Collaboration As An Essential Skill Among Junior Highschool Students Final

Almond Academy Foundation Inc.
Chapter 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND
Introduction
Collaboration is an increasingly important skill in the 21st century,
especially among high school students. Today's rapidly changing world is
characterized by complex global challenges that requires diverse
perspectives, innovative solutions and effective teamwork. This research
report examines research into collaboration as an essential skill for high
school students, its benefits, challenges, and best practices.
This research will reveal its many benefits and potential challenges.
Researchers will find the collaborative work fosters student engagement,
knowledge acquisition and retention, and improve creativity and problem-
solving skills. It will also foster important social and emotional skills such
as communication, teamwork and conflict resolution. A collaborative
learning environment also enables deeper learning, more critical thinking,
and improved academic performance. Highschool students who’s working

with their peers improve communication skills, build social skills,
encourage creativity, and build confidence.
This allows students to share their perspectives and ideas, receive
feedback, and actively listen to each other. Through collaborative learning,
students learn to read body language, negotiate disagreements, make
decisions together, and become part of a successful team. When students
develop the skills to work with other students, they are well prepared to
succeed in today's fast-paced, competitive world. It can bring certain
challenges, such as unequal distribution of workload, social loafing and
potential conflict. Similarly, group dynamics can present additional
challenges that go against the goals of productive collaboration, such as
peer pressure, competition among members, lack of trust and respect.
Overcoming these challenges requires careful planning, clear
direction, and constant monitoring and feedback. This includes providing
resources and providing opportunities for structured reflection and
evaluation. This research will highlight the importance of collaboration as
an essential skill for high school students. While there are many benefits
to working together, there are also some potential challenges to consider.
By enforcing collaboration best practices and providing support to
overcome potential problems.
Background of the Study

Collaboration has become an essential skill in today's fast-paced
and interconnected world. The ability to work effectively with others in a
team is essential not only in the workplace but also in daily life. High
school students, who are at a crucial stage of their academic and personal
development, need to learn collaborative skills to prepare them for future
challenges.
While collaborative learning has been widely studied in educational
research, there is still a need for more research to explore the factors that
contribute to successful collaboration among high school students.
Specifically, there is a need to investigate how collaborative learning can
be integrated into the curriculum as an essential skill, and how it can
improve students' academic and character performance.
The present study aims to address these gaps in the literature by
examining the impact of collaborative learning on high school students'
academic and character performance. It also seeks to identify the
challenges and opportunities in integrating collaborative learning into the
curriculum as an essential skill. The findings of this study could provide
valuable insights for educators and policymakers in developing effective
strategies to promote collaboration among high school students.

Theoretical Framework
(Figure 1. A perspective of Vygotsky's Collaborative Learning Theory (1934))
Collaborative learning theory is the process by which a group (or
groups of people) of individuals learn from each other by working together
to solve problems, complete tasks, develop products, or share ideas. This
theory is rooted in Lev Vygotsky's (1934) theory of social development and
the study of proximal developmental zones, emphasizing the importance
of communication and social interaction in learning.

As Lev Vygotsky (1934) quoted on social learning theory, he
believes that community is an important factor in the process of generating
meaning and knowledge. Vygotsky's theory approaches learning from a
sociocultural perspective, arguing that individual development cannot
occur without information from social and cultural contexts. He suggested
that language plays an important role in the development of thinking and
that conversations with more knowledgeable people facilitate
understanding and perception. An important aspect of Vygotsky's theory of
social learning is the zone of proximal development. The idea is that if you
imagine what a person can and cannot do as zones, there is a third zone
between those zones, known as the zone of proximal development.
This is something one can learn, but it requires guidance. In this
zone, you will find new skills in your development process. People learn
skills they can find in the nearest development zone when they have
access to others to teach them. A knowledgeable other is someone who
already has the knowledge or experience that the learner is seeking. It
could be a parent, teacher, or older adult, but could just as easily become
a companion, and get important information. Vygotsky named the
collaborative dialogue because learners seek knowledge, internalize
information provided by more knowledgeable others, and use that

information to guide their actions. Others, who are more experienced,
allow learners to operate within zones of proximal development.
Statement of the Problem
Collaboration is a vital skill that high school students must learn, as
it is essential in many aspects of their academic and personal lives.
However, there seems to be a lack of emphasis on collaboration skills in
the current high school curriculum, leading to difficulties for students in
college or in the workforce. The problem is that many high school students
lack the necessary collaboration skills, which may hinder their future
success.
Specially, this study will be carried out to answer the following
questions:
1.What are the benefits and challenges of using collaborative learning in
the classroom?
2.How can collaborative learning improve student’s academic
performance?
3.How can collaborative learning be integrated into the curriculum as an
essential skill?
4.Does collaborative learning have a positive impact on students'
academic achievement? How?

