Education Commons^™

Groupthink And The Classroom: Changing Familiar Patterns To Encourage Critical Thought, Scott D. Johnson, Richard L. Weaver Ii

Rhetoric and Communication Studies Faculty Publications

Groupthink is an unhealthy decision-making pattern characterized by a high degree of cohesiveness and a striving for consensus among the members of a decision-making group. This article considers the classroom as a potential contributor to the groupthink phenomenon, comparing the antecedent conditions for group think with typical classroom conditions and expectations. With a plausible, though unproven, link between the classroom and group think decision making, four suggestions are offered teachers for encouraging independent thought and action in students. The four suggestions include adding critical-thinking skills, decision-making skills, small group communication skills, and conflict management skills to the curriculum. These additions …