Introduction. Group is a gathering of two people or more that have action and reaction, follow up specific rules, interest in each other needs and want to achieve common goals via mutual understanding and unity of action. Problem solving by the group is affected by factors like the number of the members, unity of group, diversity of positions, personality of individuals and physical environment. Number of members in small groups are limited so each person communicate with other members face to face and without intermediator and each member has specific role in the group and roles are distinct. Rate of partnership and explicit conversation within small groups is profoundly more than large groups. Also, group cooperation and friendship feelings between members are more and critical thinking is strengthened between individuals. In small groups educational method, the students are informed from attitudes, feelings, opinions and reasons of others behaviors and afterwards assess and criticize self and others attitudes and thereafter are occupied to change and adapt of self attitudes in the route of analysis and evaluation of them.
Conclusion. One of the main reasons of using small groups is increasing the students’ skills and formation of their attitudes that this specially leads to expansion of clinical skills in clinics and health therapeutic centers.
Naderi Z., Ebadi A., Mahdizadeh S.. Application of small groups in education of medical sciences. Educ Strategy Med Sci 2009; 2 (2) :13-14 URL: http://edcbmj.ir/article-1-26-en.html