Cooperative Learning 1

“Cooperative learning is the most extensively researched educational innovation of all

time and the results are clear: Cooperative learning promotes higher achievement than

competitive and individualistic learning structures across all age levels, subject areas and almost

all tasks” (Kagan, p. 3:1).

This learning approach or teaching strategy utilizes specific methods for creating the correct

learning environment and from reviewing the definitions given by various researchers

(Slavin,1995, 2006; Burke 2002; Stenberg & Williams 2010), it is clear that cooperative learning

has special features which gives it its unique name and distinction among other grouping

structures. Therefore teachers are wrong to equate any form of getting students into groups with

cooperative learning and moreover to ignore the research which shows the correlation between

the essential components which promote learning and cooperative learning which creates high

academic achievement.

According to Moore (2012), “Cooperative learning is more than simply putting

students into groups. Cooperative learning generally requires that students work

together in mixed-ability groups in accomplishing a set of tasks. He further notes

that rewards to individual students are based on performance and accomplishment

of the team and the accountability of individual students for the whole group

builds an incentive for students to work together productively” (p. 358).

The aim of this paper is to discuss the cooperative learning strategy and to highlight three of its

essential components that have been proven to promote learning. These are Positive

Interdependence, Individual and Group Accountability and Interpersonal and Small Group Skills.

Cooperative learning teaches students how to learn together. It uses a mix of students

varying in academic levels, gender, age, skills etc. and focuses on small numbers within a group
Cooperative Learning 2

with which to work and accomplish to particular goal. Use of the strategy incorporates other

aspects besides the instructional needs. It also plays a pivotal role in shaping behaviour and

developing social and group skills. Burke (2002) denotes that “its aim is a unique approach to

instruction where the teacher forms a cooperative classroom which would foster high academic

achievement for all students”.

This learning strategy is underpinned by the constructivist approach to learning. This approach

suggests that learners must discover or create their own knowledge. According to Slavin (2006),

“teachers cannot simply give students knowledge. Students must construct knowledge in their

own minds. The teacher can facilitate this process by teaching in ways that make information

meaningful and relevant to students, by giving students opportunities to discover or apply ideas

themselves, and by teaching students to be aware of and consciously use their own strategies for

learning” (p.243).

This constructivist view therefore highlights the need for an active classroom where the teacher

is not the focus but where if offers a child-centered approach. Therefore in this type of

classroom, group activities are essential as it allows students to achieve the above mentioned

skills.

In a student-centered classroom, the teacher becomes the “guide on the side” instead of the “sage

on the stage”. His/her key role is to assist students in discovering their own meaning rather than

lecturing and controlling all classroom activities (Slavin 2006). This approach can be

categorized as Indirect Instruction.

Through researching and experimenting with various types of grouping structures,

Coleman (1959) suggests that schools should introduce a more collaborative approach to

teaching which is essentially linked to the constructivist theory. Robert Slavin (1994) built on
Cooperative Learning 3

the work of Coleman and conducted lots of research and contributed significantly to providing

essential information in this area. He confirmed that “there is no doubt that collaborative or

cooperative learning is a great way of building and teaching students.”

A major concept for this type of learning is that students work together in small groups on a

goal-oriented task where everyone needs to actively participate to ensure that all members

perform their duties since the success of the team depends on the group work as well as

individual work.

Stenberg and Williams (2010) add that successful learners are active, goal directed, self-

regulating and assume personal responsibility for contributing to their own learning; learning can

be enhanced when the learner has an opportunity to interact and to collaborate with others on

instructional tasks.

Examples of the methods which can be utilized in the classroom include Circle the Sage, Jigsaw,

STAD (Student Teams-Achievement Divisions), Learning Together, Think-Pair-Share and

Three-Step-Interview. The Think-Pair-Share involves individuals brainstorming on a particular

concept, two individuals then pair up to share and discuss their knowledge, ideas and thoughts

and then the final step is reporting to either other pairs or the entire class. While the Jigsaw

involves each member obtaining information about a unique concept and then teaching that

knowledge to the group members.

