Turn Taking in Group Discussions

Factors that Affect Students to Take Turns in Group Discussions in

English Classroom: the Case of First Year Computer Science

Students at Mettu University

An action Research to be submitted to the Office of Higher Diploma Program,

Mettu University for the Partial Fulfillment of HDP Graduation

By

Endalew Molla

Alemayehu Abera

Gemechu Bane

Gemechu Siferaw

Yordanos Kassa

Sufiyan Alo

October, 2013

Mettu

Factors that Affect Students to Take Turns in Group Discussions in English Classroom

Mettu University

Factors that Affect Students to Take Turns in Group Discussions in

English Classroom: the Case of First Year Computer Science

Students at Mettu University

An action Research to be submitted to the Office of Higher Diploma Program,

Mettu University for the Partial Fulfillment of HDP Graduation

Research Approval (HDL)

Name ________________________________________ Signature_____________

October, 2013

Mettu


A n A c t i o n R e s e a r c h S u b m i t t e d t o t h e O f f i c e o f H D P , M e t t u U n i v e r s i t y

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Contents

1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1

1.1. Background ...................................................................................................................... 1

1.2. Statement of the Problem ................................................................................................. 2

1.3. Objectives of the Study .................................................................................................... 2

1.4. Significance of the Study ................................................................................................. 3

1.5. Delimitation of the Study ................................................................................................. 3

1.6. Sampling and Sample Size ............................................................................................... 3

2. Literature Review.................................................................................................................... 4

2.1. Definition of Group Discussion ....................................................................................... 4

2.2. How to Make Effective Group Discussions ..................................................................... 4

2.3. Group Discussion Challenges .......................................................................................... 6

2.4. Turn taking in Group Discussions .................................................................................... 7

2.5. Functional Roles of Group Members ............................................................................... 8

2.6. Factors Affecting Groups and Teams............................................................................. 12

3. Methodology ......................................................................................................................... 19

3.1. Subjects .............................................................................................................................. 19

3.2. Sampling ............................................................................................................................ 19

3.3. Method of Data Collection ............................................................................................. 19

3.3.1. Observations ........................................................................................................... 19

3.3.2. Interviews ................................................................................................................ 19

3.4. Method of Data Analysis................................................................................................ 19

4. Results and Discussions ........................................................................................................ 20

4.1. Factors that Affect Turn Taking in Group Discussions ................................................. 20

4.1.1. Lack of Willingness to Participate in Group Work ................................................ 20



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4.1.2. The Problem of over Dominance ............................................................................ 20

4.1.3. Language Barrier to Express Ideas ......................................................................... 21

4.1.4. Absence of Role Division among Group Members ................................................ 21

4.1.5. Frustration to express Ideas .................................................................................... 22

4.1.6. Side Talk in the Group ............................................................................................ 22

4.2. Actions (Measures) Taken and Its Amendment ............................................................. 23

4.2.1. Lack of Willingness to Participate in Group Work ................................................ 23

4.2.2. The Problem of Over Dominance ........................................................................... 23

4.2.3. Language Barrier to Express their Ideas ................................................................. 24

4.2.4. Absence of Role Division among Group Members ................................................ 24

4.2.5. Frustration to Express Ideas and Overuse of Native Language .............................. 24

4.3. Evaluation of Action taken (Change Observed after the Action Taken) ....................... 25

5. References ............................................................................................................................. 26

Appendix ....................................................................................................................................... 27



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1. Introduction

1.1. Background

Now days, in all higher institutions, the method of teaching is shifted from teacher centered to

that of student centered. One of the characteristics of student centered teaching is: it is full of

individual, pair and group works and discussions. And it is obvious that group discussions are

conducted by taking turns.

Whether it is in a teacher fronted or student centered class, turn taking is somehow put into

practice. Perhaps, the difference may lie in the amount of turn that is given and taken, and the

kind of turn that is made. For example, in teacher oriented interaction, as Kramsch (1987:22)

said, the teacher selects the next speaker and automatically selects him or herself for the

succeeding turn. There is not much motivation for students to listen to one another, and the only

motivation to listen to the teacher is the fear of being caught short on an answer.

Thus, we might say that the turn is usually distributed from the teacher to the student and back to

the teacher. However, in student centered class, there is a possibility that there could be a

student-student turn in addition.

Moreover, Van Lier (1988:94) suggests that interaction in the classroom, in particular, is the

matter of who speaks and when that is governed by regularities of some kind, whether all call

them rules, regulations, routines or conversation. He also added that this randomness is probably

characteristics of all interaction anywhere but at times there appear to be more constraints at

other times.

The way that students take turns in group discussion will affect their participation. As scholars

suggest, turn taking in the classroom promotes the learners’ ability to understand the topic and to

express their ideas as it provides the students with the opportunities to interact with each other

(Allweight, 1984; Ellis, 1988; Van Lier, 1988).

