Using cooperative learning to increase motivation and achievement in students

Abstract

Cooperative learning is a cognitive, socio-constructivist methodology that promotes the development of academic and social competences in students provided it is properly implemented and assessed. This article aims at showing how the continuous exposure to cooperative tasks has a favorable impact on students ́ achievement as they have “to discuss, argue, present and hear one another ́s viewpoints” (Slavin,1995). Additionally, it has an effect on their motivation as “cooperative incentive structures create a situation in which the only way group members can attain their personal goals is if the group is successful”(Slavin, 1995).This research refers to the experiences, pedagogical decisions and outcomes of a twelve-hour intervention in a private school in Santiago, where CL was implemented in a ninth grade, in a unit of work. Even though, the experience was positive, there were problems such as excessive students ́socializing in the groups, time management problems, class organization issues and furthermost, the request of the subject teacher to redirect the intervention. The results were the need of training students into team skills before implementing CL, adapting the roles suggested in literature to an EFL context, shortening tasks and using the Think-Pair-Share technique to introduce role interdependence and individual accountability to students.