The effects of cooperative learning activities on student attitudes towards English reading courses and cooperative learning

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of cooperative learning activities on student attitudes towards English reading courses and cooperative learning. Possible differences in attitudes in terms of gender and achievement level of students were also investigated. The study was conducted with one control and one experimental group. In total, 40 students participated in the study. Following a work shop on the implementation of cooperative learning activities, the teacher taught the experimental group using cooperative learning activities. The control group was taught using traditional whole class methods. Questionnaires were given to both groups before and after the four-week treatment. Interviews were also conducted with the teacher and randomly selected students. Questionnaire data were analyzed by t-tests and ANOVA tests. According to the results of these tests, no significant differences after the treatment were found between the control group and the experimental group responses related to their attitudes towards English reading courses and cooperative learning. In within-group comparison, however, the experimental group’s attitudes towards the English reading course was significantly more negative, whereas no change was found in the control group. Gender and achievement level were found to have no significant influence on students’ attitudes towards English reading courses and cooperative learning. Data collected in teacher and student interviews, however, suggested that cooperative learning had positive effects on attitudes towards English reading courses. In addition, both the teacher and the students reported positive attitude towards cooperative learning.