Therefore, factors that affect students to taking turns in group discussions and how they share

their time equally is very important to investigate the level of students’ participation.



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1.2. Statement of the Problem

To improve the students’ participation habit, investigating the pattern of turn taking could be an

important aspect though it may not as such simple. Kramsch (1987) suggests that teaching

students how to take turns will help students to be active participants. As a result this can be a

problematic area in our university that needs to be studied.

To implement active learning in the universities, different tasks are being carried out. Among

these giving Higher Diploma Program for teachers can be mentioned. Especially, trainees of

HDP are highly encouraged to implement Active Learning in their actual classroom. The

researchers are among the trainees and while they start implementation they faced problem in

handling group discussion properly. When they give group discussion, they saw few students

who take turns in the discussion and the majority of the group members were silent listeners.

Even when they see the time, only clever students took turns frequently for longer minutes and

others took turns for only fraction of seconds. After observing this we have decided to carry out a

research on turn taking. Therefore, this action research intends to answer the following basic

questions.

� What are the factors that affect students to take turns in group discussions?

� What actions should be taken to overcome these problems?

1.3. Objectives of the Study

The main objective of this study is to investigate the nature of turn taking in group work in the

case of selected computer science class at Mettu University. Therefore, specifically, the study

has the following specific objectives.

� To investigate the factors that affect students to take turns in group discussions.

� To take action for the identified problems.



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1.4. Significance of the Study

This research is hoped to have the following significances.

� It will be used to identify the students’ problem regarding with turn taking.

� It will be used to take some solutions to overcome the problem.

� It will be used to give recommendation for other classes.

� It can serve as a starting point for other detailed researches.

1.5. Delimitation of the Study

The prevailing turn taking problems in the teaching learning process may be great and vast. But,

for this study, the researchers delimited study to factors that affect students taking in group

discussions only.

1.6. Sampling and Sample Size

To conduct this research properly, the researchers implemented purposive sampling technique.

The main reason for doing this was: we have to select samples who are not taking block courses.

Block courses would not allow us to conduct this research because the time allocated for one

course is not more than three weeks. Basic English Skills was one of the courses which were

delivered in semester based manner. From all first year students who were taking this course by

that time, the researchers have selected Computer Science students because they were thought by

one of the researchers. The researchers took all students from this section as a sample size. So

the total sample size was 45 students.



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2. Literature Review

2.1. Definition of Group Discussion

Group discussion is a verbal communication among participants who have an agreed topic.

Group discussion can be defined as a group of people who get together to exchange information

experiences or their opinions. In most cases these people will be working towards the same goal.

Group discussions are a great way to help members learn to express their ideas to a group.

It is an organized conversation that is held by a group of people. The purpose of these

discussions is to allow members to present information or ideas about a particular topic. It is

excellent for companies or organizations that want to get multiple perspectives on a single topic.

Turn taking should be understood and conceptualized as a time bound process. It is the time that

matters and determines the structure of the turn. Thus, in an attempt to define the turn, the

question ‘what is turn’ may not be answered. What can be answered rather is ‘when is a turn’

since this takes us to a description of what a turn will ‘turn out to be’ Van Lier, 1988).

2.2. How to Make Effective Group Discussions

As a professional in the working world, there will be times when you will be required to

participate in group discussions. If you have trouble speaking out of turn, interrupting others or a

lack of confidence about properly expressing yourself, the techniques about handling yourself in

a group discussion can be invaluable. This is helpful advice for any individual working with

other people in any industry. Discussing ideas in a group is one of the best ways to solve the

problem. When a person becomes a burden in group discussions due to lack of experience, an

excess amount of excitement or a general lack of social skills, these factors can contribute to how

you are viewed by your colleagues and superiors in the workplace.

If you are in a managerial position, it is imperative to provide an open forum for discussion

where your subordinates feel comfortable sharing their ideas. If a person participating in a group

discussion feels that their opinion will be ignored then the members within the group will

hesitate to share what could be valuable solutions to business issues in group discussions.



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� How to Prepare for Group Discussions

If you are participating in a group discussion it is important to make sure you are prepared before

the discussion begins. While small groups may not be good for the distribution of information

group discussions are excellent for situations where members need to learn concepts or solve

problems.

� What Should Happen During a Group Discussion?

In most cases the goal of a group discussion is to come up with ideas which will allow the group

to solve specific problems or learn a skill. The members must be able to summarize the primary

points of the information they read and they should also be able to determine their own

understanding of the material.

� Successful Group Discussion Techniques

There are a number of things you can do to help your group become successful. By following the

guidelines of group discussion, you will be able to actively participate in group discussions and

help the team achieve a specific goal.

� How to Work with Group Members during Group Discussions

When you participate in group discussions it is important to realize that the other members may

not share the same views as you. In fact they may come from a different cultural or ethnic

background.

