Abstract

This study aims to explore how teachers’ application of the procedures and instructions for promoting cooperative learning (CL) affects their practices. The purpose of this study is to explore teachers’ behaviors and perceptions while applying procedures and instructions to encourage CL in their teaching practice. The problem is that the application of CL in Saudi English as a foreign language (EFL) educational environments tend to be used more in group arrangements than as an effective technique to encourage learners’ communication and interaction. Still, the EFL literature has recommended appropriate procedures to promote CL for teachers. In this study, nine participating teachers were provided these CL procedures to apply in their daily teaching practice. The researcher applied mixed methods as follows: quantitative data from structured observations during EFL lessons and qualitative data from the teachers’ daily reports and open-ended questionnaire answers. The findings told that most of the teachers felt that the procedures helped them support their students and encourage them to work effectively and cooperatively in groups. Moreover, the findings indicated that the instructions helped the EFL teachers increase their students’ interaction and communication by prompting them to apply CL procedures. However, the majority of the teachers did not appropriately encourage their EFL learners to engage in CL even though they were aware of the procedures.

Highlights

  • Cooperative learning (CL) is essential to learning a foreign language, as it opens opportunities for learners to communicate and interact with others

  • The researcher recommended appropriate cooperative learning (CL) procedures for the nine participating teachers to apply in their daily teaching practices

  • This section highlights the main themes that emerged from the data as related to teacher behaviors and perceptions about applying the CL procedures, which are the CL educational environment, forming groups in CL, CL tasks, and the teacher’s role in and reflections on CL

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Summary

Introduction

Cooperative learning (CL) is essential to learning a foreign language, as it opens opportunities for learners to communicate and interact with others. Teachers need to consider that environmental factors (e.g., desks, chairs, and spaces for the teacher to pass through) are important to facilitating positive interdependence within groups (Azizinezhad et al, 2013; Koppenhaver & Shrader, 2003; Gillies, 2003; McCafferty et al, 2006; Cohen, 2014). The concept of positive interdependence should be clearly explained to the students

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