5.How can collaborative learning be used to develop positive character
traits in high school students?
Scope and Limitations of the Study
This study focuses on collaboration among high school students as
a crucial skill for both academic and moral success. The Almond Academy
Foundation Incorporated, which is headquartered in San Fernando, Sto.
Tomas, Batangas, has chosen twenty (20) from Grade 7 to 10 students to
participate in the research study. The study’s findings will help students
and teachers have more efficient and successful learning experiences.
Participants will be able to discuss their experiences with collaboration in
the classroom as part of this study.
Only a small subset of participants the researchers’ chosen
representatives are included in this study. In summary, collaborative
learning affects a person’s academic and moral behavior depending on
who they cooperate with and how they interact with them.
Significance of the Study
This study will considerably improve the understanding of students,
teachers, and future researchers. Students benefit from an inquiry-based,
positive, social, contextual, and engaging classroom environment that
promotes deeper learning. One of the numerous advantages of
collaborative learning is the development of spoken communication, self-

management, and leadership abilities. Topic presentations in group
projects can develop knowledge and improve social and interpersonal
skills.
To the students, this will help to understand the importance of
collaboration and will allow students to share their knowledge and
expertise, learn from each other, and develop a deeper understanding of
the concepts being taught.
To the teachers, this will help to promote active engagement and
reduces students' disengagement and boredom.
To the future researchers, this will contribute to the development
of new insights and strategies promoting collaboration in education.
To the school community, this will help encourage the
collaboration to solve challenges, places an emphasis on honest
communication, and provides people with numerous opportunity to both
learn from and teach others.

Chapter 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURES AND STUDY
This chapter reviews the related literature and studies after a
thorough and in-depth search done by the researchers. This will also
present the synthesis to fully understand the relevance of each variable on
the research done. The literature and studies cited tackle the different
concepts, understanding, ideas, generalizations or conclusions related to
the collaboration is an essential skill among high school students which
served as the researchers guide in developing the study. These will help
to familiarize information relevant and similar to this study.
Collaborative Learning
According to O’Donnell and Hmelo-Silver (2013), the research on
collaborative learning is spread across a variety of literatures, including
social, cognitive, developmental, educational psychology, instructional
design, the learning sciences, educational technology, sociocultural
research, social psychology, sociology, and computer-supported
collaborative learning. Collaborative learning has become an increasingly
significant component of education. Researchers and practitioners may

not always read outside of their respective disciplines, despite the overlap
between various topics. There is a need for an interdisciplinary research
agenda with exchange of theoretical and methodological views as the field
of collaborative learning research continues to grow.
According to Laal (2013), the foundational components of a
collaborative practice are reviewed in this article. A teaching strategy
known as collaborative learning involves having students of different ability
levels work together in small groups to achieve a common objective. For a
learning process to be considered collaborative, certain prerequisites must
be met. These prerequisites include positive interdependence, substantial
interaction, individual accountability, and social skills. Positive
interdependence is the obligation to rely on one another to achieve the
common goal. Considerable interaction is when members support and
encourage one another’s learning.
According to Laal, Geranpaye and Daemi (2013), the phrase
"collaborative learning" describes a teaching strategy in which students
cooperate in small groups to accomplish a common objective. In order to
avoid free riders or social loafers, individual accountability is essential as a
structural component of collaboration. The idea of individual accountability
holds everyone responsible for their performance and learning. Individual
accountability happens when each person's performance is evaluated, the