� How to Avoid Problems During Group Discussions

When you are participating in a group discussion it is important to avoid problems that will stop

the group from achieving its goals. If you are the leader or planner there are a number of things

you will want to pay attention to. It is important to make sure the topics are relevant.



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2.3. Group Discussion Challenges

If you are the leader of a group discussion there are a number of challenges you will have to face.

Being able to successfully overcome these challenges will mean the difference between the

success and failure of your group.

� How to Encourage Members during Group Discussions

There are a number of methods you can use to encourage those that participate in group

discussions. One technique is to ask a single question and make a request for all the members to

discuss it. The members can read the question and they can tell the other members what they

think the question means.

� How to Speak Properly During Group Discussions

Speech plays an important role in our ability to communicate as humans. This is especially

important when we get together in groups. During group discussions the speech you use can have

a powerful impact on the way your message is received by those who listen to you.

� Tips for Running a Successful Group Discussion

When it comes to a group discussion there is no such thing as too much planning." The planning

that you put into a group discussion will often be a reflection of the results. Some of the things

that you will want to pay attention to are recruitment issues and the topic that will be discussed.

� How to Discuss in a Group

In order to have a successful group discussion, each person needs to be aware of how to discuss a

topic. Topics Goals Soft-spoken outspoken smaller groups’ Quiet members Connection between

members ask questions Goals a group needs to have a goal before they can begin their

discussion. This can be a simple or more complex goal.

� Group Discussion Ethics

Many of the problems that arise in group discussion result from members who do not have

discussion skills. Being able to properly participate in a discussion group is similar to reading. If



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you have a lot of experience with discussions it is likely that you will do well in a discussion

group.

When you are participating in a group discussion there are a number of things you will want to

avoid. While doing the right things can allow you to become a valuable member of the group

doing the wrong things can cause you to disrupt the discussion and you may find yourself

alienated from the other members.

� How to Get the Most Out of Group Discussions

Even if your group discussions are fairly successful it is likely that you want to make them

better. You may even notice that there are areas where you need to improve. There are a number

of problems that could occur during group discussions and these can stop the group from

reaching a desired goal.

� Group Discussion Tips

Group discussions are powerful tools that can allow students to come up with powerful ideas that

were not previously considered. Not only is it a powerful tool but it is a tool that has a low cost.

2.4. Turn taking in Group Discussions

In order for a successful interaction to take place in the classroom, Allwright and Bailey

(1991:19) suggest that everybody has to manage at least five different things:

• Who gets to speak? (participants’ turn distribution)

• What do they talk about? (topic)

• What does each participant do with the various opportunities to speak? (task)

• What sort of atmosphere is created? (tone)

• What accent, dialect, or language is used? (code)

Van Lier (1988:92-93) also states that “The reason for focusing on participation is the

assumption that it is in some way directly related to learning, or at least to opportunities for

learning”. Moreover, participation presupposes attention, and it is of course a basic tenet of the

psychology of learning that attention is a prerequisite for learning. Similarly, Rivers (1987:4)

says that interaction allows the students to increase their language accumulation through



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listening or reading linguistic materials or even through the output of other students’ discussion

and problem solving tasks.

As van Lier (1988:97) says, in general conversation turn taking is governed by competition’ and

‘initiative’; participants look for opportunities to take the floor and try to maintain it even if there

is another person who wants to hold the floor as the current speaker does. And because of this, as

long as the current speaker holds the floor and does not want to let go of the opportunity,

obviously, the chance of the hearer’s turn will be minimized. In such cases, the hearers look for

possible end points as a chance to get their turn, even if they know that the present turn may take

a longer time.

The turn taking construction refers to two key features:

• Turn constructions have the property of ‘projectablity’. That is, it is possible for

participants to project, in the course of a turn construction units, what sort of unit it is and

at what point it is likely to end.

• Turn construction units bring into play ‘transition-relevance places’ at their boundaries.

In other words, at the end of each unit there is the possibility for legitimate transition

between speakers.

(Hutchby and Wooffitt, 2002)

2.5. Functional Roles of Group Members

Task Roles

� Initiator/Contributor

Contributes ideas and suggestions; proposes solutions and decisions; proposes new ideas or

states old ideas in a novel fashion.

� Information Seeker

Asks for clarification of comments in terms of their factual adequacy; asks for information or

facts relevant to the problem; suggests information is needed before making decisions.



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� Information Giver

Offers facts or generalizations that may relate to the group’s task.

� Opinion Seeker

Asks for clarification of opinions made by other members of the group and asks how people in

the group feel.

� Opinion Giver

States beliefs or opinions having to do with suggestions made; indicates what the group’s attitude

should be.

� Elaborator/Clarifier

� Elaborates ideas and other contributions; offers rationales for suggestions; tries to deduce

how an idea or suggestion would work if adopted by the group.

Coordinator

Clarifies the relationships among information, opinions, and ideas or suggests an integration of

the information, opinions, and ideas of subgroups.

