CHAPTER ONE
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Cooperative learning, or student centred instruction is not a new concept. It has been utilized in nearly all academic settings and grade levels for the past decade. This group approach to learning promotes improved academic achievement better attendance, higher motivation, and an increased interest for the subject and classmates. Industrial specialists have deemed the ability to work well with others one of the most important skills necessary for success. Researches and studies have also proven its effectiveness.
However the process is not without its critics. Students often resist the responsibility for learning that is placed upon their shoulders. They may resent the active role that they are expected to take on. Personality conflicts within the group may also contribute to a general feeling of mal-content. It is the role of the instructor to initially guide the groups, and then monitor their progress in order to ensure maximum learning. Therefore, cooperative approach to learning is not intended to replace direct instruction from the teacher. It should be used to compliment the direct instruction by affording the students the opportunity to respond to open-ended question, role play and brainstorm. When several students tackle the same problem, they may use a variety of methods. Watching someone arrive at a solution in a differing manner is beneficial as a learner. When students explain the process that they use to arrive at a solution, they not only teach the other members of the group, but they reinforce their own knowledge.
Studies have revealed that the best way to retain information is to teach it to others. This method of retaining information is wise people that law of giving is to receive in abundant. Not only is the direct instruction received, but it is practiced, processed and further understood. Students often question the concept of being forced to work with others to achieve a goal that they feel they could easily achieve alone. Those who are academically gifted or are extremely shy are difficult to convince. The facts however remain that the most employer need to work hand in hand to resolve issues. Many occupations revolve their practices around working together. If a student has never been guided through this method, he/she may fall of being competent enough to do the job well. Intelligence is not enough in real world occupations.
Therefore, it is necessary to teach these skills within the frame work of all content areas, that is are a limited number of university courses that solely instruct students on the etiquette of working cooperatively this must be considered. High achieving and shy students will also find that their grades may improve by being involved in a cooperative process.
There are many road blocks that may occur throughout the journey to cooperative learning. Not all students take their responsibilities seriously enough .Many think that their weaknesses will be picked up by the others in the group. Some students may be too strong of leaders and stifle the contributions of the other members of the group. Conflict is a natural by-product of cooperation. when students are asked to work together it is with the intent that they will each provide a differing view and /or opinion. When differing opinions are joined together to form one product, conflict is sure to arise. Conflict can be a very healthy springboard to learning. The ability to listen and be flexible to views is absolutely essential to the success of a group. The student who don’t contribute enough effort should first be encouraged by their groups. If this proves unsuccessful, the instructor should step in and mediate. Student should do everything possible to remain a cooperative and cohesive unit, but if all attempts fail they should be allowed a chance to rebuild a new unit. It should also be the responsibility of the strongest member of the team to carry the others. The instructor cannot assume that all group conflicts should be resolved alone. Classroom modeling of effective group work and role playing of conflict situations should be directed by the instructors. Many years of research and numerous studies cannot be denied. Cooperative learning is an effective method for understanding and retaining information.
Industry experts cannot be ignored when they state that being able to work effectively in a group is an imperative skill. Cooperative learning is not a replacement for the classroom teacher. It is intended to complement the direct instruction by causing students to be confident thinkers and active learners. Cooperative learning is one of the most remarkable and fertile areas of theory, research, and practice in education. Cooperative learning exists when students work together to accomplish shared goals (Johnson and Johnson 1994). Each students can then achieve his or her learning goal if the other group member achieve theirs (Deutsch, 1962). In the past three decades, modern cooperative learning has procedure in pre-school through graduate school levels, in all subject areas, in all aspects of instruction and learning, in non-traditional as well as traditional learning situations and even in after school and non-school educational programmes. There is broad dissemination of cooperative learning through teacher preparation programmes, in-service professional development and practitioner, publications. The use of cooperative learning so pervades education that it is difficult to find textbooks on instructional methods, teachers’ journals, or instructional materials that do not mention and utilize it. While a variety of different ways of operationalizing cooperative learning have implemented in schools and colleges, there has been no comprehensive review of the research evident validating the cooperative learning methods.
Therefore, this study is meant to examine the empirical support validating the effectiveness of the different method of cooperative learning. In order to do so it is first helpful to discuss why cooperative learning is so widely used. The wide spread use of cooperative learning is due to multiple factors. Three of the most important are that cooperative learning is clearly based on theory validated research, and operationalized into clear procedures educators can use.
Firstly, cooperative learning is based solidly on a variety of theories in anthropology (Mead, 1936) sociology (Coleman, 1961) economics (Von. Mises, 1949), political science (Smith, 1759) psychology, and other social sciences. In psychology where cooperative has received the most intense study, cooperative learning has its roots in social interdependence (Deutsch 1949,1962, Johnson and Johnson, 1979, Skinner, 1968). It is rare that an instructional procedure is central to such a wide range of social science theories.
Secondly, the amount generalizability, breath, and applicability of the research on cooperative, competitive and individualistic efforts provides considerable validation of the use of cooperative learning, perhaps more than most other instructional method (Chen, 1994, Johnson 1970, Johnson and Johnson 1974, 1978, 1989, 1999, Kohn, 1992, Sharan, 1980, Slavin, 1991). There are nine hundred research studies validating the effectiveness of cooperative over competitive and individualistic efforts this body of research has considerable generalizability since the research has been conducted by many different researchers with markedly different orientations working in different settings and countries and in eleven different decades, since research participants have varied widely as to cultural background, economic class, age and gender and since a wide variety of research tasks and measures of the dependent variables have been used as a source of getting information.
Therefore, the Nigerian system of education is geared towards producing individuals who will not only posses the capability to serve his problems but also contribute to the development of his environment. Quite a number of subjects can be identified in the curriculum of schools at all levels of Nigerian education. The subjects are included with the expectation that when properly taught, a more effective learning will result and this will bring about the actualization of the goals of Nigerian education as stated in the National policy on Education (NPE)
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Inspite of the importance of social studies in our educational system in Nigeria, students performance in the subject shows decline and fluctuations in Junior School Certificate Examination (JSCE) as stated by (Yusuf, 2004). Stake holders have attributed the problem to many factors among which is technique adopted in teaching the subject as well as other subjects. Therefore, an attempt is made with this research to ascertain the effects of cooperative learning method on students achievement.
1.3 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
The following null hypothesis will be tested in the study at 0.5 level significance. These are analysed below:
- There is no significant difference between the mean academic performance of social studies taught with competitive learning strategy and those taught with cooperative learning strategy.
- There is no significance difference between the mean academic performance of male and females taught social studies with competitive social studies
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study is significance as it will enlighten the teachers on the importance of cooperative ;learning method on the academic
Achievement of students in social studies
1. It will also provide information for curriculum planners, researchers, and the policy makers on useful instructional strategy.
2. It will prepare a student to choose the learning method and succeed in whatever class work or assignment given.
3. It will also develop the motive of choosing career in the future.
1.5 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF STUDY
The scope of the study is restricted to social studies as a subject which is one of the fifteen (15) subjects offered in the secondary schools either in public or private schools. The study is limited to just social studies because of time scare resources and other logistics.