COOPERATIVE LEARNING - PREVALENCE, CONCEPTUALIZATIONS, AND THE RELATION BETWEEN RESEARCH AND PRACTICE

This study examined the prevalence, conceptualization, and form of coo perative learning used by elementary school teachers. Responding to a survey, 93% of teachers (n = 85) from six elementary schools in two di stricts indicated they used cooperative learning. In interviews with a subset of those teachers (n = 21), all indicated having daily coopera tive lessons in several subjects. The majority of teachers subscribed to cooperative learning to achieve both academic and social learning g oals, structured tasks for positive interdependence, and taught studen ts skills for working in small groups. When we applied criteria for co operative learning derived from the research literature, few teachers were employing recognized forms of this practice, primarily because th ey did not tie individual accountability to group goals. Implications for communication between researcher-developer and teachers are discus sed.