What Is Cooperative Learning Theory?

Cooperative learning theory is an offshoot of constructivism, the practice of building new knowledge upon the foundation of previous learning. It incorporates the idea that the best learning occurs when students, of mixed levels of ability, are actively engaged in the learning process and work in collaboration with other students to accomplish a shared goal. While constructivism focuses on personal experience as the foundation for learning new material, cooperative learning utilizes not only the student’s own experience to solidify knowledge, but also uses the experiences of others. Both theories emphasize the importance of interactivity with respect to the design and implementation of lesson plans. Cooperative learning can incorporate constructivist techniques that encourage and/or require students to experiment, hypothesize, and do real-world problem solving. Students then reflect on the new knowledge they have gained and discuss what they are doing and how their understanding has changed. This constructivist theory of learning is based on observation and scientific study. It postulates that we construct our own understanding and knowledge of the world through experience and reflection on those experiences. New knowledge has to be reconciled with previous ideas and experiences altering our understanding. Students must be able to ask questions, explore, and assess their experiences to learn thus becoming active creators of their own knowledge.

In the mid-1960s, cooperative learning was relatively unknown and largely ignored by educators. Elementary, secondary, and university teaching was dominated by competitive and individualistic learning. Cultural resistance to cooperative learning was based on social Darwinism, with its premise that students must be taught to survive in a “dog-eat-dog” world, and the myth of “rugged individualism” underlying the use of individualistic learning. While competition dominated educational thought, it was being challenged by individualistic learning largely based on B. F. Skinner’s work on programmed learning and behavioral modification. Educational practices and thought, however, have changed. In 1994 Johnson and Johnson published the 5 elements (positive interdependence, individual accountability, face-to-face interaction, social skills, and processing) essential for effective group learning, achievement, and higher-order social, personal and cognitive skills. Johnson and Johnson identified that cooperative learning promoted mutual liking, better communication, high acceptance and support, as well as demonstrated an increase in a variety of thinking strategies among individuals in the group. Students who showed to be more competitive lacked in their interaction and trust with others, as well as in their emotional involvement with other students.

Cooperative learning is now an accepted and often preferred instructional procedure at all levels of education. Cooperative learning is presently used in schools and universities in every part of the world, in every subject area, and with every age student. It is difficult to find a text on instructional methods, a teacher’s journal, or instructional materials that do not discuss cooperative learning. Materials on cooperative learning have been translated into dozens of languages. Cooperative learning is now an accepted and highly recommended instructional procedure.

Contemporary classrooms are laboratories of learning using cooperative learning groups to accomplish tasks that are intellectually demanding, creative, open-ended, and involve using higher order thinking skills. The role of the teacher has changed from giving information(lecturing) to facilitating learning through structuring positive interdependence. Unlike individual learning which is often competitive in nature, cooperative learning groups must work collectively to accomplish academic goals and everyone succeeds when the group succeeds. These heterogeneous groups are structured to allow students to capitalize on their strengths, share information with others, evaluate one another’s ideas, and monitor one another’s work. Research reports higher levels of student satisfaction engaged in cooperative learning experiences.

So what is cooperative learning theory? Five essential elements of cooperative learning have been identified by Johnson and Johnson as essential to a successful cooperative classroom. A successful classroom has positive interdependence, individual and group accountability, promotes face to face interaction, group processing, and teaches required interpersonal and small group skills. Cooperative learning also accommodates learning styles that are visual-spatial, aural-auditory, verbal-linguistic, kinesthetic, logical-mathematical, social-interpersonal, and solitary-intrapersonal.

Research by Johnson and Johnson indicates students in cooperative learning environments reason better, achieve more, gain higher self-esteem, like classmates and the learning tasks more and have more perceived social support. Johnson and Johnson identified five variables that influence the effectiveness of cooperation.

Positive interdependence — Students must fully participate and put forth effort within their group. Each group member has a task/role/responsibility and therefore must believe that they are responsible for their learning and that of their group. Students have the sense that they’re ‘in this together,’ feeling that each member’s individual effort will not only help him, but the whole group. The grade of each student is dependent upon the effort of other group members.

Individual and group accountability — Each student must demonstrate mastery of the content being studied. Each student is accountable for their learning and work and their own contribution to the group, therefore eliminating “social loafing”. Clearly identified goals specify what individuals are responsible for and what the group responsibilities are.

Face-to-face interaction — Members promote each other’s success. Students explain to one another what they have or are learning and assist one another with understanding and completion of assignments. Although some work may be divided up and done individually, other work must be done interactively with students giving each other feedback, challenging reasoning and conclusions, and teaching and encouraging one another.

Group processing — Group processing occurs when group members (a) reflect on which member actions were helpful and (b) make decision about which actions to continue or change. The purpose of group processing is to clarify and improve the effectiveness with which members carry out the processes necessary to achieve the group’s goals.

Social skills — Social skills must be taught in order for successful cooperative learning to occur. Skills include effective communication, interpersonal and group skills.

1. Leadership
2. Decision-making
3. Trust-building
4. Friendship- development
5. Communication
6. Conflict-management skills

While cooperative learning offers potential benefits of increased self-esteem, greater liking for school, enhanced inter-ethnic ties, and improved complex thinking, cooperative learning also offers hope that we can move away from the unhealthy forms of conflict and competition toward collaborative environments that will produce the twenty-first century learners whose innovation and creativity will keep the United States competitive in a global economy.

The classroom focus shifts from a teacher pouring knowledge into passive students to a teacher acting as facilitator who coaches, guides, mediates, prompts, and assists students in developing and assessing their understanding as they create their own learning. Knowledge is no longer just fixed facts to be memorized but part of a dynamic, ever-changing view of the world around them. Twenty-first century classrooms are student focused rather than teacher centered. The teacher is a facilitator who prompts students to formulate their own questions(inquiry), allows multiple interpretations and expressions of learning (multiple intelligences), and encourages group work and the use of peers as resources (collaborative learning). Cooperative learning in the classroom engages students more intensely because they accomplish learning tasks in a mutually supportive social environment.