STUDENTS from different schools are sharing a common experience about the challenges of group performance tasks and how it is taking its toll on grades and stress levels.
Unequal participation in group performance tasks especially uncooperative members make the workload heavier for those who take responsibility.
These tasks, which often account for 40 to 50 percent of academic grades, are meant to develop teamwork and leadership skills but can lead to frustration, conflict and a sense of unfairness.
Group performance is a classroom activity where learners form teams to complete a shared task, such as a presentation, skit, experiment, debate, or project. Instead of assessing only individual output, the teacher evaluates the collective outcome, including the quality of the work, teamwork and each member’s contribution.
Under the Philippine education system, the purpose of group performances is to promote collaboration, develops communication skills, builds critical thinking, encourages creativity and fosters responsibility.
Students from different schools said the bigger challenge is not the work itself but the lack of shared responsibility.
“It feels so sad and unfair,” says Cathlein Ghaile D.R. Gabriel, a Grade 8 student from Sta. Barbara Integrated High School in Nueva Ecija.
“They put in all their effort, and then someone else acts as if they don’t care at all. Sometimes, the leader still gives them a chance even if they don’t contribute anything.”
Roy Bartolome Fano, a Grade 8 student from Abellana National School in Cebu City, shares the same frustration.
“Depending on the situation, I sometimes stress about the actual task if it’s complicated, but most of the time I stress about my groupmates because some of them aren’t able to contribute much to the task we handle.”
Tight deadlines and lack of participation can also add mental strain, according to Renzlee C. Mercadal, a Grade 12 student from Juan Pamplona National High School in Poblacion, Tabuelan.
“Group performance tasks can significantly increase students’ stress levels, especially when the deadline is near. The fear of failure and not meeting expectations also contributes to the stress and pressure,” he said.
“It can only be fair if the whole group does their part,” says Renmar Stephen Blanca, a Grade 9 student from Sta. Barbara Integrated High School. “But if they won’t follow the rules, it can’t be fair. It causes a big problem for those who care about their grades, and their grades can be lower because of this grouping.”
Despite these problems, educators and students agreed that group activities still teach cooperation, leadership and problem-solving skills.
However, many believe greater maturity and fairness are needed. “Some students should learn to be more mature and consider the efforts their group leaders put in for them,” one student says.
To address the imbalance, some students focus on excelling in individual performances and written work to ensure their grades reflect their own efforts. For them, every student should be graded according to their actual contribution.