Using Cooperative Learning to Improve Senior High School Form Two Students’ Performance in Some Selected Core Mathematics Topics at Eguafo-Abrem Senior High School, Ghana

Abstract

This action research was carried out with the purpose of using a Cooperative Learning strategy to improve the achievement of Form Two students of Eguafo-Abrem Senior High School, Abrem Agona, in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem municipal, in the central region of Ghana on some selected Core Mathematics topics and to investigate whether or not Cooperative Learning positively affects higher achieving students. It targeted a sample of 52 students who were divided into control (N=26) and experimental (N=26) group. The Student Team Achievement Division was employed on the experimental group for 8 weeks to achieve the purpose of the study. Quantitative data was gathered using questionnaires and tests. Paired sample t-test was run to compare the effect of the intervention on achievement scores of the experimental group. The results showed that there was a significant difference between scores of the experimental group before and after intervention (p=.000). The results concluded that cooperative learning strategy had a positive effect on academic achievement and interest of students in Core Mathematics at the Senior High School level irrespective of students’ achievement level and has no negative effect on high achievers. The STAD Cooperative Learning strategy is recommended over the conventional technique which could be attributed to the fact that it makes students develop more positive attitudes towards themselves, peers, adults, and learning in general. Cooperative Learning should be highly encouraged in schools that have the majority of their students being day students. In situations in which it is not suitable to implement Cooperative Learning in class, teachers can assign these tasks as group projects or take-home assignments for the students and this must be regular. Time is essential particularly in the early stages where students are now being introduced to the strategy, for this reason, teachers are therefore encouraged to sensitize the students before and during the intervention process.