WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING

by:

Rose Angela M. Uligan

22 Dulig, Labrador, Pangasinan

Cooperative learning is a teaching approach with small mixed groups, will the
aim that all participants benefit from the interaction. There is a substantial amount of
literature methods and techniques which consider such factors as group ability,
success and the awarding of this success. According to Slavin (1988) cooperative
learning covers learning methods in which students work in small groups (generally 4-
6 students) and group success is awarded in different ways. Both group rewards and
individual accountability are necessary for cooperative methods to be most effective.
Group rewards with individual accountability means that each individual is rewarded
only when others in his or her group also succeed, which prevents high achievers from
dominating the work. Thus, cooperative group work that incorporates both group
rewards and individual accountability not only forces students to take responsibility
for their own mastery of the material, but also makes the students responsible for
their classmates’ mastery.

The main aim of cooperative learning is to install the mentality that the group is
working together to increase their own and their friends learning to the top level and
not to encourage competition. Competition adopts a win-lose situation where superior
students win all the rewards and recognition while low-achieving students are left
demotivated with nothing to show for the lesson. In contrast everyone benefits from a
cooperative learning environment. Students help each other and in doing so build a
supportive community which raises the performance level of each member (Kagan
1986) and this in turn leads to higher self-esteem in all students. Each member of the
group should help all the other members to learn. (Reeve, 1996) believes there are
psychosocial benefits to be gain when students work together. According to Reeves
students can be increasing engaged and find significant enjoyment when social
interaction is integrated into their learning experience. In order to carry out
cooperative learning successfully, the group must have a purpose, and all the
students in the group should undertake responsibility to achieve the aim of the group.
In this approach, students should combine their own efforts with those of their friends
in the group because the essence of this approach is “either we swim together or we
sink together”. No matter what his/her success level is, every student should believe
that he does what he can to contribute to the success of the group. Every group
member should be aware of the concept of commitment of aim and commitment of
success. “In this method, the group members should be in face to face interaction.
This interaction is obtain by helping each other, giving feedback, relying on each
other, discussing and encouraging each other” ( Johnson and Johnson, 1989). For
communication and social skills, students should be taught the required small group
skills and interpersonal skills. Such as leadership, decision making, trustworthiness,
communicating and resolving conflict skills. If these skills are not present in the
student, cooperative study cannot be achieved. Also, no matter what level the
students’ ability and competence levels are, their contributions to the group should be
appreciated. Students should be given the opportunity to show themselves at the
subject they are good at. Slavin (1992) emphasizes that “Students will learn from one
another because in their discussions of the content, cognitive conflicts will arise,
inadequate reasoning will be exposed, disequilibrium will occur, and higher quality
understandings will emerge”.