4.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

4.1. Results

Table 1: Percentages of positive and negative responses to the Attitude Questionnaire (AQ) in
Bariso Dukale, in West Guji.

concepts easy for me 177 98.9 2 1.1

2. I enjoyed working together in groups 171 95.5 8 4.5
3. I felt responsibility to contribute to my group 156 87.2 23 12.8
4. I get along with other group members 157 87.8 22 12.2
5. The method gave me a sense of belongingness 150 83.8 29 16.2
6. The format is the best way for me to learn the
material
166 92.7 13 7.3
7. I realize that I need other people to succeed 157 87.8 22 12.2
8. The method helped me to make more friends 158 83.3 21 11.7
9. The method helped me to develop likeness in
coming to school
160 89.4 19 10.6
10. The method reduced the fears I had about biology
considerably
166 92.7 13 7.3
Negative
Positive responses
Item responses % %
1. The method made understanding of
biology
 In Table 1, results show that the students who were taught using the cooperative learning
approach showed positive attitudes to the cooperative learning approach. This means the
cooperative learning/teaching approach has capacity to develop positive attitudes in students.
Ho1: There is no significant development of positive attitude towards the cooperative learning
approach by students taught using the cooperative learning approach.
Table 2: A 3 x 2 Contingency Table Cross Classifying Students Attitude in the three
Experimental Classes.
School 1 School School Total
fo fe 2 fo fe 3 fo fe
Positive 2981 (3001.32) 1266 (1233.46) 1273 (1285.20) 5520
Total 3190 1311 1366 5867

X2 = ∑ (fo - fe)2
fe

Table 3: Summary Table for Chi – Square test for determining attitude of students towards
cooperative learning approach in Bariso Dukale, in West Guji.
Cell Fo Fe Df X2 calculated X2 critical
i. 2981 3001.32 25.84 1.39
Ii 1266 1233.46 2
Iii 1273 1285.2
Iv 209 188.67
V 45 77.53
Vi 93 80.79
Significant at 0.05
Table 3 shows that calculated value for X2 (25.84) is greater than the X2 critical value (1.39)
for df = 2 at 0.05 level of significance. H01 is therefore rejected. This implies that there is a
significant development of positive attitude towards the cooperative learning approach by
students in the groups.
4.1.1. Major finding
There was significant development of positive attitudes towards the cooperative learning
approach by students taught using the cooperative learning approach in Bariso Dukale, in West
Guji.
4.2. Discussion

The objectives of this study in high school of Bariso Dukale, in West Guji was to
investigate whether the use of cooperative learning approach will enhance the development of
favorable attitudes of students towards the cooperative learning approach. The students in the
experimental classes taught using the cooperative learning approach developed a positive
attitude towards the method. This is very encouraging mainly because, one of the big problems
teachers are contending with is lack of adequate motivation on the part of students to learning. If
the method can stimulate eagerness to learn as we see from this response, it means it should be
encouraged in order to enhance motivation.
The method helped in building good inter personal relationships. As stated by a student,
I enjoyed working with my classmates. I chat with them in the normal class, when something is
taught, you may not understand and some of us don’t like asking our teachers. In the groups, we
interact with ourselves; from there you can bring out your ideas. It is only when you have a
problem that you can call the teacher.

This was contrary to one student who said; it makes me angrier with them because they don’t say
anything, in some groups they bring their opinions. Other groups will be waiting for me to do
everything. This situation can arise when a member of a group cannot read his/her own portion of
the material, and therefore not be able to teach his/her mates. Rather than for this reason discredit
the se of the method, efforts should be made to encourage students to take advantage of sharing
with their mates even if it means using the local language, to forge ahead. The challenge of
personal responsibility will encourage the development of reading skills compared to the use of the
traditional method.
When asked whether the method stimulated them to come to school, one respondent said; any day
that I miss this lesson, is like I missed a lot because, if I did not come to school. I don’t know- like
today for example if I was not in school I would not know what happened today, but I enjoy
coming to school because of the method and am free with my friends to learn through my mates.
Another student simply said:
When you are involved with the method, you won’t want to miss class from the empirical results
of the study and the interviews, it can be seen that the method is effective in enhancing affective
outcomes.

At the writer's school, outcomes of competitive structures have the greatest effect. She believes
that at least half of the students, mostly those studying courses which are less demanding, are not
well motivated, and have low self-esteem. As a result, their academic achievements are
disappointing. A different goal structure is needed. Literature, for example, the work of Adams and
Hamm (1994, pp. 43-47) has suggested that cooperative learning may improve the situation by
building learning situations which capitalize upon students' natural working mode inclinations, by
encouraging better social relations and higher self-esteem, and producing academic and skill levels
that are of more value to the community and the student.

In supporting the need for the introduction of cooperative learning, Kagan (1994, p. 2: 1) says that
the educator's primary function is to provide students with the skills they require for a productive
and happy life. Thus, we must look carefully at the forces that are shaping our economic and social
worlds, to discern the kinds of skills our students will need and those which they are lacking.