results are shared with the group and the individual, and those who need
more help and support in their learning are identified.
In the study of Malmberg, Järvelä, Holappa, Haataja, Huang, and
Siopao (2019), technology advancements have produced data-capturing
tools that enable the identification of certain collaborative learning
processes in-depth. The purpose of this study was to investigate the types
of interactions and learning regulation that occur during various stages of
collaborative learning progress using multichannel data, including
physiological data, video observations, and facial recognition data. The
majority of the cooperative engagement took place at a low level during
simultaneous arousal, and regulated learning was not seen. The signs of
regulated learning were evident during high-level interactions, whereas
monitoring activities were present during confused interactions. The
objective measurement of social interaction and controlled learning in
collaborative environments has advanced with the help of this work.
In the study of Falcione, Campbell, McCollum, Chamberlain,
Marcias, Morsch, and Pinder (2019), collaborative learning entails an
interdependence between individual and group success, necessitating
both personal preparation and teamwork. Asynchronous work, in
conjunction with group interaction and problem solving, distinguishes
collaborative learning from other interactive teaching methods. In this

study, three professors and five student participants each reflected on a
successful collaborative learning experience in the past. Thematic
analysis was used to code reflections. The following themes emerged
from participant descriptions of successful collaborative learning: (a)
familiarity with collaborative learning, (b) relationships, (c) benefits, (d)
motivations, and (e) design and process. Furthermore, a phenomenon
graphic theoretical framework revealed that a participant's prior
experiences resulted in significant variation in what characteristics they
described as promoting success in collaborative learning. This variation
can be caused by previous experiences. Past experiences, such as
education theory training, involvement in and familiarity with related
research, one’s role, prior experience with collaborative learning as a
student, and encouragement from one’s professor prior to participation in
collaborative learning, can all contribute to this variation.
According to Baker (2015), in order to comprehend the processes
of co-elaboration of meaning and knowledge, this study presents a
theorization of collaborative activity that was established in the research
area known as “collaborative learning.” Collaboration is characterized as
an ongoing, coordinated effort to develop a “joint issue space” of shared
representations of the problem to be solved, as opposed to collaboration,
coordination, and collective activity. In terms of inter-discursive operations,

a method for analyzing the co-construction of a shared problem space is
described, along with methods for defining various types of cooperative
activity. Finally, the distinctiveness of this definition of collaboration is
examined in regard to other academic disciplines.
In the study of Love, Dietrich, Fitzgerald, and Gordon (2014), the
academic program of Wagner College places a strong emphasis on
interdisciplinary study, hands-on learning, and theoretical and practical
thinking. Abundant options in New York City complement the curriculum.
Students enroll in three learning communities during their undergraduate
studies, two of which incorporate reflective writing and experiential
learning. In order to benefit from the social and intellectual dynamics
produced in learning communities and to add another dimension to
students' reflection, many learning communities use student groups.
Students have the opportunity to consider their own perspectives,
presumptions, and newly acquired knowledge while working in groups.
Students’ Essential Skills
In the study of Morze, Varchenko, and Smyrnova-Trybulska (2015),
the focus of their paper is on the analysis of strategies for developing
students’ teamwork abilities through the use of information and
communication technology. The authors identify successful student
collaboration throughout academic endeavors as one of the 21st-century

talents. The primary responsibility in organizing student collaboration is to
define the everyone-shared goal of the learning process and to establish a
clear division of labor for tasks and problem-solving. The concept of
student e-collaboration is looked at separately, and its various
components and forms are outlined.
According to Poth (2018), social learning theory explains how
people can learn in different social contexts and how creating a more
active learning community can positively impact a learner’s ability and help
meet individual learner goals. In order to create the best opportunities for
students to collaborate, teachers need to consider what the purpose is of
designing a more collaborative and interactive learning environment. Part
of the consideration should be on how we can help students to build their
social-emotional learning skills, to develop communicative abilities as well
as to work as part of a collaborative team, that promotes discussion,
interaction and problem-solving. There are many ways to create different
activities in the classroom that can help students to practice in more
authentic ways, and also build confidence and social networks for
learning.
According to Papathanasiou, Kleisiaris, Fradelos, Kakou and
Kourkouta (2014), the mental process of actively and carefully perceiving,
analysing, synthesizing, and evaluating information gathered through

