SOUTHERN LEYTE STATE UNIVERSITY – TOMAS OPPUS
San Isidro, Tomas Oppus, Southern Leyte
Self-Paced Learning Plan
Course : Teaching Science in the Elementary Grades (Physics, Earth and
Space Science)
Title of the Topic : Lesson 4: Cooperative Learning
Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:
1. Discuss teaching and learning through Cooperative Learning;
2. Know the advantages of cooperative learning;
3. Explain how to use cooperative learning as a teaching strategy; and
4. Develop a sample lesson plan using cooperative learning as strategy.
Content of the Lesson:
Introduction
What is Cooperative Learning?
Cooperative learning is one of the most sought and studied teaching strategies nowadays
because of its versatility and effectiveness. There are various types of this strategy, depending
on the learning outcomes and the types of learners. Cooperation is an act of working together to
fulfill shared goals. Therefore, cooperative learning is an instructional strategy in which the
learner work together in small groups to help one another achieve a common learning goal. It is
founded on the principle that the learners can achieve more by working collaboratively than by
working alone or by passively receiving information from a teacher. It believes that the learner’s
age and ability do not really hinder the success of this approach (Killen, 2009).
Some teachers claim that they are employing cooperative learning when they have
learners working in groups. On the other hand, Johnson et al., (1993) believed that most group
works are not cooperative learning.
Slavin (1983, 1990, 1995) and Johnson (1989, 1994) set the foundation of cooperative
learning. They proposed that there are two important components of all cooperative learning
methods: a cooperative task (which is a feature of most group work) and a cooperative incentive
structure (which is unique to cooperative learning).
The study of Johnson and Johnson (1994) presented the five basic elements of small group
work to be considered as cooperative one (cited in Killen, 2009).
1. There must be positive interdependence.
The learners must work as a coordinate group to achieve specific learning goals.
To do so, each student must be confident that the he or she is responsible for the
learning success of others members of the group. Cooperative relationship becomes
important because each member believes that they cannot be successful unless other
members are also successful in achieving the group goals.
2. There must be an ongoing, direct interaction in which the students help one another
to learn.
They must discuss the tasks, decide how to approach it, exchange ideas, and
explain to each member how the group can achieve the learning outcomes. It is
enough that tasks are delegated. Each member should know how the group is going.
3. There must be individual accountability.
All the members are accountable for each other’s success or failure. They should
all work hard to ensure that each member of the group performs the assigned task/s
and achieves the learning outcome of the given activity.
4. The learners must use appropriate interpersonal skills.
Each member should be able to develop the following skills: attentive listening
skills, questioning to clarify ideas, negotiating, and constructively resolving
differences. With all these skills, interactions will become meaningful and productive.
5. The participant become reflective learners as they analyzed the outcomes they
achieve and how well the group functions.
Why does it work?
Cooperative learning is being used worldwide for three primary reasons: it is clearly
based on theory, it has been proven by various research works, and it has been operationalized
into clear procedure that educators can use.
The students are encouraged to work collaboratively in order for them to be more
successful academically than when they are working alone (Stahl, 1997). A good number of
researchers also believed that this is possible (Hattie, 2009).
On the contrary, according to Abrami and Chambers (1996:71) no matter what teaching
strategy is used, “student learning” is not possible if the student lack of interest or if they do not
have a reason for learning. There are actually three possible motives for student engagement
and learning as educators use cooperative learning: outcome motives, means motives, and
interpersonal motives (Killen, 2009). Outcome motives encourage group learning through
rewards, recognition, and goal achievement. Means motives encourage group learning through
intrinsic interest in the task, task novelty, and task structure. Lastly, interpersonal motive
encourage group learning through peer support, a desire to help others, and the need to belong
to a group.
Another important thing to consider in using cooperative learning as a strategy is a good
atmosphere within each group. The members should be comfortable working with one another
for them to be motivated to make the individual effort that is necessary for group success
(Michaelson Jones & Watson, 1993). The members are not just performers but supporters of
their groupmates. They exert extra effort whenever they feel valued.
Most proponent of cooperative learning emphasize that this approach is effective in
promoting academic learning and positive peer interactions and relationships. It is the teacher’s
task to create a learning environment that will make all these expectations become real.
