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Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Cooperative learning is an educational approach which

aims to organize classroom activities into academic and

social learning experiences (Deutsch,2012:134). There is much

more to cooperative learning than merely arranging students

into groups, and it has been described as "structuring

positive interdependence (Horney, 2011:34). Students must

work in groups to complete tasks collectively toward academic

goals. Unlike individual learning, which can be competitive

in nature, students learning cooperatively can capitalize on

one anothers resources and skills (asking one another for

information, evaluating one anothers ideas, monitoring one

anothers work, etc.).Furthermore, the teacher's role changes

from giving information to facilitating students' learning.

Everyone succeeds when the group succeeds (Aldrich,2012:24).

Ross and Smyth (2006) describe successful cooperative

learning tasks as intellectually demanding, creative, open-

ended, and involve higher order thinking tasks. Five

essential elements are identified for the successful

incorporation of cooperative learning in the classroom. The

first and most important element is Positive Interdependence.

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The second element is individual and group accountability.

The third element is (face to face) promotive interaction.

The fourth element is teaching the students the required

interpersonal and small group skills. The fifth element is

group processing.

The term cooperative learning (CL) refers to students

working in teams on an assignment or project under conditions

in which certain criteria are satisfied, including that the

team members be held individually accountable for the

complete content of the assignment or project (Felder & Brent,

2007). Collaboration among the group members improves the

skills of the students to communicate in social discussion

and participate in the accomplishment of their common goal.

Low performing students may tend to give up on performing his

activity alone but with the help of high performing students.

The exercise would be significant for both of them where

strong students can still enhance his capability to explain

the procedure to the weak students and the process would keep

them socially matured with concern for one another.

Cooperative learning offers a pleasant learning

situation for all students, all students have equal

opportunity, competition is amended as friendship, the spirit

of cooperation and participation is reinforced, and all

students are entitled to be thoughtful and creative(Keramati,

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2001; Lavasani & Khandan, 2011:45). Teacher can encourage

students to ask for help to better understanding of the

difficult subjects through forming cooperative groups; on the

other hand, students will learn to ask for help in different

occasion whenever help seeking transpires (Lavasani &

Khandan, 2011:45).

Learning in various ways through self-discovery or with

the help of their peers strengthen the foundation of knowledge

which is built from a shared environment. Metzler (2011)

defines cooperative learning as a methodology in which

students learn with, from and for their peers. It is an

educational methodology based on working in small and usually

heterogeneous groups, in which students work together to

expand or hone their own skills and those of other group

members (Johnson, Johnson & Holubec,2009; Velzquez, 2010;

Velzquez-Callado,2012). In order to address the need of the

cooperative learning approach, planning is one of the key

success factors to achieve the appropriate outcome from the

students. Preparation of group activities would require ample

time due to various considerations that need to address in

the planning stage including the objectives, materials,

instruction or procedure of the activity and the class

management during the execution of group work.

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Making this as teaching strategy expands cooperative

relationships among students in academic tasks in the

classroom. In these cooperative strategies there are three

strategies of learning management aspects that must be

considered: that is, structured tasks where learners should

be doing in collaboration with others; the structure of goals

and reward structures that depend on the performance of both

products; and other students achievement displayed by each

learner in the learning process (Slameto, 2013:48). Race

(2005) emphasized that cooperative learning might have

affected the doing without affecting the wanting.

Students may have appeared to engage more actively in

discussion, still, this does not necessarily imply that

cooperative learning increased their cognitive activity

(Meyer, 2009). The extent of learning can be best measured

and described through assessing the quality of their products

or outputs. It is still a challenge for the teachers to

observe properly the behavior of the students that would

somehow affect their academic performance.

However, despite of several studies conducted pertaining

to Cooperative Learning, there is still a gap that challenged

the researchers to pursue the study and the reason is up to

what extent cooperative learning is being practiced in the

four corners of the classroom.

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Statement of the Problem

This study determined the impact of the utilization of

cooperative learning to the academic performance among Grade

6 students in Calbiga Central Elementary School during the

School Year 2016 2017.

Specifically, this study sought to answer the following

questions:

1. What is the profile of the student-respondents in

terms of the following variates:

1.1 age and sex;

1.2 average monthly family income;

1.3 parents highest educational attainment;

1.4 parents occupation?

2. What is the impact of cooperative learning as

perceived by student-respondents?

3. What is the academic performance in Science of the

student-respondents based on their mean grade of the first

and second quarters.

4. Is there a significant relationship between the

academic performance of Science of the student-respondents

and each of the profile variates?

5. Is there a significant relationship between the

utilization of cooperative learning and the academic

performance in Science of the student-respondents?

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6. What implications may be derived on the findings of

this study?

Hypotheses

From the aforecited specific questions, the following

Hypotheses were drawn and were tested:

1. There is no significant relationship between the

academic performance of Science of the student-respondents

and each of the profile variates.