observation, experience, and conversation that results in a decision for
action is known as critical thinking. Critical thinking and its importance in
routine clinical nursing practice are frequently discussed in nursing
education. Clinical nursing teachers are aware that making judgments for
clinical practice can be challenging for students. The critical analysis,
introductory and concluding justification, valid conclusion, differentiation of
facts and opinions, assessment of the reliability of information sources,
clarification of concepts, and recognition of conditions are the main critical
thinking skills that nursing students should practice throughout their
studies. It takes a certain set of actions to improve critical thinking.
Nursing students should cultivate independence of thought, impartiality,
perspicacity on a personal and societal level, humility, spiritual courage,
honesty, perseverance, self-confidence, interest in research, and curiosity
in order to acquire and use critical thinking. The ability to think critically is
crucial for safe, effective, and skilled nursing practice. The nursing
education programs ought to incorporate dispositions that encourage
critical thinking and make use of critical reasoning abilities.
According to Benore, Sumter, Caldwell, and Bell (2013), students
of biochemistry and molecular biology (BMB) should be able to show that
they understand the discipline’s fundamental ideas and have the abilities
necessary to work as professionals. Groups of BMB educators gathered in

a number of focused workshops to explore the expectations with the
ultimate goal of clearly describing the abilities required in order to
determine the competencies that should be required. The outcomes of
these debates demonstrate how crucial it is to have experimental,
mathematical, and interpersonal abilities including cooperation, teamwork,
safety, and ethics. The capacity to convey findings to a variety of
audiences, data interpretation and analysis, and experimental design were
also deemed key skills by the groups.
In the study of Ahonen and Kinnunen (2014), frameworks for 21st-
century skills now play a major part in curricular modifications and school
development around the globe. The necessity of meta-skills like logic,
problem-solving, teamwork, and self-control is widely acknowledged. The
students’ free replies and the mentioned frameworks both placed social
skills and teamwork at the top. As might have been expected, the boys
appreciated technical skills more, while the girls ranked social skills more
highly.
According to Fahmi, Setiadi, Elmawati, And Sunardi (2019),
teachers must also impart skills to students in addition to information.
Critical thinking abilities are among those in demand today, where pupils
are able to solve problems and recall what they are, how to solve them,
and what can happen as a result. If students are taught how to conduct
research starting with basic stages to obtain a conclusion or knowledge,
classroom learning will be engaging and capable of developing critical
thinking skills. Departing from this, the concept of discovery, which serves
as the foundation for the approach to develop students’ critical thinking
skills, plays a significant role in learning utilizing the method of discovery
learning.
Collaborative Learning as Essential Skills
In the study of Chapman, Glasbey, Khatri, Kelly, Nepogodeiv,
Bhangu and Fitzgerald (2015), it can be challenging for medical students
to participate in extracurricular research and audit. A brand-new, national
research collaboration headed by students, the Student Audit and
Research in Surgery (STARSurg) network. In helping national clinical
studies and learning about audit and research methods and ethical
standards, student contributors provide data. The purpose of this study
was to assess how involvement affected education.
According to Mundelsee and Jurkowski (2021), the TPS (think-pair-
share) is a teaching method that aims to enhance classroom engagement,
particularly among introverted pupils. After reflecting independently,
students talk to their seatmate to share their ideas before raising their
hand to indicate that they are willing to engage in class. Although they
raised their hands less frequently than their outgoing peers and expressed
social anxiety, shy pupils nonetheless benefited from TPS. These findings
highlight the value of peer cooperation for active participation in class. Shy
students expressed social anxiety and raised their hands less frequently
than their outgoing peers, but they also benefited from TPS. These
findings highlight how crucial peer cooperation is to classroom
involvement.
In the study of Lawrence and Jefferson (2015), a classroom
atmosphere that meets the literacy demands of young adolescents can be
developed by collaboration among and between a teacher and students,
but students must be active participants in the learning process. Teachers
can also encourage active learning by evaluating the ways in which they
are incorporating pertinent, difficult, and integrative learning experiences
and by taking into account students' requirements as they implement the
curriculum. The literacy practices that pupils come across much too
frequently disenfranchise them, especially in many middle schools.
Although teenagers bring past knowledge and reading abilities to the
classroom, the demands of standardized state exams have clouded
instructors' understanding of what it means to know and be literate in the
21st century. School literacy is frequently characterized by standardized
literacy tests in the current environment of high stakes testing; the majority
of state exams demand that students demonstrate mastery in a particular

