CO-OPERATIVE LEARNING

Prepared by :
Azman Omar

WHAT IS CO-OPERATIVE LEARNING?

Co-operative learning involves a number of
pupils learning together in the spirit of cooperation as opposed to a competitive or
individualistic stance.

COOPERATIVE LEARNING IS NOT

students sitting around a table studying together
team projects with just 1 or 2 students doing the
work

POSITIVE INTERDEPENDENCE
No member gets to complete his/her
learning task unless all members in the
group co-operate.

INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Each member in the group is responsible
for the success of the group collectively.

FACE-TO-FACE INTERACTION
Members of the group work closely with one
another.

COLLABORATIVE SKILLS
Group members use inter-personal skills
through social interaction in a
heterogeneous group.

DEBRIEFING PROCESS
Reflect by looking back at how the
discussions have been carried out.

 Studies have shown that co-operative

learning lends a positive effect in academic
achievement, self-esteem, inter-cultural
respect, co-operative behaviour and
positive attitude towards the less abled.

 Co-operative learning stresses on higher order thinking

skills (HOTS), such as analysis and evaluation.

The teacher should make careful preparations before

co-operative learning is conducted. Availability of

informative reading material is very important because
pupils require reference material when discussion is
conducted. Books related to the topic for discussion
must be sorted out from the library well beforehand.

BENEFITS OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING

Information retention
Academic achievement

Higher-level thinking skills

Attitudes toward subject, motivation to learn it

Race, gender relations

Class attendance

Teamwork, interpersonal skill

Understanding of professional environment

Communication skill

Self esteem
Lower level of anxiety (reduced competition)

WHY COOPERATIVE LEARNING WORK?

Active learning
Individual students get stuck, give up. Teams
keep going.
Students see and learn alternative problemsolving strategies.
More and better question generation, less fear in
class.
Students, like professors, learn best what they
teach.

They are various types of co-operative learning. 3

types that are popular are :

Student Team Achievement Division (STAD)

Jigsaw

Group Investigation (GI)

All the 3 types follow the three-phase format shown

below :

Phase : Determining Information

Student Team
Achievement
Division (STAD)

Teacher
presents new
academic
information to
pupils each
week.

Jigsaw

Group Investigation
(GI)

Academic material Pupils choose a

given to pupils.
specific topic
within of a
general
problem.
Teacher and
pupils plan
procedure,
tasks and
learning

Phase : Group Learning

Student Team
Achievement
Division (STAD)

Jigsaw

Group Investigation
(GI)

Working in groups Pupils are divided into

Group involves
of four or five
4-6 home groups.
themselves in
members, pupils
Each home group
various activities in
use worksheets to
sends a member to
and out of school.
master academic
form a group of
Group analyses
material and help experts to study a part
and evaluates
each other through of academic material.
information and
tutorial, quiz or
These experts return
plans how the
discussion.
to respective home
information can be
groups to teach other summarised in an
members.
attractive form.

Phase : Evaluation & Reflection

Student Team
Achievement
Division (STAD)

Jigsaw

Group Investigation
(GI)

Pupils are given

Pupils go through
Group presents
weekly of
quizzes individually.
result of study.
fortnightly quizzes. Group and individuals
Individual or
Each pupil is given
with the highest
group evaluation
a Progress Score, marks are announced
carried out by
i.e. marks
on the notice board. pupils and teacher.
exceeding the
previous average.
Results of groups
and individuals
with the highest
progress score and
their total scores
are recorded on
the notice notice

 Another example effective strategies in

cooperative learning are :
Think-Pair-Share
Numbered Heads
Teams-GamesTournaments
3-2-1
Round Table
Value Line
Find the Fib

TOPICS SUITABLE FOR CO-OPERATIVE

LEARNING
Competition as a form of interaction among living things
(Living World, 6)
Choosing types of electrical resources (Physical World, 5)
Recycling of materials (Material World, 6)
Comparing information about the earth, sun and moon
(Earth & The Universe, 4)
Side effects of technology on human beings and the
environment (World of Technology, 6)

SAMPLE ACTIVITY OF CO-OPERATIVE

LEARNING
~Student Team Achievement Division (STAD)~

COMPARISON & DIFFERENTIATION

Earth
SIMILARITIES
DIFFERENCES
FROM
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
CONCLUSION

Sun

Moon

SAMPLE ACTIVITY OF CO-OPERATIVE

LEARNING
~Jigsaw~

4 HOME GROUPS

4 EXPERT GROUPS

RETURN TO HOME GROUPS