Some Advantages of Cooperative Learning
Cooperative learning is very versatile, and it can be used in all subject areas at all levels
of education. It is not required that the teacher will always employ it in class. The teacher needs
to identify the best opportunity to apply it.
This strategy is effective in helping the students achieve a wide range of academic and
social outcomes, including enhanced achievement, improved self-esteem, positive interpersonal
relationships with other students, improved time management skills, and positive attitudes
toward school. Many of these outcomes can be achieved concurrently, rather than being
developed in isolation. It is particularly useful for the following reasons:
Having the students work together results in more learning than when the students
work alone, competitively, or individually (Johnson & Johnson, 19861). The students
will also like school better, will like one another better, and will learn more effective
social skills when cooperative learning is used.
It teaches the students to be less reliant on teacher and more reliant on their own ability
to think, to seek information from other sources, and to learn from other students. They
become empowered to take greater responsibility for their own learning and for
learning of others (Drake & Mucci, 1993).
Cooperative learning helps the students learn to respect one another’s strengths and
limitations and to accept these differences. This is very important in culturally diverse
classrooms and in classrooms that include students with disabilities.
It helps the students to understand that different points of view need to be divisive but
they can be a positive aspect of developing an understanding of a subject.
It can boost the students’ confidence and self-esteem because it allows all the students
(not just the high achievers) to experience learning success.
It can change students’ views about learning. It helps them to move from seeing learning
as individual memorization of facts to seeing it as a collective construction of
understanding.
It emphasizes democratic thought and practice as a desirable way for people to interact
(whatever the focus of their interaction).
It is appropriate to use when the students are engaged to large problem-solving skills
tasks and research projects in which the tasks is heavy for one person and time is
limited or where more than one person is needed to manipulate equipment, perform the
experiment, collect, and analyze data.
It ensures that all the students are socially integrated into networks of positive peer
relationships. This help the students to become skilled in constructive conflict
resolution, and this can reduce antisocial behavior like bullying (Johnson et al. 2008).
These benefit do not occur rapidly. The students can develop all these positive attributes if
they have been engaged successfully in cooperative learning for four or more weeks.
Most studies looked at the advantages to the students; few research identified its benefits to
the teachers. The study of Garvie (1994) showed that teachers who employed cooperative
learning are more enthusiastic than those who do not use it. Also, Shchar and Shmuelevitz
(1997:65) found that teachers who used cooperative learning in their classroom expressed a
significantly greater degree of efficacy in promoting the learning of slow students compared
with teachers who did not employ cooperative learning in their classroom at all.
Consequently, Killen (2009) suggested these considerations when using cooperative
learning:
Use cooperative learning if: Do not use cooperative learning if:
You want to encourage the learners to The students do not have the basic skills
develop their social skills while learning required for collaboration and teamwork.
academic content.
You want the students to use their prior The students lack the prior knowledge to
knowledge as a foundation for examining guide their collaborative learning.
issues in depth.
You want the students to explore issues from There is insufficient time for the students to
multiple perspectives. collaboratively investigate, discuss, and
think
about the things you want them to learn.
You want the students to develop their
ability to learn collaboratively.
The learning task is too big for individual
students to undertake.
How to Use Cooperative Learning as a Strategy in
Class? Teacher’s Preparation
The teacher’ task is to get the students to work as a team, exchange ideas, think critically
and analytically, and help one another to learn. It is vital that the teacher can create a learning
environment that promotes purposeful interaction, positive interdependence, individual
accountability, and appropriate use of interpersonal skills (Topping, 2006).
The teacher should also not forget the two major considerations: student motivation and
the learning process the students will utilize. The students can work well if they are properly
motivated and they have clear process to follow.
Generally, the teacher needs to prepare the following (Killen, 2009):
Give the students guidance and practice in helping one another to learn.
Specify clearly what outcomes you want the learners to achieve.
Decide what content (issues, problems, theories) the students will focus on as they try to
achieve the outcomes.
Select what you think will be the most appropriate form of cooperative learning to use.
Prepare the materials.
Decide how to form the groups.