range of writing assignments and reading materials. Stakeholders that
frequently examine educational procedures help guarantee that instructors
and students are following requirements in today’s atmosphere of
heightened accountability for schools and teachers.
In the study of Sipayung, Abdullah, Rhamatsyah, and Bunawan,
(2018), it compares the collaborative inquiry learning model to traditional
learning to see how it affects students’ ability to collaborate, communicate,
think critically, and be creative. The study’s variables included
collaborative inquiry models as an independent variable and 4C skills as a
dependent variable. T-test was used to assess the data. The findings
demonstrated that the collaborative inquiry learning methodology
outperformed traditional study in terms of helping students learn physics
4C’s impulse, momentum, and collisions material. Student success is a
result of the learning process of collaborative inquiry, which teaches
students how to reorganize knowledge through group reflection and
analysis, reconstruct knowledge through collaborative action, and build
knowledge together through experience. During the course of the
investigation, students learn to use a variety of resources, implement
various strategies, and use their skills to do so.
In the study of D’Agostino Children and Schools (2013), essential
collaboration skills are introduced in the formal academic training that

MSW students receive and are a cornerstone of social work practice.
Collaboration is defined as “a relational system in which two or more
stakeholders pool together resources in order to meet objectives that
neither could meet individually”. Collaboration is essential to identifying
and prioritizing unmet needs and determining evidence-based strategies
to implement. Although collaboration has been a common word in school-
based and other types of social work, changing realities in funding,
legislation, and conceptual frameworks for optimal educational learning
environments have created a new emphasis on this skill.
In the study of Griffiths, Alsip, Hart, Round, and Brady (2021),
effective collaboration is associated with positive outcomes for students
and is a key component of equitable educational opportunities. There are
challenges to effective collaboration, however, as our understanding of it
differs based on the various definitions in the literature. The purpose of
this systematic review is to identify the common constructs across
definitions of collaboration as a means to develop a universal model that
can be used in the schools. Through the development of a “building
blocks” framework, we provide a common definition and identify the steps
that must be taken before true collaboration can occur. This model
highlights the iterative nature of the collaborative process and the

importance of revisiting the foundational aspects of collaborative
development.
Collaborative Learning in Improving Students’ Academic
Performance
In his study, Ghavifekr (2020), students must participate actively in
the learning process in order to succeed in 21st-century education. As a
result, in addition to planning for students’ academic success, it is
necessary to help them develop their desired abilities, like communication
and social interaction. In this sense, collaborative learning is crucial for
helping students improve their social interaction abilities. The purpose of
this study is to determine how students feel about the use of collaborative
learning in the classroom. Also, in order to examine the association
between collaborative learning and certain demographic aspects, such
gender and family background, this research assesses students’ grasp of,
knowledge of, and attitudes toward it. One hundred secondary school
pupils in Klang, Malaysia each received a survey questionnaire at random.
The findings indicate that students like group projects over solo ones. As a
result, collaborative learning has a big impact on how well pupils can
engage with others. Students think that collaborative learning fosters
teamwork and improves socializing among participants.

In the study of Brame (2023), group projects are frequently used by
professors from many university departments to improve their students’
learning. Instructors frequently use small group work to take use of the
advantages of peer-to-peer instruction, whether the objective is to improve
student understanding of the topic, to develop certain transferable skills, or
some mix of the two. Positive interdependence, which arises from
students’ perceptions that improved individual performance leads to
improved group performance, characterizes cooperative learning. In order
to optimize student involvement and learning, it may be formal or casual
but frequently involves particular instructor intervention. One of the best
teaching strategies accessible to college professors is infinitely adjustable,
operating in both small and big classrooms and across disciplines.
In the study of Rafique, Khan, Jamal, Tasadduq, Rustam, Lee,
Washington and Ashraf (2022), the main goal of this study is to create a
system that can forecast student performance and assist teachers in
introducing corrective interventions at the right moment to improve the
performance of underperforming students. This study also investigates the
possibility of using collaborative learning as an intervention to boost
student performance when used in conjunction with the prediction system.
The results indicate that experimental groups performed better after
treatment than they did before treatment. A visualization system is also

