The Fishbowl is an observational analysis-centered method, next to other modern interactive methods such as the survey method, the Delphi technique, the IIO technique, the GAP method, the panel discussion, and reversal problems. The main aim of this method is to allow the students to play a dual role as both active participants in a debate and observers of the interactions between the other students.
Several students are engaged in a debate in the inner circle while the observers are organized in an outer circle: “A fishbowl is a form of dialogue that can be used when discussing issues in large groups. The advantage of this method is that the whole group can participate in the conversation.” (Michalik 2023: 124) As a consequence, the method enables the teacher to observe and evaluate both the behavior of a person in a group and of the group as a whole.
The chairs in the classroom are arranged in two concentric circles. Half of the students sit on the chairs in the inner circle (the fish), whereas the others (the observers) sit on the chairs in the outer circle. The students in the inner circle exchange ideas on a given topic, usually a controversial one. They are given a limited period to interact and find solutions to the problem; during their debate, they need to follow a strict set of rules, which were already discussed with their teacher at the beginning of the activity. In teaching English, the Fishbowl method is an effective way to engage students in debates before writing compositions such as opinion essays, essays suggesting solutions to problems, assessment reports, or proposals. When the students in the interior circle discuss the respective issues, the students in the outer circle have the task of listening to their conversation and writing down their observations concerning aspects such as the way they interact, solve possible conflicts, and reach a consensus. To better solve their task, they are given some observation sheets, especially designed for this purpose. A student in the outer circle may be given the task to specifically write down observations about the behavior and degree of involvement of a particular student in the inner circle. At the end, the students in the inner circle present their conclusions to the whole class. A pair work activity is also possible here: a student in the inner circle is coupled with the student in the outer circle, whose task is to fill in the observation sheet with their conclusions about the other student’s involvement in the activity. The students in the inner circle can change places with the students in the outer circle so that they can experience different tasks firsthand.
According to Pânișoară (2024: 22-23), the Fishbowl method, also known as “theatre in a circle”, involves an interactive show in which there are both actors (the fish) and active spectators (the observers); at some point in the activity, it includes a reversal of the roles and minimalist elements of scenography. The use of this method has multiple advantages: it facilitates social interactions; it stimulates the development of communication and relational skills; it strengthens the skills of active listening; it enables reflection upon the students’ activity through peer feedback; it develops critical and reflexive thinking, and favors the information exchange based on personal experiences.
The Fishbowl method could also be used in a digital learning space, having the following benefits: active engagement, collaborative learning, observational learning, critical thinking and communication skills, empathy, and perspective-taking (Srinivasa, Siddesh, and Shidaganti 2024: 236-237). Among the disadvantages, we can count the student arrangement into concentric circles, which is more challenging to do in traditional classrooms, and the fact that the observers are not required to learn the content that the students in the inner circle discuss.
Because of its characteristics, this interactive method is better used at the secondary and high school levels. For instance, when teaching essays suggesting solutions to problems to 10th and 11th graders, the teacher can successfully engage the students using the Fishbowl method. The activity could start with the students in the inner group listening to a conversation between two people discussing the problem of stress. They are given the task of identifying suggestions to solve the problem of stress and possible results (talk to friends – see things differently; take more exercise – feel more relaxed; find an hour a day for yourself – clear your mind; make a list of your worries – deal with problems individually). In addition, they will have to use a list of linking expressions to explain each suggestion and its results in their own words. Meanwhile, the students in the outer circle need to fill in the observation sheet about the students’ contribution to the discussion, the correctness of their statements, the quality of the given pieces of information, their coherence, the pace of their interventions, their practical communication skills, etc. After both the students in the inner and outer circles present their conclusions, they swap their places. The students in the inner circle are given a different task (e.g., to discuss ways of improving the lives of older people). After a new exchange, the students are given the assignment of choosing one of the two debate topics and turning it into an essay suggesting solutions to problems.
The Fishbowl method can take different forms. Pânișoară (2006: 361) mentions the “tortoise” technique, which uses the dynamics of the sub-groups and the spokespersons who can at times retreat as a tortoise in a shell, and the “consultants” technique, in which the students in the outer circle act as consultants for those in the inner circle, thus actively getting engaged in the activity. The Three-Stage Fishbowl (Pânișoară 2024: 23) is a more elaborate variant of the same method in which the students are organized into three groups, in turns, fish and observers answering three questions the teacher asks. By the end of the activity, the whole class analyzes the activity of all three groups. The Fishbowl with Multiple Perspectives follows the same pattern, except that it assigns the students in the inner circle different roles (historical figures, social categories, characters in works of fiction, etc.).
Taking all the aforementioned aspects into account, we can safely conclude that the Fishbowl method can be successfully employed to encourage students’ interactive participation, collaborative skills, critical thinking, and innovative problem solving. As long as the teacher sets the discussion topic, establishes the members of the inner and outer circles, provides clear discussion guidelines, follows the observing and note-taking, rotates the participants, extends the discussion, and leads the conclusion section, such a method has all the chances of thoroughly arousing students’ interest in the topic and their total commitment to the activity.
References
1. Evans, Virginia (2021) Successful Writing – Proficiency. Newbury: Express Publishing.
2. Michalik, Georg (2023) Co-Creation Mindset: Eight Steps towards the Future of Work. New York: Springer International Publishing.
3. Pânișoară, Ion-Ovidiu (2006) Comunicarea eficientă. Ediția a III-a, revăzută și adăugită. Iași: Editura Polirom.
4. Pânișoară, Ion-Ovidiu (coord.) (2024) Enciclopedia metodelor de învățământ. Ediția a II-a. Iași: Editura Polirom.
5. Srinivasa, K.G., Siddesh, G.M, and Shidaganti, Ganeshayya (2024) Confluence of Teaching and Learning through Digital Pedagogy. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.