Co-operative learning processes of students: a longitudinal multilevel perspective

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Social Learning Theory

Background:

• Investigated the relationship between cooperation and explanation processes in primary school children.
• Compared outcomes between classes trained in communication skills and untrained classes.

Purpose of the Study:

• Examined the impact of basic communication skills training on cooperation and explanation within cooperative groups.
• Analyzed the development and relationship of cooperation and explanation processes over time.
• Identified student and class-level factors influencing these collaborative processes.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal, multilevel observational study involving 192 Year 6 students (mean age 134.3 months).
• Students worked in four-person, mixed-ability, gender-balanced groups for 12 weeks on a social studies unit.

Main Results:

• Trained classes exhibited significantly higher cooperation and explanation rates compared to untrained classes.
• Solicited explanations were positively linked to cooperation, with individual student ability enhancing this transformation.
• Higher class ability levels also correlated with increased student explanations, independent of individual ability.

Conclusions:

• Findings explain why high-ability students gain more from cooperative learning and why solicited explanations are more effective.
• Cooperative learning effects are attributable to peer interactions, particularly with more able peers, which is promoted by overall class ability.
• Empirically validated 'contextual effects' previously suggested in cooperative learning literature.