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Group Discussion

Communication for Health Education

Here, the group is an aggregation of people in a face – to – face situation
For optimum impact:

  • Group size should not be <6 or > 12 including

  • One group leader who:

    • initiates the subject discussion
    • Helps proper progress of the discussion
    • Prevents side – conversation
    • Everyone to participate
    • Sums up the discussion

  • One recorder, a person to record whatever is discussed

    • The recorder prepares a report on the issues discussed and agreements reached

  • Participants sit in a circle, each is fully visible to others

  • The members should observe the following rules:

    • Express ideas clearly and concisely
    • Listen to what others say
    • Do not interrupt when others are speaking
    • Make only relevant remarks
    • Accept criticism gracefully and
    • Help to reach conclusions

  • GD is successful if the members know each other beforehand

  • After a well conducted GD:

    • The group may arrive at decisions which no individual member would have able to make alone

  • Advantages:

    • Very effective method of health communication
    • Very effective in reaching decisions
    • The decisions tend to adopted more readily as the group acceptance has a binding effect

  • Limitations:

    • The shy may not participate in the discussion
    • Some may dominate the discussion
    • Some members may deviate from the subject and render the GD irrelevant

  • The leader should guide so as to minimize these limitations

Group Discussion diagram

Reference:
Park’s Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 23rd ed

Channels of communication: Channels of Communication
Barriers of communication: Barriers of Communication
Types of communication: Types of Communication
Methods of communication: Methods of communication
Methods of communication -Individual level approach: Individual Level Approach (methods of communication)
Methods of communication- lecture (chalk and talk): Methods of communication: Chalk and Talk (Lecture)
Methods of communication- demonstration: Demonstrations
Group Discussion: Group Discussion
Panel Discussion: Panel Discussion
Delphi method: Delphi Method
Work shop: Workshop
Role-play: Role Playing (Socio – Drama)
Conference: Conferences and Seminars
Methods of Communication - Mass Approach: Methods of Communication - Mass Approach

Flannel graph: Flannel graph
Flip chart: Flip – charts