Abstract
This study aims to investigate the views of English-language teachers and their students with respect to collaborative learning (CL) and more specifically, with respect to group activities. The study included 25 Turkish English-language teachers and their 486 EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students. The data were collected from separate questionnaires completed by the students and the teachers. Additionally, four teachers and 10 students were interviewed. The percentage of responses for each option of each question was calculated for each item on both questionnaires. The recorded interviews were analysed through content analysis. The results indicate that most of the students favor group activities in the classroom, whereas the teachers exhibit far less enthusiasm for group activities because of difficulties associated with classroom management and excessive noise levels generated during group activities. It is suggested that teachers receive training in CL so that they can effectively implement the technique in the classroom and teach their students how to effectively use their interactional skills during CL activities.
Highlights
Collaborative Learning (CL) posits that learning occurs as a result of social act (Gerlach, 1994)
The questionnaire data are separated and categorized as follows: 1) teacher and student preferences with respect to group work or pair work; 2) teacher and student views regarding the advantages of group work; 3) teacher and student views regarding difficulties encountered when implementing group activities; and 4) teacher and student views on the use of L1 in group work and pair work
This study indicates that most students favor group activities in English-language classrooms, teachers do not
Summary
Collaborative Learning (CL) posits that learning occurs as a result of social act (Gerlach, 1994). This social act refers to the talk of the participants among themselves to perform learning activities (Golub et al, 1988). In this study, pair and group work are regarded as strategies used in both collaborative and cooperative learning. Marks and O’Connar (2013, p.147) define group work as ‘a form of cooperative learning, a technique that requires the students to work together collaboratively.’. Baines et al (2009) define group work as an activity in which learners work together as a group or team either to achieve a common purpose or to produce a specific product. Group work regards all learners as co-learners, and it incorporates all types of learning from cooperative and collaborative group work to peer tutoring (Baines, Kutnick and Blatchford (2009, pg.8). Marks and O’Connar (2013, p.147) define group work as ‘a form of cooperative learning, a technique that requires the students to work together collaboratively.’ Baines et al (2009) define group work as an activity in which learners work together as a group or team either to achieve a common purpose or to produce a specific product. Johnson and Johnson (1999,) describes five criteria to successful collaboration in the classroom: 1. Positive interdependence: Team members must understand that they have mutual responsibilities, because they need each other for support and depend on each other to accomplish their task
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