2. There is no significant relationship between the

utilization of cooperative learning and the academic

performance in Science of the student-respondents.

Theoretical Framework

This study is anchored on the theories of Constructivism

as referent in teaching developed by Lorsbach and Tobin,

Cooperative Learning Theory by Johnson and Johnson (2009) the

Social Learning Theory by Vygotsky (1962).

Constructivism is an epistemology, a theory of knowledge

used to explain how we know what we know. It is believed that

a constructivist epistemology is useful to teachers if used

as a referent; that is, as a way to make sense of what they

see, think, and do. Studies indicate that teachers' beliefs

about how people learn (their personal epistemology), whether

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verbalized or not, often help them make sense of, and guide,

their practice (LorsbachandTobin,).

As observed by these authors, the epistemology that is

dominant in most educational settings today is similar to

objectivism. This means that most teachers view knowledge as

existing outside the bodies of cognizing beings, as being

separate from knowing and knowers. Knowledge is "out there,"

residing in books, independent of a thinking being. Science

is then conceptualized as a search for truths, a means of

discovering theories, laws and principles associated with

reality. Objectivity is a major component of the search for

truths which underlie reality; learners are encouraged to

view objects, events and phenomena with an objective mind,

which is assumed to be separate from cognitive processes such

as imagination, intuitions, feelings, values, and beliefs

(Johnson, 1987). As a result, teachers implement a curriculum

to ensure that students cover relevant science content and

have opportunities to learn truths which usually are

documented in bulging textbooks.

The constructivist epistemology asserts that the only

tools available to a knower are the senses. It is only through

seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting that an

individual interacts with the environment. With these

messages from the senses the individual builds a picture of

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the world. Therefore, constructivism asserts that knowledge

resides in individuals; that knowledge cannot be transferred

intact from the head of a teacher to the heads of students.

The student tries to make sense of what is taught by trying

to fit it with his/her experience.

This theory is applicable in the search for more relevant

and effective teaching approaches in the study of global

climate change which are child- or student-centered. It is

through the senses that he perceives the world around him and

from which his attitudes towards it are formed.

The use of this theory as a guide in the preparation of

teaching materials for Science teaching is apt and relevant

particularly in the study of the phenomena of global warming

and climate change. The students day to day experiences

with their effects could motivate them to ask they whys

and what now which hopefully could cause relevant and

effective learning. They are in this situation perhaps as

part of both the problem and the solution to the problem/s.

According to Johnson and Johnson (2008:134), there are

five elements of cooperative learning. Though there are more

than five, but the most basic elements or pillars of

cooperative learning are: individual accountability, positive

interdependence, face-to-face promotive interaction, Group

processing, and Interpersonal and Small group skills.

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Positive interdependence refers to the 'feel' of each other.

Students feel that they cannot work without the absence or

one or more group members. The instructor can set the mutual

goals in order to make the group move in a specific direction.

Individual accountability refers to specific and group

assessment that results in the skills and outcomes of each

student and a whole group. Similarly, face-to-face promotive

interaction encourages the students of a group by sharing and

helping each other on specific topics. There can be one or

more students of a group who don't have a good idea about

some specific topic. But there can be a third student who is

master of that topic. Interpersonal and small group skills

refer to the social skills that each and every student of the

group should have. It is necessary in order to have true and

long term success of the group. Group processing refers to

the assessment and remarking of the capabilities and actions

of each group. For example, instructor can take three or four

students from a group and can make an outline of what had

made the group successful. Furthermore, the instructor can

tell what points and factors can make the group even more

successful in future.

The multiple intelligence on the other hand is an

educational theory, first developed by Howard Gardner, that

describes an array of different kinds of intelligences

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exhibited by human beings. Gardner suggests that each

individual manifests varying levels of these different

intelligences, and thus each person has a unique cognitive

profile." The theory was first laid out in Gardner's 1983

book, Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences,

and has been further refined in subsequent years. 'The theory

suggests that, rather than relying on a uniform curriculum,

schools should offer "individual-centered education", with

curriculum tailored to the needs of each child. This includes

working to help students develop the intelligences in which

they are weak.

Social learning theories help us to understand how

people learn in social contexts (learn from each other) and

informs us on how we, as teachers, construct active learning

communities. Lev Vygotsky (1962), a Russian teacher and

psychologist, first stated that we learn through our

interactions and communications with others. Vygotsky (1962)

examined how our social environments influence the learning

process. He suggested that learning takes place through the

interactions students have with their peers, teachers, and

other experts. Consequently, teachers can create a learning

environment that maximizes the learner's ability to interact

with each other through discussion, collaboration, and

feedback. Moreover, Vygotsky (1962) argues that culture is

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the primary determining factor for knowledge construction.

We learn through this cultural lens by interacting with others

and following the rules, skills, and abilities shaped by our

culture.

