Young Adolescents’ Developmental Characteristics article explains that because of young adolescents’ strong need for affiliation, they need opportunities to form positive and healthy relationships with peers. Teachers must recognize the importance of friendship and peer relationships and provide opportunities for peer interactions. Teachers need to develop cooperative learning activities and collaborative experiences in which young adolescents can interact productively with peers.
Research has indicated that cooperation, compared with competitive and individualistic efforts, typically results in these student benefits:
- Higher achievement and greater productivity
- More caring, supportive, and committed relationships
- Greater psychological, health, social competence, and self-esteem
- Provide experiences that develop both good learning skills and social skills.
- Increased retention.
- Greater intrinsic motivation.
- More on-task behavior.
- Better attitudes toward teachers.
- Better attitudes toward school.
- Celebration of diversity
- Acknowledgment of individual differences
- Interpersonal development
- Actively involving students in learning
- More opportunities for personal feedback
The ERIC system stated that teachers have found that students placed in cooperative learning groups will find that they learn social skills, oral communication and join in positive relationships more easily and readily. These skills are essential when it comes to the student’s future. Social skills are improved as students discuss concepts and solve problems. Leadership is often fostered with cooperative learning groups. Studies have shown that the use of cooperative learning has improved academic achievement along with behavior and attendance. This learning style also helps students with motivation and increases their self-esteem.
Teachers have also discovered that the use of cooperative learning groups also help with relationships among different ethnic groups. Students with learning disabilities have also found cooperative learning groups to improve relationships and also learning styles. Students who cooperate have been found to be more successful and build better communication skills than those that have not been taught cooperation skills. Learning to celebrate others success and encouraging others to succeed will help all students in their future careers.
Cooperative Learning 