developed to support such changes. It tracks and monitors student
performance, group performance, and class performance to assist
teachers in regrouping students according to performance. Students who
prepared for and turned in their assignments on time outperform other
students by a wide margin.
According to Qureshi, Khaskheli, Qureshi, Raza and Yousufi
(2021), their goal has led to an investigation into how social elements
affect collaborative learning and engagement, which will impact students’
academic success. The study examined whether collaborative learning
and engagement serve as a mediator in the relationship between social
factors and students’ academic performance as well as the capacity of
social factors for fostering collaborative learning and engagement. The
student’s learning behavior has been observed using constructivism
theory. Students at universities filled out questionnaires to provide the
data. The results also support the use of twofold mediation in this
investigation. The use of online learning should be encouraged in teaching
and learning in higher educational institutions because it affects students’
academic development. It has been determined that collaborative learning
in general and engagement with social factors improve student learning
activities.
According to Bhowmik (2016), collaborative learning refers to a
teaching strategy in which a few diverse student groups cooperate to
complete a task. Students or peers are supported and encouraged to take
on more responsibility for their own learning. They also use group-related
social skills and self-evaluation to assess their own progress. Positive
interdependence, equitable opportunity, and personal responsibility are
recurrent themes. Therefore, it means that using collaborative learning
groups as a teaching strategy in schools would make sense.
Collaborative Learning in Improving Students’ Character
Performance
In her study Ning (2013), concentrated on how cooperative learning
affected the social skills of English as a Foreign Language(EFL) tertiary
students in her study. Two classes of students from a university in the
north of China were the participants; they were chosen at random. For the
comparison of the effects of the cooperative learning approach with that of
traditional whole-class instruction on 8 aspects of social skills, including
self-confidence, sense of cohesion, initiative in socialization, being
positive, checking for understanding, equal participation and
accountability, acceptance and empathy, and conflict management, a
pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental design was used.
According to the research, cooperative learning significantly improves

students’ social skills in general, and particularly their ability to participate
equally and take responsibility.
In the study of Herrera-Pavo (2021), higher education has a lot of
promise for collaborative learning since it encourages the creation of
knowledge together and the growth of interactional skills that lead to more
crucial learning processes. This study investigates how a pedagogical
model for online higher education can incorporate this type of learning
based on a conceptual review of the topic and three real-world examples.
It also considers the implications of this integration. The study’s findings
emphasize the importance of careful planning, the creation of collaborative
groups that can function effectively, the relevance of student practices
related to regular technology use, the transformation of the teaching role,
and student autonomy in the management of their own learning.
In the study of Polat, Sezer, and Akyol (2022), the goal of the
preschool social process is to assist children develop social skills that will
help them fit in at school and prepare them for life in general. Children's
interactions with one another are aided by cooperative education
approaches for the development of social skills. The development of
children's social skills and peer relationships depends on the use of
innovative group work techniques that incorporate cooperation into the
activities. The Social Skills Assessment Scale used as the instrument for
data collection in the research’s data-collection technique was the Social
Skills Assessment Scale. By producing one mind map every week,
students engaged in five large group mind mapping exercises and
nineteen small group exercises. The study came to the conclusion that
toddlers’ social skill development is impacted by mind mapping exercises
linked to social skills.
According to England, Nagel, and Salter (2019), managers now
place a strong emphasis on the value of soft interpersonal skills for
commercial success. The authors offer a collaborative active learning
method for teaching students the fundamental soft skills that are required
in the majority of occupations. Although there are initial beginning costs for
the instructor, the students quickly benefit much from this effort. According
to the authors’ method, a real-world problem that develops from the use of
technical abilities in an exercise leads to the requirement for soft skills.
Students must master soft skills because decisions must be made. In the
real world, students finally put their soft talents to use.
In the study of Bergamin, Werlen and Bochud (2017), research
from the past demonstrates that scaffolding is a successful strategy to
promote learning in technologically enhanced learning environments that
involve self-regulation. Their research examines the possibility of
employing a scaffold while collaborating with a partner to complete a

