Preventing Groupthink in Teacher Teams –

Using roles like “devil’s advocate” to improve collaboration.

Teacher collaboration is widely celebrated as a driver of school improvement. Professional learning communities, grade-level teams, and department groups all exist to help teachers share ideas and make better decisions. But collaboration has a hidden danger: groupthink.

When teams prioritize harmony over debate, they risk overlooking alternatives, ignoring evidence, and reinforcing weak practices. The very tool designed to improve outcomes can undermine them.

The Risks of Groupthink

As Taylor & Francis research points out, unstructured decision-making often leads to conformity and reduced creativity. In schools, this can mean defaulting to the “usual way” of doing things instead of innovating to meet students’ changing needs. Groupthink may feel efficient in the short term, but it limits growth and problem-solving.

Collaboration Needs Structure

Oracy Cambridge emphasizes that effective collaboration does not happen by chance—it requires structure. Clear expectations, agreed norms, and deliberate use of talk are essential. Structured oracy practices encourage teachers to articulate, challenge, and refine ideas, ensuring that every voice is heard and considered.

The Power of Roles

Leader Navigation stresses the value of defined roles within teams. Assigning a facilitator ensures focus, a recorder captures decisions, and a devil’s advocate challenges assumptions. These roles prevent dominant voices from controlling discussions and create a culture where disagreement is not just tolerated but valued.

Oracy Builds Openness

Developing oracy—the ability to express and exchange ideas effectively—is central to reducing groupthink. When teachers are encouraged to question and critique respectfully, collaboration becomes more open. Disagreement transforms from conflict into an essential part of rigorous decision-making.

Better Team Dynamics Lead to Better Schools

When teacher teams embrace structure, roles, and open dialogue, they make better decisions for students. Collaboration stops being a checkbox exercise and becomes a true engine of school improvement. Innovation, critical thinking, and shared ownership replace conformity and complacency.

Conclusion

Teacher collaboration is not automatically effective—it must be designed to avoid the pitfalls of groupthink. By structuring discussions, assigning roles like devil’s advocate, and building oracy skills, schools can ensure collaboration leads to better ideas, stronger culture, and improved student outcomes.

If you want to learn how to design teacher team structures that avoid groupthink and maximize collaboration, contact the AG Nova team. We help schools build teacher-first systems that support innovation and decision-making.