Burke (2002), has highlighted various differences between regular learning

groups and cooperative groups which should serve to correct teachers’ way of thinking

on this issue. She notes that “traditional learning groups have no cooperative structure,

each student relies on him or herself, students are only responsible for themselves,

homogeneous groups are created, teacher grades product, group is evaluated without
Cooperative Learning 4

looking at individual efforts, one leader gets main role, social skills are assumed and not

explicitly taught, one goal and or task is learned at a time and groups break up when the

product/ task is finished. In comparison cooperative learning groups have a cooperative

structure, students rely on each other, members share responsibility for group,

heterogeneous groups are created (students with different characteristics are mixed and

matched), group looks back and processes its interactions and group work, individual

contribution to group goal is evaluated, roles are shares and mixed, social skills are

explicitly taught, teacher focuses on group interaction and higher-order thinking is woven

into every lesson” (p. ).

After evaluating the above the distinction is clear and one can easily recognize the tremendous

benefits which one stands to gain from incorporating a classroom environment with cooperative

learning groups.

In an effort to gain the benefits highlighted, the following indicates three key elements

that a teacher making use of the cooperative learning strategy in his/her classroom should ensure

are present.

The first element is Positive Interdependence. This can be seen as a way of thinking where

students understand and embrace the need to work together as a team in order to complete tasks

and recognize that one cannot succeed unless everyone succeeds. With this understanding, there

would be a great level of commitment on the part of group members to ensure that success is

achieved. The level of commitment would then extend and tap into other positive areas which

would allow the teacher to work in a classroom environment with highly motivated and
Cooperative Learning 5

cooperative students. Both of these factors on their own already contribute to learning taking

place.

This element involves five main aspects which can ensure the success of effective learning

experiences and positive outcomes for students. The first relates to Goal Interdependence and is

centered on establishing specific goals which are attainable and measurable. Ideally setting goals

allow for purposeful learning as everyone in the group is aware of what is to be done and

everyone works to achieve the required expectation through maximising his/her work potential.

Secondly, there is Reward Interdependence and of course this is significant because

everyone likes to be given something special at some point in time, as a means of raising their

motivational level and sense of contribution whereas for the teacher it relates to recognizing

achievement, good work and boosting self-esteem.

Hence providing rewards and incentives is the feature of this second aspect however in order

once again to ensure that cooperation is being achieved throughout and that each member pulls

their own weight, rewards and incentives are given only if each member of the team succeeds.

Therefore it has significant implications and also forces students to really work together and help

to develop and advance each other during each stage of their learning encounters.

The third element is Task Interdependence which is also critical to ensuring that positive

learning outcomes are being achieved in the classroom. This aspect empowers the students and

requires them to take charge of the task at task by dividing it into sections and then dividing the

workload among members accordingly. This helps to ensure that the overall goal is being

achieved and keeps the members productive once they know that they are responsible for a

particular aspect which contributes to the group’s success.

Cooperative Learning 6

This aspect leads me to Role Interdependence which is the fourth aspect. It advocates

specifically assigning roles and responsibilities within the group which would guide the focus of

the group towards achieving its goals as well as to minimize conflict situations. Once each

member is aware of their purpose it enhances motivation and allows them to recognize the

significance of their contribution and support rather than one/two persons dominating and shared

learning is stifled. This aspect allows for increased learning opportunities as roles can be

switched for different learning tasks. Such roles include group leader, presenter, encourager,

summarizer, gatekeeper and recorder.

The final aspect is Resource Interdependence. This involves sharing of not only physical

materials but also the knowledge and skills which each unique person brings to the group. Here

we can see how it can greatly enhance the development of the students in their learning

experiences, build lasting relationships and improve work attitude, thus strengthening self-

esteem and the overall classroom climate.

This first element identified has many implications for the teacher in the classroom. First

of all he/she takes on the role of facilitator and is therefore not pinned down to researching and

providing/lecturing to give students all the information which they require. Rather he/she sets up

the groups, provide the information and allow the students creativity, communication,

cooperation, critical thinking and problem-solving skills to go to work and flourish.

The students are the ones who are responsible for their individual learning and those of their

team members. Through this their knowledge base increases as a result of discovery and

communication. This element can aid with classroom management and instruction as students

would be focused on achieving the task at hand to gain new knowledge rather than to be

distracted and engage in appropriate behaviour. Additionally this aspect is easy for the teacher to
Cooperative Learning 7

utilize when looking to curb any misbehaviours into positive learning experiences. With time

being a critical issue, student learning time can be maximised with this type of element. Another

consideration is the assistance it offers the teacher whereby students work and support each other

in the whole process of researching and adding to their schema.

