her students for making proper adjustment and healthy interaction with each other. Teacher can improve the emotional and social climate of the class.

3. To improve group relations in the class:

We can see some particular patterns of relationship among the students of the class as-stars, isolates, mutual pairs, chains etc. If teacher has basic knowledge of group dynamics then he/she can provide a leadership role. The role of the leader is now shifting from authoritarian to a democratic and participatory one.

Teacher should try to encourage participation of students in all the school activities. If teacher has studied about group dynamics, then he/she can improve the climate of the students of his class by taking them into confidence.

Teacher can take his/her decisions democratically. By studying group dynamics, he/she can motivate students to participate in learning activities. Since group relation has an important role in teaching-learning process so a teacher should improve group relation in the class. For this improvement he/she should have knowledge of group dynamics.

4. To deal effectively with social groups:

Teacher has to organise various activities in various groups. To deal efficiently with social groups in classroom, in playground, in laboratory, in co-curricular activities, teacher should have study about group dynamics.

5. To have a thorough knowledge of the interaction process:

As we know that in a class we cannot find all the students of same qualities, needs, interests etc. They may be of different socio-economic background.

Teacher should try to ascertain positive interaction among these students. For this teacher should have a complete knowledge of group dynamics and the interaction process.

6. To remove conflicts and stresses in the group:

As we know that conflicts and stresses in the group, disturb the learning climate of the class. A teacher should try to remove these. For this a teacher should have study the group dynamic process.

As a whole, a teacher’s work is not only to teach the students but him/her should work to create positive circumstances in the class which could motivate students towards participative and armful learns. For this kind of creation a teacher should have thorough knowledge of group dynamics which help a teacher in classroom transaction.