The Influence of Emergent and Assigned Leaders on Interactive Group Work Tasks in the L2 Classroom: Focusing on the Group Work Dynamics, Motivation, and Linguistic Performance

Abstract

This study compares two leadership styles, emergent leader (EL) and assigned leader (AL), to explore effective leadership in second language (L2) group work. ELs were spontaneously chosen by the group, while ALs were pre-assigned by teachers before the task. The study involved 45 university students, who were divided into seven EL groups (n = 21) and eight AL groups (n = 24). Complex dynamic systems theory (CDST) was used to explore how these leadership styles impacted group work dynamics, motivation, and task outcomes. Findings revealed that having a group leader was beneficial for task performance, regardless of the leadership style. However, the study identified qualitative differences in group work dynamics and motivation between EL and AL groups. Behaviors contributing to group work activation were more frequently observed in the AL groups. Additionally, motivation increased gradually in the EL groups, while it peaked early and remained high in the AL groups. Results suggest that pre-assigning a leader with a clear role can ensure favorable initial conditions for the group, leader, and members, while accelerating the growth of group work dynamics and motivation in short-timed group tasks. Therefore, the study provides evidence supporting the effectiveness of pre-assigning a leader in L2 group work.