Primary schools teachers’ attitudes towards the benefits of cooperative learning and their awareness about its five basic principles: summer in-service teachers, Sidama regional state, Ethiopia

Abstract

ABSTRACT The objective of this research was to investigate summer in-service primary school student teachers’ attitudes towards the benefits of cooperative learning (CL) and their awareness of its five basic principles. This research was conducted at Hawassa University in Sidama Regional State of Ethiopia. A descriptive research design with a mixed-methods approach was used. A total of 160 summer in-service teachers were randomly selected from 4 departments. Data were gathered through questionnaires and interviews and analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings revealed that the majority of participants had a positive attitude towards the academic significance of cooperative learning; however, very few of them had a positive attitude towards the benefit of social skills of CL. The findings also revealed that a great majority of the participants found that they did not have adequate awareness of the five basic principles of CL.