multiple-choice test in an online learning environment. In a scaffolding
sequence, individuals collaborated in pairs. Then, the results of both solo
and collaborative learning were evaluated and contrasted. The results
show that learners who learned in a collaborative learning situation
outperformed those who learned individually. Results indicate that
performance was influenced by three connected variables, including
mental effort, task difficulty, and motivation.
Synthesis
The researchers were compelled to investigate this topic for a
research study because of the parallels in the conclusions and ideas of all
relevant literature and studies with reference to collaborative learning.
Rafique et al, Qureshi et al, and Ghavifekr agreed that these boost the
students' learning performance and behavior that helps them develop their
desired abilities, such as communication skills and social interactions.
In terms of collaborative learning methods, Laal, Geranpaye et al,

Falcione et al, and Brame described that the teachers use a strategy in
which students collaborate in small groups to accomplish tasks with
teamwork. These then show positive interdependence and social skills
improvement that elevates the person's performance in class, as well as
their character behavior.
In supporting the connection of collaborative learning that involves

self-improvement, Poth, Love et al, Sipayung et al, Ghavifekr, Bhowmik,
Polat et al, and Ning agreed that collaborative learning enhances the
student's skills such as communication and social skills development.
They also agreed that, this trains them and it can be helpful for the student
in the future.
Due to the similarities in the findings and theories of all the related
literature and studies addressing how to boost one another's performance
in class, researchers choose to focus on this topic for their research study.
Rafique et al, Mundelsee & Jurkowski, Lawrence & Jefferson, and Laal's
studies all said that each member of the group in class encourages one
another's learning and helps enhance each other's understanding.
The parallels in the results and concepts of all the related literature
and studies with regard to essential skills compelled the researchers to
pursue this topic for a research study. Papathanasiou et al, and Fahmi et
al, both focused on the skill of the student's regarding on critical thinking,
that is mainly to analyze and evaluate information to form accurate
judgement.
The researchers were prompted to investigate this topic for a

research study due to the similarities in the findings and notions of all
relevant literature and studies with relation to essential abilities. Ahonen &
Kinnunen, Bhowmik, Polat et al and Ning focused on the essential skills of
students that involves social skills, which is the ability to interact and
communicate effectively with other people.
Chapter 3
Research Methodology
This chapter presents the methods to be used by the researchers in
gathering data. It includes the research design, respondents of the study,
research instrument, data gathering procedure, data analysis, and ethical
consideration.
Research Design
The research design will be qualitative in nature, using a
phenomenological approach. The study will involve conducting semi-

structured interviews with junior high school students to gain an in-depth
understanding of their perceptions of collaboration as an essential skill
and the factors that contribute to its development.
Respondents of the Study
The respondents of this study will be the Junior high school
students from Almond Academy Foundation Incorporated (A.Y 2022 –
2023). We will be picking the top students of both grade levels and ask
them a few questions. We will see how collaboration helps them in their
academic practices and why they think collaboration is an essential skill.
Research Instrument
To acquire trustworthy and accurate information, the researchers
will conduct face-to-face interviews at Almond Academy Foundation
Incorporated. Five questions will be asked to the participants, and they will
respond based on their own experiences. Depending on how they
respond, follow-up questions might arise. The researchers will use a voice
recorder to capture each respondent's response to a question so they may
listen to it later and gain data for their research.
Data Gathering Procedure
Since all of the participants attended the same school, the
researchers' first task in gathering the required data was to obtain a letter
from the Almond Academy Foundation's principal. Because the study

needs a small number of participants due to the research design used, the
researchers will enlist the principal's assistance in choosing the
participants.
Following the completion of the targeted participants, the
researchers will explain the questions to be asked to each participant.
Additionally, all of their rights both during and after the interview will be
explained to them. Their answers, as well as the confidentiality of their
identity, will also be clarified and guaranteed.
The interview transcription procedure, which is a word-for-word
written copy of a filmed or recorded interview, will be used by the
researchers to assess the participant responses to the developed
interview guide questions. The approach will enable the researchers to
produce raw data.
Data Analysis
The researchers will ask about the opinions or experiences of the
students regarding how collaborative learning affects a person's moral and
academic behavior. As an interview transcription, which is a recorded
record of an oral interview or video interview, the researchers will analyze
and categorize the respondent's interview responses.
Using the Thematic Analysis, researchers will be able to identify,
analyze and interpret patterns of meaning within qualitative data. It is a

