In this experiment as part of the ‘experiments series’ in which we decode and decipher the science of influence we look at using influence in the classroom as a teacher.
Some of these experiments have been featured in Duncan’s best selling Effective Influence book, available now on Amazon.
Let me pose a question:
If you were a teacher (or maybe you are) how would you help resolve a situation in a school which has an undertone of fear, suspicion and distrust between the various racial groups in each of the classrooms resulting in hostile classroom atmospheres? This in turn has resulted in a recent spike in fist-fights and violence.
The experiment:
In 1971, Elliot Aronson, a psychologist from the University of Texas, was contacted by a local school officer (who explained the situation above). He asked if Elliot could help resolve and diffuse the volatile and smouldering situation and apply his skills to encourage the children to get on with one another more amicably. The volatile situation was the result of the pupils being systematically desegregated in their communities and then suddenly being all thrust into the same classroom together for the first time. There was a complete range of cultures from white, to African and American to Hispanic children.
Elliott Aronson included his own undergraduate students he had been teaching in the mediation process and treated it as a case study for them to teach them about using influence in the classroom environment. When Aronson and his team arrived at the school, their first observation was that the inter-group hostility was, in part, being fuelled by the competitive environment that all the students were submersed in, in the classroom. This was evident in many of the other classrooms too where the teacher posed a question, and those who knew the answer raised their hand, those that didn’t kept quiet. This is a a traditional approach in many classrooms but it left some feeling stupid whilst others feeling smug. Aronson saw that this competitive environment needed to be redesigned to be one which was much more collaborative centric and more focussed on co-operation.
In order to improve this situation, Aronson and his team of undergraduates constructed what they called ‘The Jigsaw Method’.
The next subject on the curriculum for the 5th grade class was for the students to learn about the biography of Eleanor Roosevelt. Rather than using the traditional competitive where the teacher would pose questions to the students that they may or may not know, Aronson divided the students into highly diversified groups. The groups were irrespective of race, age, ethnic background or gender. Each student was then assigned one particular part of Roosevelt’s biography to learn and then would be collectively assessed as a group. This meant that those students who came from underfunded schools and underprivileged neighbourhoods, which may have reduced their academic ability, were now in a group where some of the more academic students were able to help them to ensure the group collectively passed the exam. With this approach instilled, instead of a classroom culture fuelled by competition, the dynamic of these groups was now fuelled by co-operation and collaboration. The result was that those students who were usually too shy to put their hands up through lack of confidence were now involved in the learning process and supported by the more academic members of their group.
When one of Aronson’s undergraduate team overhead some verbal bullying within one of the groups, she reiterated the importance of co-operation to them all. She emphasised that bullying or a lack of co-operation could cost them the chance to excel in their exams as a group. As a result of interventions like these from Aronson and his team, the classroom culture changed from being inhospitable and volatile to much more humane and collaborative. Overall the stereotypes began to change and classroom absenteeism levels reduced. Of note was one boy called Carlos. He had poor levels of English. When he was placed in a group with classmates who had previously excluded him and not talked to him due to his poor English and different background, he now found himself being helped and supported with both his presentation and speaking skills from those same members of his group as they were knew they were being assessed as a group.
As with all credible experiments, Aronson also deployed his innovative Jigsaw Method into some classrooms, and not into others to act as control groups. Again, he found that in comparison to the classes where his method had not been implemented, there was less prejudice and negative stereotyping and the students themselves found that they enjoyed attending school more and felt more confident taking part in the classroom activities.
Other by-products of this method included an improvement in the student’s overall academic abilities. As mentioned earlier, overall school absenteeism also declined. Compared to the control group classrooms, the teachers who were working with the Jigsaw Method found that their students were achieving far better results than in those classrooms which had not had the the Jigsaw Method implemented.
Decoding a deciphering the experiment to make us a better influencer.
It is the consensus principle of persuasion that we find at play here. The consensus principle encourages individuals in a group to support and assist one another in order to work in harmony. The Jigsaw Method is a tried and tested, technique to influence children to put aside their racial and background differences and work in harmony to achieve a collaborative goal. The results, as you can see in the experiment were amazing and shows how you can use influence in the classroom to achieve a desired result.
Duncan delivers influence keynote speeches, masterclasses and workshops to a range of different organisations and professions. If you interested in finding out more, then get in contact below.