Explain to the students in detail how the cooperative learning sessions will operate,
what you expect from them, how you will assist them, and how they will be assessed.
Develop a system of recognizing and rewarding the learning of individual students as
well as the achievement of the groups.
Prepare appropriate assessment instruments so that students will be able to
demonstrate their mastery and retention of academic content and skills after the
cooperative groups have completed their work.
Develop a system for keeping records of the group and individual achievements of the
students and for publicly acknowledging the achievements of the groups.
Plan a period of reflection so that after the groups have completed their tasks and
received their feedback, the students can analyze their achievements and their group
process.
Implementing Cooperative Learning
The teacher is expected to plan, manage, and monitor the learning environment so that
the students can maximize learning together as a team.
After doing the suggested steps for preparation, the teacher can proceed with the
following (Killen, 2009):
Assign the students in groups. It makes the students more alert to the instructions to be
given to them.
Explain clearly the outcomes that the students are to achieve and provide clear
directions about the academic tasks that each group will be assessed.
Remind the students of your expectations from them (particularly in relation to heling
one another learn) and of the cooperative goal structure (the rewards for learning).
Provide the students with resources if necessary.
Remind the students how long they have for the cooperative learning and get them
started.
Move around, visit each group to provide assistance, and monitor the activities and
learning of the students to make notes of matters that will need to be dealt with once the
group activities have finished.
Bring the lesson to a logical conclusion.
Evaluate the student achievement and help them assess how well they collaborated with
one another.
Sample Lesson Plan
TOPIC: Weather Patterns in the Philippines
Grade Level: Grade 6
Learning Competencies
The learners should be able to:
1. Describe the different seasons in the Philippines; and
2. Discuss appropriate activities for specific seasons of the Philippines.
ENGAGE
Ask the students about their prior knowledge/experience of different
seasons in the Philippines.
EXPLORE
Show a video clip or a news coverage about a recent typhoon. Instruct the
students to list down their observations.
EXPLAIN
Discuss the different seasons in the Philippines and appropriate activities for
the seasons. Show video clips.
ELABORATE
Divide the class in groups of 5-6 members. Ask them to collaboratively
develop a proposal on mitigating damages brought about by typhoons across
different areas of the country as if they are policymakers, lawmakers,
administrators, or leaders. They should be able to consider different aspects
such as safety, livelihood, and health of the citizen.
EVALUATE
Give each group at least 5 minutes to share their proposal in class. Use a
rubric to assess the students. Give your comments and suggestions regarding their
output.
Self-Learning Activities:
Activity 1
Answer the following guide questions. Use another sheet for the lesson plan.
1. What are the advantages of using collaborative learning as a strategy in class?
2. What are the limitations of collaborative learning as a strategy in class?
3. Given the learning competencies below, develop a sample lesson plan incorporating
cooperative learning.
Topic: Other Members of the Solar System: Comets, Meteors, Asteroids
Grade Level: Grade 7
Learning Competencies
The learners should be able to:
1. Compare and contrasts comets, meteors, and asteroids
2. Predict the appearance of comets based on recorded data of previous appearances;
and
3. Explain the regular occurrence of meteor showers.
ENGAGE
EXPLORE
EXPLAIN
ELABORATE
EVALUATE
Answer Sheet
Name: ________________________________________ Course Year/Level:_______________ Date: _______________
Self-Learning Activities:
Activity 1
Answer the following guide questions. Use another sheet for the lesson plan.
1. What are the advantages of using collaborative learning as a strategy in class?
2. What are the limitations of collaborative learning as a strategy in class?
3. Given the learning competencies below, develop a sample lesson plan incorporating
cooperative learning.
Topic: Other Members of the Solar System: Comets, Meteors, Asteroids
Grade Level: Grade 7
Learning Competencies
The learners should be able to:
1. Compare and contrasts comets, meteors, and asteroids
2. Predict the appearance of comets based on recorded data of previous appearances;
and
3. Explain the regular occurrence of meteor showers.
ENGAGE
EXPLORE
EXPLAIN
ELABORATE
EVALUATE
Good luck and God Bless!
(Note: All answers must be on this answer sheet. Any additional sheet will be attach together with
this answer sheet. Thank you!)
