The purposes of this study are to identify similar and different characteristics
among middle and high school mathematics teachers who implement cooperative
learning (CL) frequently, identify the factors that motivate them in continual
employment of CL, and to examine how CL is implemented by frequent users of CL
(i.e., components of CL used, students' attitudes toward CL, and use of questions with
metacognitive cues). The study involves both qualitative and quantitative research
methods to answer the research questions.
Eight secondary mathematics teachers (N=8) from New York City schools who
are frequent users of cooperative learning were identified and interviewed, and the
teachers' classroom teaching was observed for five days. At the end of five-day
classroom observations, the survey on students' attitudes toward cooperative learning
was administered to the students in the participating teachers' classes. The responses
from the interviews, the classroom observations, and the surveys were transcribed,
coded, and analyzed to answer the research questions.
The results show that the high users of CL have congruent beliefs about the
teacher/student role and acquisition of knowledge as those proposed by educational
theories behind CL. The teachers have positive attitudes toward CL. The participants
work closely with their colleagues, and the principals support and encourage the use of
this learning methodology. Moreover, the teachers consider curriculum, studentability,
time constraint, and classroom management when planning for CL activities.
The factors that motivate the high users of CL in frequent implementation of this
learning method include the teachers' enjoyment in teaching with CL, the benefits the
teachers observe with the use of CL, the students' positive attitudes and enhanced
academic scores, and the school's educational policy.
The participating teachers utilize all of the essential components of cooperative
learning. The students have positive attitudes toward CL and toward the different
components of CL. For each teacher, the students have positive attitudes toward CL
and toward the different components of CL, with the exception of the Group
Processing component. Furthermore, on average the teachers incorporate fifty
questions with metacognitive cues in their classroom teaching.