Kagan notes ours is a rapidly changing, information-based, high technology, and interdependent
economy. He concludes that this economy, where the norm in the workplace is interaction,
increasingly will rely on interdependent teams working on complex problems which no individual
alone can solve.

Kagan believes many of today's kindergarten students will have positions in job categories which
do not yet exist. As technology produces ever higher-level technological advances, which in tum
will transform even more radically the jobs and the lives of the students, the schools need to
provide for their students a broader base of experiences, skills and information. Schools must set as
highest priority the teaching of thinking skills, communication skills and social skills necessary for
participation in an increasingly complex, interdependent society. Cooperative teamwork,
interaction and communication will characterise the workplace of the future. Therefore, Kagan
says, it is imperative that classrooms include not only individualistic and competitive, but also
cooperative interaction.

Cooperative learning, he concludes, is an important response to transformations in our society. It

broadens students' range of experiences, including interactive learning opportunities representative
of the workplace of the future. It provides a variety of ways to foster communication skills, higher-
level thinking skills and social skills. The heterogeneous team in the classroom can be a positive
model for students to take with them into the workforce (Joyce, B. & Weil, M. 1986).

As noted on page 2, for students taken as a cohort, cooperative learning results in higher academic
achievement. Of most interest to those concerned for disadvantaged students is that low-achieving
students generally benefit most (Jones, A & Mulford, J. (ed.) 1974). Adams and Hamm (1990, p.
4) say that low achievers lack the ability to manipulate words and numbers, but they have tough-
mindedness that could assist them in becoming successful leaders and workers. They have learned
how to beat the odds in fighting the daily battles of personal survival. Many of these students,
value team sports and cooperation so that cooperative learning strategies are more likely to interest
them.

Within the set of cooperative learning strategies there are three major subsets of strategies and
within these are basic ways of organising lessons. They are often open-ended. Experienced
teachers who have cooperative goals have shared many of their cooperative learning lesson plans,
which appear in texts such as Cooperative Challenges (Wilson & Egeberg 1990). The assistance
with organisation that such lesson outlines provide is insufficient: as indicated, social skills need to
be taught and practiced.

Conclusions

From the results of this study, the following conclusion was made. There was a development of
positive attitudes by the students toward the cooperative learning approach. The implementation of
Cooperative Learning method in Secondary High School Bariso Dukale, in West Guji is effective.
The teacher made Lesson Plan first before teaching and learning processes, also serves teachers as
facilitators, motivators, and dynamist. It helps students to improve students’ achievement in terms
of academics. All of the key elements of Cooperative Learning are implemented here. Cooperative
Learning method also has a contribution that can be given to the development of social skills of
students, working with other students. This also helps students to develop their empathic abilities,
and trying to find a solution to a problem in the group; also develops skills such as the need to
accommodate the views of others. The students are also in trained how to work in groups and help
each other and the students also get training about traditional group values.

Recommendations

The following recommendations have been made.

The cooperative learning approach is highly recommended to be used in teaching in secondary
schools seeing it has capacity to improve achievement, enhance conceptual change, and develop
positive attitudes.
1. Teachers in secondary schools should be engaged in training and retraining in order that
they get acquainted with modern and effective teaching methods like the cooperative learning
approach.
2. The primary conception of the cooperative learning approach was conceived to solve a
social problem of racial segregation. Thus the teaching/ learning approach should be
introduced in our secondary schools to teach youngsters the need for interdependence to
 succeed in life.
3. Ministries of education at all tiers of government should in their construction and
equipping of classrooms take into consideration facilities that can allow for students to learn in
groups. Situations where students sit on long benches which are fixed to the floors are not
helpful for collaboration of students in groups.
4. Technical committees should be set and put in place in institutions to administer the decision which
should be allowed being implemented. Administrators should also be given training on the concept,
awareness
 Adams, D. & Hamm, M. 1992, Cooperative Learning, Thomas, Springfield, Illinois.
 Adams, D. & Hamm, M. 1994, New Designs for Teaching and Learning, Jossey-Bass,
San Francisco.
 Jones, A & Mulford, J. (ed.) 1974, Children Using Language, Oxford University Press,
Gateshead.
 Joyce, B. & Weil, M. 1986, Models of Teaching, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
 Kagan, S. 1994, 'Cooperative Learning and the Gifted', Cooperative Learning, vol. 14,
no. 4., Santa Cruz, CA. Kagan, S. 1994, Cooperative Learning, Resources for Teachers
Inc., University of California, San Juan Capistrano, CA.
 Willis, S .. 1990, 'Cooperative Learning Fallout?' ASCD Update, 6, 8, October.
 Wilson, J. & Egeberg, P. 1990, Cooperative Challenges, Thomas Nelson, South
Melbourne Australia.