Abstract
Despite of its relevance and evidence support, Cooperative Learning (CL) is a challenge for all the educational systems because of the difficulties for its implementation. This study has the objective to identify the effect of Primary Education initial teacher training in the prediction of future CL use. Two groups, of 44 and 45 students, were conceptually trained, with the latter also having the opportunity to experience CL in the university classroom. Opting for a mixed methods research, this study tries to identify changes in a pre- and post-test Cooperative Learning Implementation Questionnaire and to explain possible changes through 4 focus groups. Quantitative results show differences in expectations of CL success and index of CL use for the group who had the CL experience. Qualitative data revealed that improvements can be explained by the increase in students’ awareness of the learning opportunities that CL offered them, giving and receiving scaffold help, preparing activities and enhancing motivation.
Highlights
Despite its relevance and evidence support, Cooperative Learning (CL) is a challenge for all educational systems due to the difficulties in its implementation
The objective of this study is to identify the effect of Primary Education initial teacher training in the prediction of future CL use
The hypothesis of our study was partially met. This result shows that CL conceptual training and experiencing in the university classroom have a direct impact on the improvement of expectations of CL success among university students and their predisposition to use it in the classroom in the future. This means that experiencing CL allowed students to perceive themselves as more self-efficient and with more skills to achieve success by taking into consideration the characteristics of context
Summary
Despite its relevance and evidence support, Cooperative Learning (CL) is a challenge for all educational systems due to the difficulties in its implementation. Because cooperation is a key competence for the knowledge society (Rychen & Salganik, 2001); because it develops skills and attitudes needed for the democratic society (Sharan, 2015; or Perrenoud, 2001); because it is a learning motor, as we learn thanks to interaction with people who have a relatively higher competence level than our own and who can help us, with appropriate guidance, in the zone of proximal development (Wells, 1999); and because it is a valuable strategy for inclusive and quality education as it uses differences among students as a source of learning (Stainback & Stainback, 1999; Gillies, 2014). Teacher training, many studies coincide in the fact that the difficulty of CL implementation has to do with the lack of knowledge or comprehension of such a method (Gillies & Boyle, 2008). Many teacher training projects and studies have been developed to see its long-term outcome (Ishler, Johnson, & Johnson, 1998; or Krol, Sleegers, Veenman, & Voeten, 2008)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