� Diagnostician

Indicates what the problems are.

� Orienter/Summarizer

Summarizes what has taken place; points out departures from agreed-on goals; tries to bring the

group back to the central issues; raises questions about the direction in which the group is

heading.

� Energizer

Prods the group to action.



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� Procedure Developer

Handles routine tasks such as seating arrangements, obtaining equipment, and handing out

pertinent papers.

� Secretary

Keeps notes on the group’s progress.

� Evaluator/Critic

Constructively analyzes the group’s accomplishments according to some set of standards; checks

to see that consensus has been reached.

Social/Maintenance Roles

� Supporter/Encourager

Praises, agrees with, and accepts the contributions of others; offers warmth, solidarity, and

recognition.

� Harmonizer

Reconciles disagreements; mediates differences; reduces tensions by giving group members a

chance to explore their differences.

� Tension Reliever

Jokes or in some other way reduces the formality of the situation; relaxes the group members.

� Conciliator

Offers new options when his or her own ideas are involved in a conflict; disciplines to admit

errors so as to maintain group cohesion.

� Gatekeeper

Keeps communication channels open; encourages and facilitates interaction from those members

who are usually silent.



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� Feeling Expresser

Makes explicit the feelings, moods, and relationships in the group; shares own feelings with

others.

� Follower

Goes along with the movement of the group passively, accepting the ideas of others sometimes

serving as an audience?

Dysfunctional Roles

� Blocker

Interferes with progress by rejecting ideas or taking a negative stand on any and all issues;

refuses to cooperate.

� Aggressor

Struggles for status by deflating the status of others; boasts; criticizes.

� Deserter

Withdraws in some way; remains indifferent, aloof, and sometimes formal; daydreams; wanders

from the subject; engages in irrelevant side conversations.

� Dominator

Interrupts and embarks on long monologues; is authoritative; tries to monopolize the group’s

time.

� Recognition Seeker

Attempts to gain attention in an exaggerated manner; usually boasts about past accomplishments;

relates irrelevant personal experiences, usually in an attempt to gain sympathy.



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� Playboy

Displays a lack of involvement in the group through inappropriate humor, horseplay, or

cynicism.

2.6. Factors Affecting Groups and Teams

Many factors can affect how well groups and teams perform. Among these are the cohesiveness

of the group, the degree to which individual members conform to group standards, the roles and

norms the group agrees to adopt and function by, the level and intensity of competition and

conflict, and - finally – the style and competence of group leadership.

� Cohesiveness

Cohesiveness may be defined as “sticking together.” Groups or teams are cohesive when their

participants identify with their membership. Identification means that the participants feel proud

to be members, inform outsiders that they are members, and perceive the purposes and goals that

the group or team stands for as their own. Cohesive groups or teams have very little turnover in

membership. The longer that the group or team maintains its core membership, the more

cohesive it becomes. When participants retain their membership, they are demonstrating that:

• They value their association with the team or group.

• They receive benefits from participating in the group which they could not receive

elsewhere.

• They have made such significant investments (time or money) in the group or team, that

they cannot forsake their membership

Significant advantages can be realized when cohesiveness is high:

• Member satisfaction with the group or team is high

• Group or team goals are achieved more effectively

• The quantity and quality of communication is high

• The group or team exerts more influence over its participants



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� Conformity

Conformity means “going along.” Group conformity is realized when participants abandon a

particular position contrary to other group or team members in favor of a majority view. This

abandonment, called conforming, happens for many reasons including: pressure to compromise,

logical or emotional persuasion, coercion, time constraints, personal frustration, or perceiving the

futility of continued argument.

Many pressures exist in groups and teams for individuals to conform. Even so, participants

should always advocate their positions, politely and articulately, until those positions are

disproved by others 9or overruled by higher authority). No idea should be dismissed until tests

of evidence, analysis, or reason dictate that the group or team would be better served by finding

another alternative.

Several years ago, members of a corporate training department were working on a major team-

building program for the company’s field’s sales force. There were many different ideas about

where to hold the program. One employee thought the building’s training center was sufficient,

another argued for a hotel, another for an outdoor-type camping facility, and still another for a

resort facility. The advantages and disadvantages of each proposition were argued. After the

discussion, most members agreed that the resort facility was the best choice. Two members,

however, maintained that a hotel was the better choice. The original advocate of the resort

offered additional arguments for his position, and finally persuaded the dissenting members.

Conformity through persuasion ensured an effective decision.

� Roles and Norms

Every member in a group or team plays a role. These roles are defined by the quantity and

quality of communication that participants engage in with the other members. It is not unusual

for some clear roles to develop for each participant within the first few minutes of group or team

interaction.

Each role has a label or title. They usually end in “er” or “or.” Can you recognize yourself in

any of these roles listed in Table 1



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Table 1

Role Description

Socializer Emphasizes personal or relationship issues (“When we finish this project, we’ll have

to celebrate with a party.”).