method of analysis using qualitative data set in an organize manner and
analyze it effectively to uncover hidden trends and other inferences based
on a criterion or a theme defined by the researchers.
Ethical Consideration
This text certifies that all the information that we gain from this
study will be used on improving students and how they learn and
collaborate. Students will have the right to privacy and their personal
information should be kept confidential. The students will also have the
right to turn down the interview if they want. However, before we ask any
questions we will inform them on what and where the information will be
used.
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Interview Guide Questions
Name (Optional):___________________________________________
Gender: ________________ Age: ________________
Directions: Read /Listen to each question carefully then answer
briefly and honestly.

Items Responses
1. What’s your perspective regarding the
benefits and challenges of using
collaborative learning in the classroom?
2. How might students’ academic
performance be enhanced by
collaborative learning?
3. What are the best ways to include

collaborative learning as a fundamental
ability in the curriculum?

4. Does the success of pupils in their

academics increase as a result of
collaborative learning? How?
5. How can students in high school

employ cooperative learning to foster
the development of positive character
traits?

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Almond Academy Foundation Inc.

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Collaboration is an increasingly important skill in the 21st century,

especially among high school students. Today's rapidly changing world is

characterized by complex global challenges that requires diverse

perspectives, innovative solutions and effective teamwork. This research

report examines research into collaboration as an essential skill for high

school students, its benefits, challenges, and best practices.

Researchers will find the collaborative work fosters student engagement,

knowledge acquisition and retention, and improve creativity and problem-

as communication, teamwork and conflict resolution. A collaborative

learning environment also enables deeper learning, more critical thinking,

and improved academic performance. Highschool students who’s working

encourage creativity, and build confidence.

This allows students to share their perspectives and ideas, receive

feedback, and actively listen to each other. Through collaborative learning,

students learn to read body language, negotiate disagreements, make

decisions together, and become part of a successful team. When students

succeed in today's fast-paced, competitive world. It can bring certain

challenges, such as unequal distribution of workload, social loafing and

potential conflict. Similarly, group dynamics can present additional

challenges that go against the goals of productive collaboration, such as

peer pressure, competition among members, lack of trust and respect.

Overcoming these challenges requires careful planning, clear

direction, and constant monitoring and feedback. This includes providing

resources and providing opportunities for structured reflection and

evaluation. This research will highlight the importance of collaboration as

to working together, there are also some potential challenges to consider.

By enforcing collaboration best practices and providing support to

overcome potential problems.

Background of the Study

and interconnected world. The ability to work effectively with others in a

development, need to learn collaborative skills to prepare them for future

While collaborative learning has been widely studied in educational

contribute to successful collaboration among high school students.

Specifically, there is a need to investigate how collaborative learning can

be integrated into the curriculum as an essential skill, and how it can

improve students' academic and character performance.

The present study aims to address these gaps in the literature by

examining the impact of collaborative learning on high school students'

academic and character performance. It also seeks to identify the

challenges and opportunities in integrating collaborative learning into the

curriculum as an essential skill. The findings of this study could provide

valuable insights for educators and policymakers in developing effective

strategies to promote collaboration among high school students.

(Figure 1. A perspective of Vygotsky's Collaborative Learning Theory (1934))

Collaborative learning theory is the process by which a group (or

groups of people) of individuals learn from each other by working together

to solve problems, complete tasks, develop products, or share ideas. This

theory is rooted in Lev Vygotsky's (1934) theory of social development and

the study of proximal developmental zones, emphasizing the importance

of communication and social interaction in learning.

believes that community is an important factor in the process of generating

meaning and knowledge. Vygotsky's theory approaches learning from a

sociocultural perspective, arguing that individual development cannot

occur without information from social and cultural contexts. He suggested

that language plays an important role in the development of thinking and

that conversations with more knowledgeable people facilitate

understanding and perception. An important aspect of Vygotsky's theory of

between those zones, known as the zone of proximal development.

This is something one can learn, but it requires guidance. In this

access to others to teach them. A knowledgeable other is someone who