Essentially these factors can positively impact on academic goals, student progress at varying

academic levels and of course learning outcomes.

The second important element is Individual and Group Accountability. This is

significant because a team is as strong as its weakest link hence each member’s contribution is

critical to the overall accomplishment of goals, effective learning and group success. Each

member of the group assumes personal and group responsibilities and is required to perform at

his/her fullest potential. With this element the groups should be small and puts greater weight on

student participation and involvement. This would therefore force students to go beyond the

basics and encourage them to gain and develop additional knowledge and skills which would aid

their learning experiences.

Each individual within the group is assessed for the quality and quantity of their contribution and

the feedback is provided to the group. Therefore it does not favour those students who like to do

no work and then wish to gain high recognition and receive praise. The teacher plays a key role

in this element, as weaknesses are identified and the subsequent evaluation allows for the support

and encouragement to the individuals and the group as a whole.

This element can assist in moving students along the continuum to demonstrate progress while

keeping motivation and self-esteem intact. It also helps the teacher in achieving a classroom

climate where the students become more active and engaged in their learning because of course

each person wants to do their task and contribute to the group so that they can be successful, so
Cooperative Learning 8

this lends to some healthy competition. This also contributes to a love for school and learning

and essentially high academic achievement by all students of varying abilities due to the support

structures in place. Structures in the form of the group working together to discover, share and

discuss information/knowledge and the teacher who provides the required assistance to students

to ensure that all the team members are learning and not only one or two out of the group

because they may make large contributions.

The final element is referred to as Interpersonal and Small Group skills. This offers

students a chance to learn about their classmates in terms of likes, dislikes, culture, race, skills

etc., so that they know a little about whom they have to interact with. Additionally students learn

and develop interpersonal skills which will guide them through school and beyond. These skills

include respect for others and property, leadership, conflict resolution, effective communication,

decision-making, trust and compromise. These skills are the foundation upon which each group

will develop, work and succeed. They determine how the team will interact, cooperate, help and

support each other, improve the classroom environment, be motivated, exhibit learning

behaviours and obtain academic achievements.

Therefore the teacher’s role is vital in this process whereby he/she is required to actively

teach and engage students in learning opportunities whereby they use and practice these skills on

a daily basis. In addition, the teacher must monitor and provide feedback to the students. For a

cooperative group to be effective, each member must be able to honour each person’s

values/beliefs, communicate effectively with each other, support and strengthen each other’s

weaknesses and be able to manage conflict and establish reasonable resolutions.

This works well for students who need the interaction with peers for learning to take place.
Cooperative Learning 9

Once these skills are mastered long lasting relationships can be built which would promote

learning and this would be a teacher’s dream for the classroom.

This type of classroom environment would promote exciting learning opportunities where

students would be eager and highly motivated to work together and cooperate with each other

towards their academic progress and success. Ideally it fosters the learning acceptance and

achievement of all. Moreover it increases student and teacher learning and teaching time and

reduces the teacher’s responsibility as it relates to negative behavioural issues.

In conclusion it should be noted that cooperative learning is an excellent strategy for

promoting learning within the classroom and towards achieving successful academic results. It

embraces a child-centered environment which empowers the students to be active participants in

their learning. It is important for the teacher not to just place students in groups in any form but

for them to utilize the specific methods given and carefully select students based on their

background knowledge and experiences (varying abilities). He/she must also devote time to

explaining to the students what is expected of them in the group setting, provide clear goals and

objectives, plan exciting activities, support the students throughout the learning activity and

monitor, evaluate and provide feedback on student progress, group work and social skills.

It has been proven that cooperative learning increases students’ academic performance and

improves social skills which are classroom goals for the teacher (Johnson & Johnson, 1981;

Slavin, Hurley & Chamberlain, 2003). It is also important to note how its methods allow low

performers to move along the continuum to become high flyers and its positive impact on student

behaviour, student’s time on task and self-esteem.

Cooperative Learning 10