Cooperative Learning: Its Influence on Academic Achievement, Social Interaction and Self Concepts of College Biology Students

Abstract

This quantitative-qualitative research on cooperative learning used as an intervention in teaching college biology, identified and analyzed the influence of cooperative learning on academic achievement, social interaction, and self-concept among college biology students. Three cooperative learning strategies were utilized- Group Investigation (GI). Team Assisted Individualization (TAI) and Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC). Three cooperative learning groups were used- Personal Selection (PS), Random Selection (RS) and Equal Distribution (ED). Academic achievement was measured by using Biology Achievement Test (BAT) cumulative Academic Scores obtained from nine activities performed during the period intervention... Three biology topics were covered including Development Biology, Ecology and Genetics in the implementation of the cooperative learning intervention during the final term of school year 2000-2001.

Treatment of data, generated from various instruments namely Cumulative Academic Scores, Biology Achievement Test (BAT), Thirty Statement Test (TST), Rubric on cooperation and Collaboration (RCC) and Self Attention Scale (SAS), utilized Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), t-test and the Pearson’s correlation while descriptive analysis dealt with the different social interactions exhibited by the students during cooperative learning.