THE TEACHER’S FACILITATOR ROLE IN GROUP LEARNING: DEVELOPING COLLABORATION AND CRITICAL THINKING AS KEY COMPETENCES

Assist. Prof. Iskrena Dimitrova, PhD

Department of Pedagogy University of Ruse “Angel Kanchev”

Abstract

The teacher’s facilitator role in group learning is a fundamental prerequisite for developing students’ collaboration skills and critical thinking. In this context, the teacher acts less as a traditional source of knowledge and more as a mediator of the learning process who supports interaction, fosters dialogue, and creates conditions for both individual and collective knowledge construction. Through the integration of group methods and interdisciplinary, project-based activities, an educational environment is established in which learners enhance their abilities for argumentation, collaborative decision- making and social responsibility. Such facilitation aligns with contemporary pedagogical paradigms based on the competence- oriented approach and contributes to preparing young people for active civic engagement in an ever-evolving digital society.

Keywords

group learning, facilitation, collaboration, critical thinking, competence-based approach, civic engagement

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