Explain how social organisation and relationships may affectthe learning process

Human beings are social creatures, and their social sensibilities start from the

day they are born. By the time they get to school, children can be strongly

affected by social organisation and their relationships with each other and with

the adults who help their learning.

The ways learners are grouped

Children who spend any length of time together do form relationships, and how

positive or negative those are depends on their individual personalities,

circumstances, and lots of other factors. Some days will be better than others,

depending on how much sleep individuals got the night before, how well they are (ill

children can be crotchety or disengaged), and how well fed they are.

The way they learn can therefore be affected by their relationships within the group,

whether that is the class as a whole or a small working group. If they like the people

they work with, and they get on with each other, they are more likely to achieve the

tasks they are set.

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Organisations and relationships affect the learning process.

The way the group develops

Children develop at different rates, and throughout primary school, some children will

seem more mature than their peers, while some will have a lot of immaturity about

them. These aspects even out as they become teenagers and young adults, but at

primary level most groups will have a variety of different levels of development. What

this means for group work, amongst other things, is that some pupils will be more

interested in the topic than others; some will maintain longer high levels of

concentration than others; some will go off-topic more easily; some will chat more,

and some will withdraw more. It means that some pupils may get more out of a

particular task than others; and some will get more out of every task than others.

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The way individuals relate within groups

'Group dynamics' is a phrase that is often used to describe the ebb and flow of

power within a group, and children's groups are no different from this. Some groups

will have a 'leader' who is an outgoing person, engaged with the activity, and keen to

show how much he or she knows. They may also have those who follow that leader,

some who hang back and are embarrassed or afraid of getting things wrong, and

others that sway between each of these latter two groups.

Group dynamics also describes the way in which the children relate to each other. If

there are two or more children who do not get along with each other, it can be

counterproductive to expect them to get along for the sake of the lesson.

If there are problems like this within the group, they can make learning very hard for

all the children, not just those who are directly involved with an issue, so it is a good

idea to get to the bottom of any issues immediately, and to seek advice from the

teacher if there is no obvious way of resolving it.

The way adults interact with pupils

How the teacher and support staff talk to and communicate with pupils can have a

strong effect on their learning. Teachers who speak to their pupils with a certain level

of courtesy and professionalism can instil a sense of value within the child or young

person, enabling their confidence and engagement in the given task.

Clarity of communication is a really important aspect of communicating and

interacting with children and young people. This can be achieved by using age-

appropriate language, active listening, checking understanding, and speaking at a

speed and in a tone that pupils can easily understand.

The learning process can be interrupted if pupils have to work out what the teacher

meant, if some still do not really understand what is expected of them, or where

someone has been told off or spoken to in a harsh way. Upset children do not

learn well, so wherever possible, this should be avoided.

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