Inquisitor Asks an abundance of questions to every member on every issue; likes to probe for

the answer until satisfied (“I’d like to know how often we can expect to get results

like you’re projecting.”).

Organizer The member, who brings order to chaos, emphasizes structure, organization, logic,

and the agenda for the future (“What are we doing next?”).

Harmonizer Settles the tension in the group or team; smoothes over differences (“We can

disagree with one another without being disagreeable.”).

Facilitator Sees that everyone gets a fair chance to address a problem or an issue (“Nichole, do

you have an opinion about Task Force A’s recommendation?”).

Digressor Talks about everything except the actual task (“I wish I knew how bonuses will be

calculated this year; my car may not make it ‘till spring.”).

In some groups or teams, you hear complaints about how well or how poorly a member is

fulfilling a role. For example, one member mutters under her breath about her leader, “If he’d

only think about what we’re going to discuss before we all get here, we’d get finished in half the

time.” Comments such as these view roles not from observed behaviors, but from expectations

we have for the person who is ascribed by the group to fulfill a particular role.

This member obviously believes that the person filling the role of “leader” has the responsibility

to plan a meeting by preparing an agenda, deciding upon pre-established topics for discussion,

and setting time limits for how long the group or team should devote to each topic. Interestingly,

a leader may have expectations for individuals who play the role of “members.” He or she may



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believe that members have an obligation to read certain material, consider certain topics, and

develop positions or arguments to present to the group.

� Competition and Conflict

Productive conflict is also crucial to effective decision making in groups or teams. Without

debating and questioning key issues through productive conflict, groups or teams may make

decisions that have not been thoroughly tested or evaluated.

Cooperation and conflict can often go hand-in-hand. Productive conflict is one of many means

by which teams or groups cooperate. By agreeing to debate, question, test ideas, and evaluate

proposals, members engaged in conflict can form a cooperative enterprise.

On the other hand, competition within and between groups and teams is often counter-

productive. Although in the short-term, competition may be invigorating, motivating, or serve as

a spark plug for improved performance, it is not healthy for groups or teams to use this strategy

in the long-term.

A store manager initiated a contest by which every member of the department with the highest

sales would qualify for an all-expense paid weekend at a beach condominium. In addition,

within every department, the salesperson with the highest sales would qualify for a $500 gift

certificate. Results were posted each Friday for six weeks. Notice that the store manager

induced both within-group and between-group competition.

Sales skyrocketed in departments across the store. Unfortunately, there were complaints that

some customers would be approached numerous times by different salespeople in the same

department who were all hawking the same sale. Some customers complained that they felt

rushed to make their decisions and get to the register to cash out. In addition, since everyone

was concentrating on sales, the stock was virtually ignored. New merchandise was piled up in

the stockroom, shelves of existing merchandise were in shambles, and returns lay on the counter

waiting to be processed and restocked on the shelves.

Employee morale also suffered. As the differences between contest leaders, middle-runners, and

laggards intensified, resentment grew. The store was no longer perceived as friendly. Even

long-time customers stopped patronizing the company. Competition does have its merit, but



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when compared with cooperation, including the use of productive conflict, effective groups and

teams are those which avoid internal competition when possible.

� Leadership

Strong groups and teams are supported by strong leadership. Leadership is a process of

influence. Whenever one individual attempts to influence the behavior of another, he or she

engages in leadership.

� Shared leadership

There are many approaches and directions to leadership. Shared leadership is the most important

and powerful approach that a grope or team can undertake. Effective groups and teams share the

leadership function among several members. You may see many leadership behaviors exhibited

in a group or team that reflects shared leadership. Leadership, in turn, depends on effective

communication skills. When you see participants contribute frequently and openly, with

different members introducing various topics for discussion, different ideas being challenged and

debated, you are witnessing shared leadership.

Being in charge does not necessarily make someone a leader; conversely, you can be a leader

without being the designated “chief.” The leadership that a group needs most is often determined

by situations that confront it. Often, one person, regardless of status, cannot provide all the

leadership a group needs.

Let’s say that a group you’re involved with is working on budgets and has been inundated with

spreadsheets, figures, and revenue and cost projections. The group certainly doesn’t need

someone to lead by providing more information. What the group needs is someone who can help

you and your members organize and understand the information that has been assembled. After a

period of working through the information, your group may need an emotional leader – someone

who can offer an inspirational line, such as “We’re all tired, so let’s do the best we can, and we’ll

all get out of here faster.” In essence, every group, different participant can contribute different

leadership functions. Shared leadership, when played to its fullest, often results in an all-around

effective team.



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� Intellectual stimulation

Leaders can provide intellectual stimulation by encouraging followers to think about old

problems in new ways. Leaders show more interest in creative ideas than in routine processes.

