EFFECT OF CO-OPERATIVE LEARNING ON THE EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTS OF STUDENTS AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEVEL Malik Amer Atta1,Asif Jamil1 ,Ghulam Muhammad Kundi2 & Muhammad Siddique3 1Institute of Education & Research Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan 2Department of Public Administration, Goaml University, D.I.Khan 3Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Gomal University, D.I.Khan ABSTRACT The foremost purpose of this study was to probe that how cooperative learning effect educational attainment of students at elementary school level. Regarding this research sample consisted of 8th class elementary school student. These students divided into two equal groups i.e. control and experimental. Results of this research work indicated that cooperative learning affect the educational attainment of students at elementary school level. Key Words: Cooperative learning, Educational attainment, Elementary schools. INTRODUCTION level in Pakistan teaching learning process Cooperative Learning means structuring is totally based on rote memorization and classes about small groups. These groups students are given very less time for active work together for the achievement of participation and interaction. success, in such a way that each group member depends on the group. In Johnson & Johnson (1999) so many cooperative learning different groups work studies have been undertaken to measure in different situations, these groups work the success of cooperative learning as an differently but one thing is common in instructional method/technique regarding between the group i.e. attainments of goal. social skills, student learning, knowledge Cooperative learning groups balance some and various achievements across all levels main elements i.e. students sit side-by-side so in this perspective the general at the same time and same table to talk consensus is that cooperative learning play with each other. In cooperative learning a very crucial role in positive student there is too much involvement of each and outcomes in all domains. every student like discussing materials, helping, or sharing material with other STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM students. In cooperative learning, group of In teaching learning process at elementary students are structuring in such a way that school level this research was designed to there is interdependence among students. probe the effect of co-operative learning on the educational attainments of students. Co-operative learning plays a very imperative role in the educational triumph OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY of students in teaching learning process, so The core objective of research was to find the role of a teacher should be co- the attainment of the students regarding operative. Effective teaching learning co-operative learning. process requires the conscious, effective, cooperative and active efforts of the HYPOTHESIS teacher and the student. At elementary 88 Atta et.al., Effect of Co-Operative Following null hypothesis was formulated an increase in a variety of thinking and tested through the process of research. strategies among individuals in the group. H0: There is no significant effect of the co-operative learning on educational Johnson and Johnson (1989) introduce five attainments of students at elementary elements (face-to-face interaction, positive school level. interdependence, individual accountability, processing, and social LITERATURE REVIEW skills) indispensable for effective group Cooperative Learning learning, achievement, and higher-order Slavin (1990) Cooperative learning is an skills (e.g., problem solving, organizing, approach to organize, arrange, reasoning, planning, reflecting and systematize, assemble and classify decision-making). classroom activities into academic learning experiences to get maximum Cooperative learning Techniques learning outcomes. So the main focus of Schul (2011) discusses that there are the cooperative learning is “structuring number of cooperative learning techniques positive interdependence” in teaching available i.e. think Pair Share, Jigsaw, learning process. Reciprocal teaching, student-teams- achievement divisions, three-step Kagan (1990) regarding academic interview, roundtable, numbered heads gathering students must work in groups to together, pairs check etc all these complete academic tasks collectively. techniques improve skills, education, Cooperatively students learning capitalize knowledge, thinking, attitude, aptitude, on one another’s resources and skills. In interdependence and social values of the the process of cooperative learning the students. role of teachers has been changed, the teacher should facilitate students’ learning. Research supporting cooperative It has been discussed that in cooperative learning learning students work in a group so Brown & Ciuffetelli (2009) different everyone succeeds when the group researches in the perspective of succeeds. cooperative learning demonstrated extremely positive results. In school Ross and Smyth (1995) depict cooperative situation cooperative learning engage learning as creative, intellectually students in group and increase learning, demanding, open-ended, and involve education, knowledge, skills. On the higher order thinking tasks. In cooperative subject of cooperative learning the positive learning group work is more effective and outcomes include: academic attainments, efficient in quality and quantity when improved relations and increased personal, compared to working alone in teaching social and intellectual development. learning process. Sapon-Shevin (1994) from pre-school to Johnson (1994) elaborate cooperative post secondary school cooperative learning in such a way that promote better learning has been found to be a successful communication, mutual liking, high teaching strategy. At elementary level acceptance and support, as well as exhibit cooperative learning is a fine teaching strategy in order to fulfill the needs of Gomal University Journal of Research, 29(2) Dec 2013 89 Atta et.al., Effect of Co-Operative students. Basic educational needs of teenagers can be completed easily with the Sample of the Study help of cooperative learning. Following sample was selected by simple random sampling technique. Ke and Grabowski (2007) indicated that 1. Government Higher Secondary cooperative learning is a doing well School # 1D.I.Khan. teaching strategy because small teams are 2. 60 Students of 8th class were prepared to interact with each other so in selected for this study. this way students of different levels and ability use a variety of learning activities Instruments to improve their understanding of different The following two instruments were used subjects. in this study. o Pre-Test Kamuran and Fikri (2008) engaged student Pre-test was used to know the to teach by using cooperative learning performance of experimental technique improved performances of group and control group at students. Innovative cooperative learning initially. model positively improve students’ o Post-Test attainment and learning motivation. Post-test was used to know the performance of experimental Brady & Tsay (2010) describe that group and control group at the students who fully take part in group end of experiment. activities, provide useful feedback and positive behavior which is essential for Procedure of the Study their academic carrier. Study supports the The procedure of this study was two equal perception that cooperative learning is an performance groups of students were active pedagogy that promotes higher selected on pre-test. One group was called educational attainment. Cooperative experimental group and the other was the learning increases enjoyment of school control group. Both groups were taught by and class regarding skill, motivation, the same type of teachers. The behaviour, attitude and interdependence. experimental group was provided cooperative learning facility while the Johnson and Johnson (1989) concluded control group was not provided such cooperative learning results in: facility. After one month teaching a post o Increased higher level way of thinking. test was given to the students. The marks o Increased generation of new ideas and of both tests were arranged and compared solution of various problems. by using t-test and coefficient of variation o Greater transfer of learning between (CV). situations. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY To determine significant effect of Population of the Study cooperative learning on the educational The Population for the study included all attainments of students, t-test and the secondary school students of District coefficient of variation (CV) was used. Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Gomal University Journal of Research, 29(2) Dec 2013 90 Atta et.al., Effect of Co-Operative Chaudhary (1996), “To compare the x1 x2 performance of two candidates co-efficient t 1 2 1 1 of variation was used” (p.106). S p n n 1 2 With n n 2 d. f Alam (2000), “Stability or consistency in 1 2 Where the variables is used as terms opposite to f1x1 f2 x2 X 1 X 2 variation or dispersion i.e. more stable will f1 f2 2 2 be the data if it has less variation similarly 2 (n1 1)S1 (n2 1)S2 SP less stable will be the data if it has more n1 n2 2 2 1 2 variation”. (p.151) Where S1 (X1i X 1) n1 1 2 1 2 And S (X X 2 ) Applied test formulae are as under: 2 2i n2 1 S Co efficient of Variation C.V 100 X WhereS s tan dard deviation and X Mean ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION OF DATA TABLE#1: SHOWING THE PRE-TEST SCORES OF CONTROL AND EXPERIMENTAL