Exploring Collaborative Learning with a Focus on Group Activities in EFL Classrooms

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the views of English-language teachers and their students with respect to collaborative learning (CL) and more specifically, with respect to group activities. The study included 25 Turkish English-language teachers and their 486 EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students. The data were collected from separate questionnaires completed by the students and the teachers. Additionally, four teachers and 10 students were interviewed. The percentage of responses for each option of each question was calculated for each item on both questionnaires.  The recorded interviews were analysed through content analysis. The results indicate that most of the students favor group activities in the classroom, whereas the teachers exhibit far less enthusiasm for group activities because of difficulties associated with classroom management and excessive noise levels generated during group activities. It is suggested that teachers receive training in CL so that they can effectively implement the technique in the classroom and teach their students how to effectively use their interactional skills during CL activities.