Better study habits in cooperative learning classroom enhance academic performance and self-efficacy of low-achievers

Abstract

Interaction with school teachers usually reveals that the academic performance of some students goes down year by year in a much unexpected manner. A cursory look at examination results at secondary school level in the State of Haryana lays bare the whole scenario of low-achieving in various examinations. The school teachers claim starting the academic sessions with zeal and furore to bring reasonable enhancement in the academic performance of students but, to their dismay, end up with hoards of low-achievers in almost every classDiscussion with Stake-holdersThe investigators had prolonged discussions on the dismal situation with all stake-holders in a random manner to understand the causes behind low-achieving of students as well as low self-efficacy and to find out ways and means of correcting the situation. From our discussions with school-teachers officials of examination board, students in the low-achiever category, and parents of low-achievers, it came out that such students face neglect in the teaching process and they are generally not encouraged to take active part in learning process. Some teachers even opined that such students are not capable to bring enhancement in their academic performance and are dubbed as duffers. The students too came out with bizarre excuses of finding no time for studies at home, not getting good books and no problem solving by teachers.ConsequenceThe investigators were not satisfied with the outcome of discussions held with the stake-holders and thought to find out ways and means to enhance the academic performance and self-efficacy of lowachievers. Various methods of instruction were discussed to improve study habits of low-achievers and finally, the investigators decided to explore the possibilities of improving academic performance and self-efficacy of low-achievers through the use of better study habits in co-operative classroom setting. It was decided to include in the study only those students who got second division third division or failed in their previous school examination or board examination. The first divisioners were excluded from the study.Definition of termsAcademic Performance: Academic performance is the level of knowledge gained or skills developed in school subjects represented by examination scores of students. Such performance is measured by objective type achievement test developed by class teachers under supervision of the investigators.Self-efficacy: Bandura (1977) first coined the term 'self-efficacy' precisely to point out 'a person's specific beliefs about his ability to perform certain actions or bring about intended outcomes. Selfefficacy forms part of the self-concept but it concerns one's expectations about personal competence in relation to a behavioural domain i.e. one's capability to delineate a specific activity without attrition. Bandura (1982) demonstrates that a persons self-efficacy determines how much effort he is willing to expand and how long he will continue his efforts in the face of adverse experiences. According to him, self-efficacy mechanism in human agency emanates from various sources viz. (i) enactive information; (ii) vicarious experiences; (iii) verbal persuasion, and (iv) physiological symbols. It means that a person can evaluate his self-efficacy from direct experiences; from seeing others perform; from social persuasion about his capability to achieve specific goal; and from his own arousal system. The verbal and non-verbal behaviour of significant others, especially teachers and role models, can make a learner feel aroused. Self-efficacy or one's belief about one's ability to perform specific actions also includes the subjective component of volition.Students Team Achievement Division (STAD: This is a most significant method of cooperative learning which means cooperating to learn and learning to cooperate. Slavin (1980) devised this method in which four-or-five member learning teams are formed consisting of high and low achievers without any differentiation of racial or gender groups so that one team represents the contiguity of the whole class. …