Importance and difficulties of cooperative learning application in class teaching from teachers' perspective

Abstract

Based on previous knowledge of cooperative learning two approaches stand out in researching the importance of cooperative learning: a) the first approach tries to examine the effects, conditions and mechanisms by which educational outcomes are realized in the application of cooperative learning; and b) the second approach moves the focus towards attitudes and perceptions of teachers and students on the relevance of cooperative learning. By applying descriptive-analytical technique we conducted a research aimed at examining the opinions of teachers (N=305) about the importance and difficulties in application of cooperative learning in the context of class teaching. The results show that the teachers had positive attitudes towards the importance of cooperative learning for reaching various educational goals and socio-affective and cognitive development of students. It turned out that the opinions of the teachers were not determined by the level of their education or work experience. Additionally, it turned out that the teachers' opinions about the difficulties of application in class are due more to work organization and were not assessed from the aspect of knowledge, attitudes and convictions of the participants in the teaching process. The obtained results, although generally encouraging for teaching practice indicate a need for further advancement of this segment of the teacher's work in order to understand better the value of cooperative learning and consider more critically the difficulties for its application in classroom.

Keywords

• cooperative learning
• class teaching
• teachers' opinions