They are no longer the crutch for the employee to lean on. When asked a question, leaders in

turn ask more questions and give fewer answers, which encourage an employee’s development.

� Inspiration

Leaders can also inspire employees by broadening and elevating their interests through

excitement for work processes and heightened expectations for group and team members.

Frequently, they serve as the spark for the group’s work on a task. By doing so, they generate

awareness, acceptance, and commitment among their followers to the tasks, purposes, and

mission of the group.

All too often, managers create self-fulfilling prophecies for their employees on the job. Most

employees work toward the level of their manager’s expectations. If leaders don’t think a task is

important, their employees won’t either. Employees will not embrace a challenge if they think

their leader sees a job as too difficult. A leader, who reveals that a meeting will be boring, will

have bored employees at the meeting. The opposite is also true. If leaders communicate that a

task is exciting, challenging, achievable, and important, employees will likely respond positively.

� Charisma

Leaders develop charisma when their followers sense strong feelings of identity and faith in the

leader. Charisma is an exciting and powerful component for developing shared leadership in

work units. It is though charisma that non-active followers are transformed into active leaders.

And it is through charisma that followers become motivated and energized.

Many people view their group or team leader as having charisma. They will admire their group

or team leader so much that they want to be like him or her in many aspects of their lives. Group

or team leaders often exhibit behaviors such as:

• Emotional expressiveness

• Self-confidence



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• Self-determination

• Freedom from visible internal conflicts

• Strong conviction of beliefs

What characteristics do you see in followers that might indicate their leader exhibits charisma?

Followers of charismatic leaders often display these characteristics:

• Loyalty

• Trust in the leader’s beliefs

• Similarity between leader and follower opinions and beliefs

• Affection and admiration for the leader

• Emotional involvement in the mission believed in by the leader

• Perception that the leader takes risks and makes sacrifices to achieve his or her vision

• Perception that the leader uses unconventional strategies to achieve goals

No group or team can survive without dedicated leadership. Although many successful groups

and teams have been led by one individual dominating that role, involving many members in the

leadership role produces the highest level of team effectiveness.

� Needs and goals

Leaders convince followers that long-term needs are more important than needs of the moment.

A leader knows the distinction between short-term needs (“I want more overtime”) and short-

term investments (“I need a few days off”). Leaders recognize that some short-term investments

result in long-term payoffs. Allowing more overtime (short-term need) may affect team

creativity, worker fatigue, and profit levels. Short-term investments (vacation time), however,

may increase employee morale, resulting in long-term, increased production.

Leaders also align the goals among their followers. When do you know you have a team? You

have a team when the goals and interests of the group are consistent with and more important

than the individuals’ goals and self-interests. When you have more people asking, “What can I

do to help?” and fewer asking “What’s in it for me?” you’ve got a team.



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3. Methodology

This chapter discusses the methods that were used to gather data on the issue under investigation.

It mentions the subjects that were involved in the study and how samples were selected from the

total population. Finally, it explains how the collected data were organized and analyzed.

3.1. Subjects

The subjects of this study were Mettu university first year computer science students. The

students were selected because one of the researcher’s members was teaching this target group.

3.2. Sampling

Because their number was manageable, the whole class was selected and took part in the study.

They were forty five in number.

3.3. Method of Data Collection

3.3.1. Observations

This is the first crucial method of data collection which was used to see whether students were

properly taking and giving turns in group discussions or not. Checklists were prepared in order to

crosscheck the data collected through interview.

3.3.2. Interviews

This is also another helpful method which was used to know whether students were taking and

giving turns with their initiation or not.

3.4. Method of Data Analysis

Based on the type of research and methods of data collection, the researchers analyzed the data

of this research qualitatively.



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4. Results and Discussions

4.1. Factors that Affect Turn Taking in Group Discussions

4.1.1. Lack of Willingness to Participate in Group Work

The Willingness/initiation/, need, desire and compulsion to participate in group work is very

decisive for the successful learning process that promote higher level of thinking for enduring

understanding and internalizing it in their lives. However, during class observation one of the

problems identified was lack of willingness to participate in group works by majority of the

students through their own initiation. Majority of the students were silent listener and do not

want to share their ideas. During the class observation students were asked whether they have

willingness to participate in group work by their own initiation or not.

In view of that, the majority of the students reported that they lack willingness because of

language barrier to express their idea, fear to share their ideas and opinions due to absence of

background experience on such activities as well as lack of confidence in expressing their own

understanding about the topic. These are the major factors that discourage students’ willingness

to participate by their own initiation at the time of group work. Hence, they prefer to keep silent

rather than taking turns and sharing their ideas, emotion, opinions, attitudes as well as their

understanding about the topic of the discussion. The main reason is that majority of the learners

have no experience of group discussion in their lower grades, fear to share their ideas as well as

language barriers are the major problems that discourage their willingness. From this, one can

conclude that lack of willingness to participate in group by their own initiation put turn taking in

group work at risk.

