Cooperative Learning in Mathematics and Beyond

Abstract

The development of cooperative learning (CL) in mathematics began with my dissertation on the “small group discovery method” (1970). This method is based on a combination of Dewey’s philosophy of education, research on social psychology and group dynamics, and a discovery approach to learning mathematics in small cooperative groups. During the 1970s, small-group learning began to attain recognition in the mathematics education community. This occurred through articles in professional journals on mathematics education, books, curriculum projects, and numerous professional presentations. The latter half of my career continued my focus on teaching and learning in mathematics but expanded it to include teaching and learning in general. This section of the chapter addressed CL and the IASCE, theoretical issues and edited books, hundreds of presentations, graduate education with doctoral programs and dissertations, teacher education, staff development, and university faculty development. Theoretical comparisons of the four major forms of small-group learning were based on my analysis of the common and varying elements of CL.