How do you feel when your teacher asks you to work on a group project with other students? Do you like to work together with others or work alone?

The Programme for International Student Assessment, or PISA, carried out a survey on students’ abilities to work together in groups. They found that students who do well on tests by themselves are also likely to be better at working with other people.

This finding was true for many countries. Students in Japan, South Korea, Finland and Canada, where test scores are high, also did well in working together to solve problems.

But this was not the case for every country. Chinese students, who usually achieve good grades, showed only average abilities to work together.

“One reason might be that Chinese parents and teachers focus too much on grades,” said Zhao Zhongxin, former vice president of the Chinese Family Education Association. “Students have a lot of exam pressure and they view school as a place for competition.”

“However, collaborative（合作的） skills are very important to prepare students for today’s society,” he added. “Luckily, more Chinese parents and teachers are realizing the importance of this and are thinking of ways to help students improve this skill.”

Another interesting finding from the PISA survey was that girls tend to be better than boys at working together. They said girls show more positive attitudes （积极的态度） towards relationships, which means they are more willing to listen to others’ opinions.

PISA also found that the classroom environment tends to influence how well students collaborate. In classes where there are a lot of activities that require communication, such as class debates, students tend to have better attitudes toward collaborating.

Join the discussion

Lake lander ●2 hours ago

Today, a man talked very loud on his phone on a train between Malvern and Reading, making many passengers upset. I wonder how he would react (反应) if I were to read my newspaper out loud on the train. I have never had the courage to do it, though.

Pak50 ●57 minutes ago

Why not give it a try? Perhaps you should take lessons on a musical instrument. The late musician Dennis Brian is said to have asked a fellow train passenger to turn off his radio. When his request was refused, he took out his French horn (号) and started to practice.

Angie O’Edema ●42 minutes ago

I don’t see how musical instruments can help improve manners in public. Don’t do to others what you wouldn’t like to be done to yourself. Once, a passenger next to me talked out loud on his mobile phone. I left my seat quietly, giving him some privacy to finish his conversation. He realized this and said “Sorry” to me. When his phone rang again later, a bit of respect and cooperation (合作) can do the job better.

Taodas ●29 minutes ago

I did read my newspaper out loud on a train, and it turned out well. The guy accepted it peacefully, and we chatted happily all the way to Edinbergh.

Sophie 76 ●13 minutes ago

I have not tried reading my newspaper out loud on a train, but, several years ago, I read some chapters (章节) from Harry Potter to my bored and noisy children. Several passengers seemed to appreciate what I did.

Some people think making new friends might make them feel nervous in school. 【小题1】 You are with a group of students of your age. Here are several suggestions for you to follow.

Forget your fear and just talk to someone.

It’s easier said than done. But try to take a deep breath and find your voice. Don’t be afraid to approach (接近) people. 【小题2】 Sit in the middle of the classroom with as many new friends around you as possible.

【小题3】

Take part in after-class activities that interest you. Try to make friends in the clubs. If you don’t join anything, you will be just going to class and then going home. Being in a club makes you more social.

Stay clean.

No one likes a bad smell that could knock someone over. Shower every day, brush your teeth and wash your hair. 【小题4】

Be respectful (尊重的) of people’s differences.

【小题5】 And everyone believes in different things. It is a good thing to have different friends with different opinions because you can each share your own.