Do your semester group projects frequently result with unmanageable student conflict? Have you already tried consequence-oriented strategies (e.g., group grade, peer evaluations to reduce grades, threats to fire a group member or professor intervention) without success? Guiding students toward a solution will not only teach them how to manage immediate issues but also equip them with core communication and teamwork skills for future group projects. Channel frustration into a teachable moment that builds lasting soft skills.

Preventing Conflict in Student Groups: Teachable Strategies

View a student-centered Student Group Work Conflict video about these strategies.

• Vent and reflect: Allow students to “vent” about previous negative group work experiences. This creates a common bond, decreases their anxiety, and increases motivation. Managing Difficult Moments together makes the professor-student relationship even stronger.
• Assess your style: Give students a conflict styles inventory to learn more about their communication tendency. This may be a culturally sensitive or reputable assessment depending on what is more applicable to the students in your class. If the class has more group work than usual, consider making a conflict style assessment an assignment for students before any group work begins. The Institute of Peace’s Conflict Styles Assessment offers one such assessment.
• Create an action plan: Ask groups to create an action plan or contract at the first meeting. This plan may help coordinate group efforts to avoid potential conflict and bolster student teamwork.
• Discuss conflict case studies: Use class time to introduce conflict case studies; ask students to brainstorm multiple ways to respond and evaluate potential outcomes. Prompt students to engage in group discussion.

Preparing Students for a More Proactive Future

One day, our students will be in a job interview and asked, “Tell me about a past conflict and how did you handle it.”

Rather than unnecessary frustration with their group conflicts today, implement these strategies so that they may develop the appropriate collaborative and conflict-resolution skills that land them a job in the future.

References and Resources

Conflict Style Assessment. United States Institute of Peace. 

Huang, L.S. (2014). Students riding on coattails during group work? Five simple ideas to try. Faculty Focus, September, 29. 

Weimer, M. (2010). 10 Recommendations for Improving Group Work. Faculty Focus, June 1. 

Save and adapt a Google Doc version of this teaching tip.

About the Author 

Whitney Scott holds a PhD and is the Director of Faculty Development at California State University, Northridge. She resides in Los Angeles, California. 
Edited by Emma Sikora, CETL Editorial Assistant Intern. 
Others may share and adapt under Creative Commons License CC BY-NC.

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