Advances in Physiology Education, Vol 261, Issue 6 12-S16, Copyright © 1991 by American Physiological Society
Student group approach to teaching using Tuckman model of group development
M. D. Weber and T. A. Karman
Department of Biology, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa 74171.
If health care professionals are to be effective members of an
interdisciplinary team of diagnostic specialists, it is critical that their
university education equip them for that role. Using Tuckman's four stages
of "forming," "storming," "norming," and "performing," university faculty
are shown how a group of undergraduate science students can be developed
into an organism intent on identifying solutions to problems posed to them
(e.g., technical, medical-ethical). The use of the group approach enhances
maturity, competence, self-esteem, and motivation of the students and
enables the instructor to delegate appropriate responsibilities to the
students. In addition to a sense of achievement, students also reported
greater appreciation of the ideas, values, and abilities of their group
colleagues.
