A video-based study of student teachers' participation and content processing in cooperative group work

Abstract

In the present study, video data was used to examine the effects of structuring procedures in cooperative learning on student teachers' interactions during group work. Using quantitative content analyses, we analyzed videos of students working on complex case-based tasks with regard to their active participation in the group discussions, use of conceptual knowledge and transactive communication during concept-based talk. In addition, we assessed students' individual case knowledge after they finished the group work. Two-level analyses revealed that student teachers in high-structure cooperative learning groups used more concept-driven ideas to solve the case than students in low-structure cooperative learning groups. They also referred to the ideas of other group members more often and externalized their ideas more without referring to each other. Students in high-structure cooperative learning groups gained more case-related knowledge than those in low-structure cooperative learning groups. No difference between conditions was detected for students' active participation in the group work. These findings indicate that emphasizing interdependence and accountability in cooperative groups might not increase the intensity of students' case discussion but does improve its quality.