DEVELOPING STRATEGIES TO TRAIN STUDENTS IN COOPERATIVE WORK THROUGH LEADERSHIP

The work was triggered by the need of developing new techniques of teaching. Such an innovation is needed to speed up the students’ learning process. We propose to experiment with new methods of teaching by updating not only the crowed curricula but also the training for successful relations in the workplace. Autonomy will be increased by giving students higher responsibilities. They should learn while being polite and organized within the working group of students. Giving and receiving instructions properly will be necessary not only for normal social activity, but also for the real business environment. This didactic innovation corresponds to the “Final Master Project” of the “Màster de Formació del Professorat” at the Universitat de Barcelona, during the academic year 2011-12.
The objectives are to motivate learning within a working team with a leader and leader assistant. The leaders of these working groups have to overcome an important challenge: to create study habits and work in a similar way as they would in real life. They will encourage team work, accept responsibilities and receive commands properly. As a personal objective the student should learn a method of real teamwork, practice the art of communication to make himself understandable, develop attitudes of self-reliance, develop leadership skills and organization and finally, enhance and expand the student's personality when any conflict appears. Moreover, the student should be able to organize and lead a team, plan the study personally and collectively and defend and communicate their knowledge wisely. The student acting as a leader will change, so that all group members are leaders at least once. The leader assistant’s should execute jobs commanded by the leader of the according subject. They will, if necessary, supply information to the leader. The teacher, during the execution of the technique, will only act as a guide and as a support for leaders and assistants in all that is necessary. The teacher will never be its main source of information.
Therefore, these aims could only be achieved with an innovative teaching methodology where participation, coordination, reflection and responsibility of everyone involved play a fundamental and vital role.