EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

Chapter 15 page 381

Figure 15.14: Examples of Social Roles

Facilitator: Sees to it that everyone gets the help he or she needs to do the task; is responsible for seeking
answers to questions within the group; teacher is only queried if no one in the group can help.

Checker: Makes sure that everyone has finished his or her worksheet, and has answered all of the
questions.

Set-Up: Is responsible for setting up all the materials at the learning center. Materials are stored in such a
way that a child can easily gain access to what he or she needs it. The student responsible for set-up is
provided with pictures that show what materials are needed and where to put he materials.

Clean-up: Is responsible for putting away materials properly and wiping off the table.

Safety Officer: Is responsible for supervising tasks involving heat or sharp edges and for notifying adult of
potentially dangerous situations.

Reporter: Is responsible for telling the class what the group discovered during the wrap-up.

These social roles were used in a study with second graders described by Cohen (1994a).

To ensure that the assigned students understand their roles, teachers must make the responsibilities of
the role clear. Cohen (1994a) recommended using activity cards for each role. For example, a teacher could
give each group facilitator in an elementary class a card that specifies the duties of the facilitator. The card
could state “Give everyone a fair turn; give reasons for ideas; offer different ideas.” (Cohen, 1994a, p. 99).
Figure 15.15 presents a role card for the role of recorder.

Figure 15.15. A role card for elementary school students taking the role of recorder.

Recorder

Your job:

Write down your group’s

main conclusions

Example questions to ask

group:

What are the ideas we should

write down?

Which of these ideas is more

important

from Cohen (1994a)