These theories made better understanding about the

worldwide issues on cooperative learning.

Conceptual Framework

Figure 1 below was the conceptual framework of the study.

The bottom box represents the research environment,

which is Calbiga Central Elementary School and the

respondents of the study, which were the elementary students.

Above it was a big frame containing two boxes

representing the variables of the study. The first box at the

left represents student-respondents profile varieties. The

same box is connected to the other box representing the

variable utilization of cooperative learning and the below

box were the academic performance. The two boxes are then

connected with double headed arrows indicating correlational

analysis.

The large frame was connected further upward to a

smaller box representing the findings, result of the study

and recommendations of the study.

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IMPROVED ACADEMIC PERFOEMANCE IN

SCIENCE ON THE UTILIZATION OF
COOPERATIVE LEARNING

Findings, Results and

Recommendations

Profile variates of UTILIZATION OF

the Student- COOPERATIVE
respondents
LEARNING
F age and sex
F
E average monthly
family income E
E SFACTION OF CRIMINOLOGY
parents highest E
D
educational D
B
attainment ACADEMIC B
A
parents PERFORMANCE A
C occupation C
K
K

GRADE 6 STUDENTS

CALBIGA CENTRAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Figure 1. The Conceptual Framework of the Study

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In the same box was connected to the bottom box with broken

line implying its feedback mechanism. Then, the goal of the

study which was improved academic performance in Science on

the utilization of cooperative learning.

Scope and Delimitation

This study determined the impact on the utilization of

cooperative learning to the academic performance among Grade

6 students in Calbiga Central Elementary School during the

School Year 2016 2017.

Solely one hundred (100) Grade 6 students were the main

respondents of this study.

Significance of the Study

The findings of the study proved beneficial to the

following: teachers, Students, school administrators, and

future researchers.

To the Grade 6 Students. The findings of the study would

help Young learners are the center of education, the receiver

of the knowledge coming from the teachers, knowledge that

would guide, mold and holistically develop the child in terms

of physical, moral, emotional, intellectual and social

aspects which enable the learners to be prepared for the next

level of his/her education. They shall benefit from whatever

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improvements/interventions may be done to the cooperative

learning.

To the Elementary Teachers. The findings of the study

plays an important role in shaping the minds of the school

children, they holistically develop the children through

cooperative learning outcomes. Teachers would their strengths

and weaknesses, strengths that would assure the best inputs

to the learners, weaknesses that would need improvements to

enhance their teaching instruction using cooperative

learning.

To the School Administrators. The findings of the study

would offer to the school administrators workable

bases/actions to take to enhance the effectiveness of the

classroom education using cooperative learning.

To the Parents. The findings of the study benefited the

parents in terms of heightened awareness and knowledge on

proper guidance and supervising to the extent of helping not

only the school financially but also encouraging their

children to study in schools.

To the Future Researchers. The findings of the study

would be a basis for future studies or researches especially

those which are related to classroom concerns, this would

help them to find relevant sources.

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Definition of Terms

In order to establish a common frame of reference, the

following terms used directly or indirectly in this study are

herein conceptually and/or operationally defined:

Academic Performance. Conceptually, this is the extent

to which a student, teacher or institution has achieved their

short or long-term educational goals (www.igi-

global.com/dictionary/academic-performance/42383).

Operationally, this term referred as one of the subject of

the respondents and one of the variable of the study.

Calbiga Elementary School. Conceptually refer to a

school for the first four to eight years of a child's formal

education, often including

kindergarten(farflex,dictionary.2006). In this study, it

refers to the locale of this investigation.

Cooperative Learning. Conceptually, this term refers to

a successful teaching strategy in which small teams, each

with students of different levels of ability, use a variety

of learning activities to improve their understanding of a

subject.

(https://www2.ed.gov/pubs/OR/ConsumerGuides/cooplear.html).

Operationally, this term referred to the learning style of

this study.
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Impact. This term refers to the he action of one object

coming forcibly into contact with another

(https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impact). In this

study it referred to the process how cooperating learning

influences learning.

Learning. Refers to the social process through which an

individual acquires the knowledge and skills (Recto: 2005).

As used in this study, it refers to the process through which

the teacher Department conducts series of instruction

following the budget of lessons.

Students. This refers to a child or young person in

school or in the change of a tutor or instructor or one who

has been taught or influenced by a famous or distinguished

person(Merriam Webster,2012).In this study, it refers to the

Students in Calbiga Central Elementary School

Science. Conceptually, this refers the intellectual and

practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the

structure and behavior of the physical and natural world

through observation and experiment

(www.dictionary.com/browse/science). Operationally, this

term referred as the main subject to be tackled in this study.

Utilization. Conceptually, this term refers to the

action of making practical and effective use of something.

(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/utilization).
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Operationally, this term referred to one of the main variable

of this study.