Cooperative learning is a powerful tool for helping to create equity in our schools and classrooms. Highly effective cooperative learning structures help ensure all students master rigorous grade level standards. This instructional model is constructed so that students are working together to ensure each one learns and masters the content that has often been initially presented by the teacher. The teams are tasked to learn and think together, not do something together such as create a display or produce a report. After learning together, each student then individually demonstrates their learning.
The post Cooperative Learning: A Powerful Tool for Equity (Part I) spoke to the components that must be included in cooperative learning structures to see the significant student achievement outcomes found in a vast number of research studies. These include a team goal, individual accountability, carefully structured interactions among group members, and a team celebration when the goal is met.
In addition to improved student achievement, educators using these types of cooperative learning strategies report changes in the school or classroom culture and climate. In addition to improving student achievement, cooperative learning:
- builds high expectations for all students,
- involves every student in teaching and learning,
- engages all students in critical thinking,
- maximizes instructional time,
- improves interpersonal skills,
- provides equal opportunities for success,
- creates safe spaces and acceptance of differences,
- increases self-esteem,
- improves student attendance,
- and reduces inappropriate behaviors in class (Slavin, 1995; Jolliffe, 2007).
Cooperative learning helps solidify cultures that communicate high expectations for learning for all students. The very structure of cooperative learning is based on every member of each group mastering the learning objectives. The team is only successful when every member can independently demonstrate their learning. This creates an ethos of strong teams that are committed to the learning of their teammates and not just their own success.
Instead of one teacher in the classroom, every member of the classroom becomes a ‘teacher’ as they quiz their teammates on their understanding, delve into their thinking, model and explain what is to be learned (often in different ways), and encourage their team members. Each member of the team is a learner and a teacher. Every student is invested in all students learning.
Cooperative learning is a powerful tool to ensure that every student engages in critical thinking. In a traditional classroom where the teacher calls on a few students to share their thinking, the remainder of the students may be engaged in the issue as well or not. If they are simply sitting quietly in their chairs, it is difficult to know who is engaged in critical thinking and who is not.
If the teacher takes the time to probe the thinking of every student, one after another, the already short learning period would be even less productive and also risk numerous students tuning out while others are sharing. When using cooperative learning, every student must engage and share their thinking, not always with the teacher, but with their peers, usually in pairs or groups of four. This provides an efficient way for every student to be held accountable for critical thinking and increases student discourse while maintaining a brisk instructional pace.
In highly effective cooperative learning classrooms, students have been explicitly taught by their teachers how to listen to their classmates, how to probe their thinking, how to gently critic other’s thinking, and how to gracefully give their fellow students a second go at their thinking when needed. Students have learned how to encourage and ensure all team members are participating in sharing their thinking. No one is allowed to tune out and just sit through the period. Cooperative learning actively engages all students in the learning while also maximizing the instructional time.
When team members are invested in and supporting their peers’ learning, equal opportunities for success are created: everyone is expected to learn, no one gets a pass on learning, everyone is helping each other learn, and everyone is contributing to the team’s success. Every member contributes to its success by improving their own individual performance as well as helping their peers to improve their individual performance. Inappropriate behaviors decrease as students focus on learning. The contributions from every team member are valued and celebrated.
This learning structure creates a safe space for learning that is engaging and rich in students talking and sharing with their peers. It creates classrooms and school that students want to be a part of, improving student attendance. Students are anxious to come to school when they know they are valued, safe and supported in their learning, and get to spend the time actively engaged and talking with their fellow students.
This safe space where they learn together helps create a culture of acceptance around authentic cooperative interactions. Students feel accepted and practice acceptance of others as they all make substantial contributions to the team. Student self-esteem is increased as students are accepted by their peers and their academic skills improve (Slavin, 1995). Students develop inter personal skills as they learn and work with others. Student differences become strengths as they all contribute to the success of the team and each other’s learning. It promotes psychological health, social competence, and inclusive practices (Slavin, 1995; Joliffe, 2007).
Cooperative learning is a strategy that not only builds strong cultures around learning, but also significantly improves learning outcomes for all students from high performing students to those struggling with their learning (Rohrbeck, 2003; Slavin, 2010; Boykin, 2011). It has been found to be especially effective with higher achievers because they are given opportunities to give and receive in-depth explanations and thinking (Webb, 2008).
Resources to help educators implement and/or refine the use of cooperative learning as a powerful tool for equity include:
- The Success for All Foundation
- Gillies, R. M. (2007), Cooperative learning: Integration theory and practice. Sage Publications.
- Jacobs, G. M., Power, M. A., Inn, L. W. (2002). The teacher’s sourcebook for cooperative learning: Practical techniques, basic principles, and frequently asked questions. Corwin Press,
- Jolliffe, W. (2007), Cooperative learning in the classroom: Putting it into practice. Paul Chapman Publishing.
- Slavin, R. E. (1995), Cooperative learning: Second edition. Allyn and Bacon.
- Slavin, R. (2010), “Co-operative learning: what makes group-work work?”, in Dumont, H., Istance, D. and Benavides F. (eds.), The Nature of Learning: Using Research to Inspire Practice, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264086487-9-en.
This blog is written by Dr. GwenCarol Holmes, a long-time educator and passionate advocate for all students mastering rigorous standards
References:
- Boykin, A. W. & Noguera P. (2011). Creating the opportunity to learn: Moving from research to practice to close the achievement gap. ASCD.
- Jolliffe, W. (2007), Cooperative learning in the classroom: Putting it into practice. Paul Chapman Publishing.
- Rohrbeck, C. A., Ginsburg-Block, M. D., Fantuzzo, J. W., & Miller, T. R. (2003). Peer-assisted learning interventions with elementary students: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(2), 240-257.
- Slavin, R. E. (1995), Cooperative learning: Second edition. Allyn and Bacon.
- Slavin, R. E., Lake, C., & Groff, C. (2009). Effective programs in middle and high school mathematics: A best evidence synthesis. Review of Education Research, 79(2), 839-911.
- Webb, N. (2008). Co-operative Learning in T. L. Good (ed.) 21st century education: A reference handbook. Sage.