Abstract
The implementation of cooperative learning methods remains disparate in primary schools despite their widely recognised benefits. To explain this paradox, we first examined whether teachers’ inclination towards cooperative methods is motivated by their values. Second, we tested whether motivational connections between personal values and cooperative methods are undermined when conflictual values are activated in context. Study 1 demonstrated that pre-service teachers strongly endorsed self-transcendence (ST) values (expressing compatible motivations with cooperation) relative to self-enhancement (SE) values (expressing conflictual motivations with cooperation). Adherence to ST values was also positively associated with their beliefs and attitudes regarding cooperative methods. In Studies 2, 3 and 4, educational sciences students were experimentally exposed to different contexts, wherein ST, SE or neutral values were promoted. Our findings indicate that when SE values were emphasised in the context, the positive association between ST values and beliefs/attitudes regarding cooperative methods disappeared. Although the results of Study 4 regarding the intention to use cooperative methods were not statistically significant, the pattern was similar. Finally, Study 5 showed that primary school teachers’ ST values positively predicted the self-reported use of cooperative methods when they perceived their school to weakly endorse SE values, but not when they perceived it to strongly endorse them.
Highlights
In recent decades, the effectiveness of cooperative learning methods has been widely recognised in the research community
Our hypothesis suggested that there should be a positive link between relative adherence to ST values and beliefs about cooperative methods in the ST condition and the control condition, but that this relation should disappear in the SE condition
Results showed a main effect of ST value relative adherence (b = 0.31 SE = 0.06, t(99) = 5.33, p < .001, 95% CI [0.19, 0.42], η2 = 0.22) on beliefs about cooperative methods
Summary
The effectiveness of cooperative learning methods has been widely recognised in the research community. Cooperative learning methods may refer to any form of learning strategy in which learners actively work together towards joint goals to achieve academic outcomes for themselves and other group members (Johnson & Johnson, 1999; Slavin, 2014). Cooperative methods are recommended by educational researchers, but professionals in the educational field seem to acknowledge their positive influence on pupils’ social and learning outcomes (Ruys, van Keer, et al, 2010; Tal, 2018). Despite their reported benefits, several studies have shown that the application of cooperative methods remains marginal in classrooms (Baines et al, 2003; Buchs et al, 2017; Pianta et al, 2007; Wasik, 2008). We investigated whether the interplay between personal and contextual values affects individuals’ motivation to implement cooperative learning methods
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