In teaching science, small group work is often recommended and frequently used. In this study, we asked 130 students about their personal goals and views (appraisals) of small group work in science. We found significant relationships between students' personal goals and their views of doing science in small groups. We discuss the practical implications of our findings for teaching primary science and offer questions that teachers may find useful in identifying students' views of small group work. We also describe how relationships between students' appraisals and goals may have implications for how teachers assign members to small groups in teaching science. (Contains 4 figures.)