The Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning Teams Using the Bcubetm Process
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Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertations Graduate Research 2001 The Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning Teams Using the BcubeTM Process C. Vincent Anderson Andrews University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations Part of the Educational Methods Commons Recommended Citation Anderson, C. Vincent, "The Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning Teams Using the BcubeTM Process" (2001). Dissertations. 188. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations/188 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in the Andrews University Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses. 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Andrews University School of Education THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING TEAMS USING THE Bcube™ PROCESS A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor o f Philosophy C. Vincent Anderson June 2001 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 3019332 Copyright 2001 by Anderson, C. Vincent All rights reserved. ___ ® UMI UMI Microform 3019332 Copyright 2001 by Bell & Howell information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. © Copyright by C. Vincent Anderson 2001 All Rights Reserved Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING TEAMS USING THE Bcube™ PROCESS A dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by C. Vincent Anderson APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE: Chair: Elsie P. Jackson G. Futcher Dean, SctjooLbf Education Karen Graham Member: Elvin Gabriel ^ 0 0/ Date/approved Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING TEAMS USING THE Bcube™ PROCESS by C. Vincent Anderson Chair Elsie P. Jackson Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Dissertation Andrews University School of Education Title: THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING TEAMS USING THE Bcube™ PROCESS Name of researcher: C. Vincent Anderson Name and degree of faculty chair: Elsie P. Jackson, Ph.D. Date completed: June 2001 Problem Cooperative learning is attempted by placing students in group learning situations in which they receive assignments without a structured group or team-formation process. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Bcube™ process with college students as a method of bringing together individuals of varied backgrounds to form cooperative- learning teams. In addition, the affect of the Bcube™ process on a particular learning outcome was also examined. Method Sixty-three Andrews University students (undergraduate and graduate) were divided into treatment and control groups. After a pretest was administered, the Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. treatment group was given the Bcube™ process which is a method o f team formation that can be used to support cooperative learning strategies. Then all groups were given a learning task followed by a posttest. The Group Styles Inventory and the Group Development Questionnaire collected information from the 11 groups. Three-way analysis of covariance, three-way analysis of variance, t tests, Mann- Whitney, and Kruskal-Wallace tests were used to analyze the influence of the Bcube™ process along with gender and ethnicity on the five treatment groups. Results The control group scored higher than the treatment group on the posttest of the learning module. The treatment group perceived themselves more effective than the control group. The treatment group used a higher level of constructive group styles than the control group. The treatment group was observed displaying more traits of an effective group. Conclusions The control group used a centralized communication pattern to outperform the treatment group on the learning module. This supports previous research findings that simple task completion uses individual or centralized communication patterns whereas complex tasks lend themselves to a decentralized pattern. The treatment group perceived that their group worked together effectively to generate better solutions than they could individually, solutions that they could “buy into.” This suggests that the Bcube™ preparation favorably impacted the treatment group’s self-perception. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. The treatment group’s perceived higher level use of constructive group styles suggests that the Bcube™ emphasis on practicing cooperative strategies to accomplish taskwork had a significant affect. The observers’ ratings and qualitative data concurred that the Bcube™ process is an effective classroom cooperative preparation strategy. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. DEDICATION To my mom, Thelma L. Anderson, my wife, Dr. Joyce J. Anderson, and one of my brothers, Dr. David A. Anderson. Your love, support, faith, confidence, and inspiration gave me the push to get this done. iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................. viii LIST OF T A B L E S................................................................................................................. ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................... xii Chapter I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 1 Statement of the Problem ............................................................................... 3 Purpose ...............................................................................................................3 Theoretical Framework .....................................................................................4 Significance ........................................................................................................ 9 Research Questions ..........................................................................................11 Learning Group .........................................................................................11 Group Effectiveness ...................................................................................11 Group Styles ............................................................................................... 11 Stages of Group Development ............................................................... 11 Research Flypotheses .......................................................................................12 Learning Group Hypothesis ......................................................................12 Group Effectiveness Hypothesis .............................................................12