Cooperative learning in the CLIL classroom: challenges perceived by teachers and recommendations for Primary Education

Abstract

The popularity of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), as a pedagogical approach requiring a flexible methodology to learn content and a foreign language (FL), is unquestionable today. Cooperative learning (CL) seems to be an ideal methodology to meet the demands of CLIL. This study is aimed at collecting the perceptions of CLIL teachers with regard to the challenges that this approach entails when CL is implemented in primary-school classrooms. The respondents (n= 35) completed an online survey with 25 questions (closed-ended and open-ended). Results revealed the following challenges: use of the target language for interaction; motivation; lack of time; potential management problems; and assessment. On the other hand, respondents declared that in order to feel confident when combining CLIL and CL they would need more training. Finally, we provided some recommendations for each grade of Primary Education so as to shed some light on the challenges teachers perceive when CL is employed in CLIL subjects. This leaves an open door for further studies on CL in CLIL lessons from other countries.

Keywords

• bilingual education
• cooperative learning
• primary education
• CLIL challenges
• teachers’ perceptions