Group Investigation: How Does It Work?

Abstract

This qualitative study describes events and perceptions about the Group Investigation (GI) model of teaching, as experienced by students in a doctoral class on Program Evaluation. Individual interviews and observations were used to gather data from ten doctoral students in a graduate program. Participants come from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The GI project was to design and implement an actual evaluation of a program in a nearby school, and the class was organized to achieve this goal. The participants reported experiencing emotional fluctuations. Obstacles were experienced during the GI implementation and the solutions that evolved resulted in success experiences and emotional highs. This study also collected GI participants’ recommendations for more successful GI implementation in classrooms, particularly in higher education.