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Preparing Primary Teachers to
Use Cooperative Learning: A
Case Study
Sumru Akcan
[email protected]
Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey
May, 2007
Purpose of the Study
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To explore the attitudes of the primary
teachers towards the implementation
of cooperative group work between
Grades 3-5 in Language Arts and
Social Studies classes.
Research Methodology
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Qualitative case study
14 primary teachers in a public
elementary school in İstanbul
Seminars between December 2005May 2006
Class size 25-35
Data Collection
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Open-ended questionnaire
Discussions at the end of each
seminar
Class observations
Interviews with the teachers
Artifacts
Cooperative Learning
Techniques
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Jigsaw
Think-Pair-Share
Numbered Heads
Circle of Writers
Circle of Speakers
Corners
Key Elements of Cooperative
Learning
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Positive Interdependence
Individual Accountability
Social Skills
Face-to-Face Interaction
Why use Cooperative Learning?
(Johnson & Johnson, 1990; Kagan, 1994)
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Promotes learning and academic
achievement
Increases student retention
Develops students’ social skills
Helps students develop skills in oral
communication
Enhances student satisfaction with
their learning experience.
Attitudes towards Cooperative
Group Work
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Teachers are positive about using
cooperative group work
Getting information from the students
individually and creating knowledge together
Cooperation is an effective and useful
process that makes learning more enjoyable.
Different ideas & views come together.
Attitudes towards Cooperative
Group Work
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Learning together through questioning
and answering
Higher retention rate since the topics
are covered in detail through
discussions
Sharing information; completing the
missing information together.
Positive Aspects of Group
Work
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Develops self-esteem
Completes one another’s knowledge
Increases the speaking opportunities.
Positive Aspects of Group
Work
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Encourages collectivism
Gives the students opportunities to
socialize
The students learn the necessity of
working & thinking together in order to
accomplish the learning objectives
The students compare their ideas with
their peers.
Positive Aspects of Group
Work
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The students can see their own
learning levels and the others
Increase their awareness of what one
knows and thinks
Respect the differences.
Positive Aspects of Group
Work
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Brainstorm the information; each
student can talk about his/her point of
view and learns how to listen
Learn how to help each other
Learn to take responsibility
Motivate each other to work together.
Positive Aspects of Group
Work
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Increases the motivation of the
students
Competition might cause increased
motivation (“Which group taught the
subject matter best?”)
The students had a chance to learn
the subject in detail since they did an
intensive search on their own.
Positive Aspects of Group
Work
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Increases self-esteem and the students can
express themselves more easily
The teacher continuously updates
himself/herself
Develops collaboration among the group
members
Increases students’ creativity.
Positive Aspects of Group
Work
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Increases the willingness to learn and work
together
There is a transition from “I” to “We”; group
work increases the socialization process
and prevents isolation of the students from
the other students
Increases the creativity of the teacher and
also planning skills
Gives the teacher an opportunity to observe
the students closely.
Positive Aspects of Group
Work
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Creates division of labor among the
group members
Increases cooperation
Encourages students to do research
Everyone has a chance to speak.
Challenges of Group Work
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Might not be used all the time
Some students might remain passive
Individual accountability
Physical set-up of the class. The
chairs are not movable in the class
The class hours are not sufficient
Timing; the students might not finish
the work on time.
Challenges of Group Work
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Noise, classroom management problems
Not applicable for every class and subject
matter
Large classes
Size of the class
Group work is not enough by itself and it
should be supported with the other
methodologies for effective instruction.
Suggestions
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Forming the groups properly based on the
students’ levels and abilities;
Heterogeneous grouping is recommended.
Topics to be covered during group work
should meet the needs and interests of the
students
Small size of the class (More than 20
students would be a challenge)
Teachers need to plan carefully. More
planning and hard work are essential for
effective group work.