4.1.2. The Problem of over Dominance

Group discussion is a situation where students work together to maximize their own & each

other’s learning. Effective group discussion have positive interdependence, and the members of

group promote each other’s learning and success in face to face, hold each other personality, and

individually accountable for his/her fair share of works, use inter personal skills for the group

to be effective and process as a group how effectively members are working together.



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During class observation one of the problems that affect group discussion is the problem of over

dominance by few students. Majority of the learners from different group members were keep

silent rather than sharing their ideas, feelings, opinions, understandings and etc. There was also

no role (task division among themselves). From each group only one student dominated the

whole activities and others did not share the roles, and there was no share of works. As a result

the group members were not equally benefited from the given task. From this one can conclude

that the problem of over dominance by few students is one of the challenges affecting turn taking

in group works in the selected class.

4.1.3. Language Barrier to Express Ideas

During the observation session, the researchers have investigated that only few students were

active participants. There were different reasons for this. The most influential reason is language

barrier to express their ideas. Most students shy to speak in English. Because of this, they were

unable to take turns in the discussion.

According to Wikipedia the free encyclopedia, language barrier is a figurative phase used

primarily to indicate the difficulties faced when people who have limited knowledge of the target

language. If there is language barrier, there will be little discussion or no discussion at all. Some

of the students being observed have little discussion time. There were also few students who

have no discussion at all with the group members. As the data from the interview show, students

have the problem of language barrier to reflect their idea during group work.

4.1.4. Absence of Role Division among Group Members

By the time of observation, groups were formed without informing the role for each member.

These have been done for different semesters for every course. Members were not informed what

they were expected to do individually for the group. As it is indicated in the review literature,

some roles of the group members are being; initiator/contributor, leader, time keeper, secretary,

energizer, etc. But, none of the above roles were implemented in group discussions before. Due

to this reason, the pattern of turn taking in the group was not structured. Some high achiever

students were taking turns frequently, but others remain silent. The result of interview reveals

that there is no role division among the group members. Thus, the researchers conclude that



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absence of role division among group members is one of the factors that affect turn taking in

group works.

4.1.5. Frustration to express Ideas

Being asked about whether they freely discuss the task given within the group; what language do

they use while discussing the task within the group, some of the students stated the following

views:

They never feel quite sure of when they speak in English in class. They are worrying about

making mistakes in English class and think that the other student will laugh to them. They keep

thinking that the other students are better at English than they are.

4.1.6. Side Talk in the Group

They think that since English is a very difficult course, they prefer to speak with their mother

tongue especially while communication. While they discuss the task within the group most of the

time they use local language (like Afan oromo, and Amharic) in order to avoid the

communication barriers.

From their experience the researchers think that anxiety and overuse of native language play a

tremendous role in success or failure in foreign language. Because, they create communication

apprehension which is a type of shyness characterized by fear of speaking and anxiety about

communicating with people. In addition, shifting to mother tongue is also the other factor which

restricts the students’ opportunity to practice the target language. As summarized in the above,

those determinant factors influence students to speak in English in classroom in general and in

group work in particular are English anxiety and frequent use of local language like Afan Oromo

and Amharic.



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4.2. Actions (Measures) Taken and Its Amendment

4.2.1. Lack of Willingness to Participate in Group Work

Willingness to communicate is the most basic orientation towards group discussion. Student

engagement in group work occurs when they make a physical and psychological involvement in

learning which enable them in understanding the material and incorporating or internalizing it in

their lives. It is increasingly seen as an indicator of successful classroom instructional method.

Students are engaged when they are involved in their work, persevere despite challenges and

obstacles, and take visible delight in accomplishing their work.

Despite this fact, one of the problems identified during class observation at the time of group

discussion was lack of willingness to reflect their own idea through their own initiation. In order

to solve this problem, the researchers gave valuable advices:

- To use their time efficiently and effectively.

- Encourage and tell them that group discussion is the effective method of active learning

that enables them to learn by their own initiation than teacher fronted method.

- To speak freely what comes to their mind regarding to the idea raised for their group

members.

- Tell the group members that group discussion will enable them to communicate easily and

solve social problems in their future life.

On the above mentioned actions, the researchers have checked whether the students are

implementing the advices or not.

4.2.2. The Problem of Over Dominance

One of the problems identified during class observation at the time of group discussion was the

problem of over dominance. The discussion was highly dominated by few students. Learners

were also asked whether there is a role division or not during group discussion. Majority of the

students reported that there was no role division among group members. In order to solve the

problem of over dominance, the researchers ordered the students to from a group in which group

member has specific tasks to complete within the group. The researchers ordered each group to

share different roles among themselves/group members (tasks like facilitator, note taker, time



Page 24

keeper, chairperson, reporter, observer, and etc and gave the topic for each groups to discuss on

the issues. Students began to share tasks and discuss on the issues. In addition to this, each group

were told to share the time given for discussion equally for each group member.

