Implementing Group Work in General and ESP Classrooms in Kuwait’s Public Institutions

Abstract

Group work (GW) has been at the center of research for many years, and several positive attributes have been linked to its implementation in English language teaching (ELT) classrooms. This study explores Kuwaiti students’ views on the benefits and difficulties of GW in their general English and English for specific purposes (ESP) courses. A mixed-method approach, involving both qualitative and quantitative data, was implemented, and 290 individuals responded to the questionnaire of which 22 were interviewed. All participants were students in one of the only two public higher education institutions in Kuwait: Kuwait University (KU) or the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET). The findings revealed that the majority of students agreed that GW presented ample benefits for their learning journey, and some of those positive attributes surpassed the education realm into their social and professional realms. However, the findings also showed a few negative issues raised about GW implementation.