4.2.3. Language Barrier to Express their Ideas

To overcome the problem of language barrier in group discussion, students were advised to do

different things. From these, making frequent practice can be mentioned. They were advised to

do this every time and everywhere. Joining language improvement centers like that of ELIC was

taken as one solution. Even though correcting this problem takes long period of time, students

have started to implement the researchers’ advises.

4.2.4. Absence of Role Division among Group Members

After observing how they share the tasks equally in the group, the researchers taught (advised)

each group to share roles in the discussion. Immediately after they were informed, they share

roles for every group work. They have selected leader, secretary and time keeper. The role of the

leader was giving equal time chances for every group member for discussion. The role of time

keeper was controlling if every group member has used its time appropriately. And the secretary

was writing the main points that were discussed by all members.

4.2.5. Frustration to Express Ideas and Overuse of Native Language

In order to build student confidence and self- esteem in their English language ability, the

researchers encouraged, re-assured and used positive reinforcement for not to feel worry about

their mistakes because it is through making errors that one can improve his/her language

proficiency.

The classroom instructor openly discussed about the English classroom anxiety with students and

reminded them to avoid assuming that students who are better in English should not laugh to

them.



Page 25

Students were also be given information about how to direct their attention away from self-

centered worries when they are reading, listening, speaking and taking tests in English language.

Lots of activities have been tried to create a positive environment in the classroom in which

teacher and students are friendly interact with each other in the class.

4.3. Evaluation of Action taken (Change Observed after the Action Taken)

After the implementation of the action that are considered as a solution for the problem of over

dominance by few students during group discussion, the action taken to solve the problems are

evaluated whether they are effective or not.

Immediately after they were informed to share some roles and responsibilities in the group,

students have shown important change in their group discussion. They choose leader (chair

person), secretary and time keeper in every group work without being informed by the

instructors. Students, who were passive listeners in the previous time, were highly motivated to

reflect points of the discussion for the whole classroom.

The action taken as a solution shows a progress and the group is responsible for the change

(Outcomes) which are evaluated against agreed criteria each group members develop different

skills such as sharing their ideas, opinions, attitudes and understanding, student interest

towards group discussion also changed and they began to highly engaged themselves into the

tasks by their own initiation. Students who are engaged show sustained behavioral involvement

in group activities accompanied by a positive emotional tone. They select tasks at the border of

their competencies, initiate action when given the opportunity, and exert intense effort and

concentration in the implementation of group tasks; they show generally positive emotions

during ongoing action, including enthusiasm, optimism, curiosity, and interest.



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5. References

� Allwright, R. L. 1984. “The Importance of Interaction in Classroom Language Learning”.

Applied Linguistics. 5/2, 156 -171.

� Ellis, R. 1988. Classroom Second Language Development. New York: Prentice Hall

International.

� Hutchby, I. and Wooffitt, R. 2002. Conversation Analysis. Great Britain: Polity Press and

Blackwell.

� Kramsch, J. 1987. “Interactive Discourse in Small and Large Groups”. In Rivers,W. (ed).

Interactive Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

� Nunan, D. 1985. Understanding Language Classrooms: A Guide for Teacher – initiated

Action. UK: Prentice Hall.

� Rivers, W. 1987. Interactive Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University

Press.

� Sacks, H. E. et al. 1974. “A Simplest Systematic for the Organization of Turn Taking for

Conversation.” Language. 50/4: 696 – 735.

� Van Lier, L. 1988. The Classroom and the Language Learner. London: Longman.

� Yohannes Berhanemeskel (2008). The Nature of Turn Taking Patterns in Group

Discussion: 10+2 Students of Cruise Private School in Focus. Addis Ababa University

Master’s Thesis.



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Appendix

A. Observation Checklist

S.N Focuses of Observation Remark

1 Willingness of the students to participate during group work.

2 Dominancy of high achiever students in the discussion.

4 Frustration to express their ideas

5 Language barrier to express their ideas

6 The role of each member in the group

7 Language used

B. Interview

1. Do you have willingness to participate in group work with your own initiation?

2. Do you freely express/share your ideas?

3. What is your role in group discussion?

� Time keeper?

� Passive listener?

� Leader?

� Reporter?

4. Do you feel some sort of ignorance for your ideas?

5. What language do you use while group discussion?

6. What are the factors that affect your participation?



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Declaration

We, the undersigned, hereby declare that this action research is our original work, that has not

been presented in any other university and that all sources of material used for the research have

been dully acknowledged.

Name Signature

1. Alemayehu Abera _________________________________

2. Endalew Molla _________________________________

3. Gemechu Bane _________________________________

4. Gemechu Siferaw _________________________________

5. Yordanos Kassa _________________________________

6. Sufiyan Alo _________________________________

Mettu University

October, 2013

Turn Taking in Group Discussions

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