ABSTRACT

   This study was designed to examine the cooperative learning strategies as correlates of positive classroom cultures, in English Language subject in secondary schools. Mezam division. The study was conducted in three public secondary schools in the Bamenda I, II and III subdivisions. The study examined the relationship of three cooperative learning strategies: Student Team Achievement Division, Think Pair Share and the Jigsaw method with positive classroom cultures, in English language subject. The problem was that cooperative learning strategies influence the learning and teaching of English language subjects in secondary schools. An explanatory sequential research design was used and the study employed both quantitative and qualitative approaches where questionnaires were given to the students and personal interviews were given to English language teachers which were used for data collection. The sample of the study included 252 form 3 students and 7 form three English language teachers. The data were analyzed using frequency, percentages and ratio. Findings revealed that cooperative learning strategies play a positive significant role in positive classroom cultures; It was noted that apparatus and chemicals were either insufficient or absent in all sampled schools It was recommended that, In order to foster a positive and effective learning environment, teachers should prioritize the implementation of cooperative learning strategies in their classrooms. This includes structuring lessons to promote collaboration and teamwork, encouraging positive communication and social skills, and creating opportunities for students to learn from one another. 

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

The major aim of the teaching and learning process is for learners to have a greater understanding of the concept. To achieve this target, teachers use diverse teaching methods including lecture, discussion and demonstration. Among all these methods, the most widely practiced is the Lecture method. Harman & Nguyen, (2010). Though this method is so popular and widely used, it has faced a lot of criticism by many researchers such as, Ken Bain (2004) as cited by Reddy (2021), who agreed with Kain’s argument that the traditional lecture method is ineffective and argued that more active learning approaches are needed to promote student engagement and learning. that, the lecture method is ineffective in promoting deep learning and student engagement. In addition to Ken Bain, there are several authors who also criticized the traditional lecture method. Among them are Bell Hooks (1994) and Parker Palmer (1998) as cited by Aoki (2020), who both argued that the traditional lecture method is not only ineffective, but also can be harmful to students by promoting passivity and discouraging critical thinking. as it mostly deals with assumptions that do not help in deep understanding of the concepts taught. This has resulted in more emphasis on teaching through diverse methods and strategies in order to improve learning and understanding. One of these is the cooperative learning strategy which is defined as a teaching strategy that involves organizing students into small groups to work together and learn academic content. According to Gillies (2016), cooperative learning is popularly recognized as a pedagogical practice that promotes socialization and learning among students from preschool through to tertiary level and across different subject domains. It involves students working together to achieve common goals or complete group tasks goals and other tasks that they would be unable to complete by themselves. Moreover, Nathan and McLoughlin (2010), as cited by John (2020), defined cooperative education as a pedagogical approach that emphasis the value of collaborative learning and the power of collective knowledge construction. They also emphasized the role of the teacher as a guide and mediator in the learning process. They developed a model for cooperative education that includes four elements: active engagement, collaboration, social learning and reflection. 

Background of the Study

Conceptually, the following concepts will comprise of the independent and dependent variables with the indicators and some related concepts to the study, which are, cooperative learning strategies, Student Team Achievement Division, Jigsaw, Think Pair Share, positive classroom cultures and English Language.

In recent years, studies involving cooperative learning, one kind of student-centered approach have emerged as an internationally important area of social science research among researchers Slavin (2011). Many studies have been conducted in different settings of education, using different kinds of cooperative learning techniques. Such techniques are Learning Together (LT), Jigsaw Grouping, Teams-Games-Tournaments (TGT), Group Investigation(GI), Student Teams Achievement Division (STAD), and Team Accelerated Instruction (TAI). A series of research studies has found an appreciated relationship between the higher cognitive and affective outcomes, and cooperative learning approaches Johnson & Johnson (2005), Tran & Lewis (2012). In comparison with cooperative learning techniques, lecture-based teaching has been reported to be less effective to the demands of high rates of cognitive and affective outcomes Slavin (2011). In order to improve students’ cognitive outcomes, an alternative to lecture-based teaching could be cooperative learning Tran & Lewis (2012). This approach has been reported to improve students’ achievement, and their knowledge retention Johnson & Johnson (2009) as cited by Parasuraman (2019).

According to Davidson (2021), the pioneers of cooperative learning, including David W. Johnson and Roger T. Johnson, Eliliot, Spencer Kagan, Richard Schmuck, Neil Davidson, Elizabeth G. Cohen, Robert E. Slavin, and Shlomo Sharan, started their research careers on cooperative learning in the 1960 and 1970s. Cooperative learning had not come into existence until around 1980, rather, alternative terms such as “small group learning” were used. (Davidson, 2021). the recently published book “pioneering perspectives in cooperative learning, edited by Davidson (2021), invited these leading scholars to share stories about how they developed their unique approaches to cooperative learning. 

Paul Maine (2022), defined Cooperative learning as a form of group learning that requires students to work together to complete a task or solve a problem. he further defined it as an instructional approach that emphasizes collaboration and social interaction as opposed to individual learning. Cooperative learning comprises instructional methods in which teachers organize students into small groups, which then work together to help one another learn academic content. Slavin, (2011), as cited by Rodriguez (2021) Cooperative learning consists of five basic elements: Positive Interdependence, Promotive Interaction, Individual Accountability, Teaching of Interpersonal and Social Skills, and Quality of Group Processing. Learning situations are not cooperative if students are arranged into groups without positive interdependence. Positive interdependence means that in cooperative learning situations, students are required to work together as a cohesive group to achieve shared learning objectives. In the process, students must be responsible for their own learning and for the success of other group members’ learning. In other words, students must ensure that other members in their group complete the tasks and achieve the academic outcomes. Students need to swim together in group learning activities by engaging in a variety of collaborative tasks, including discussion, problem solving, and project work. Johnson & Johnson (2008) as cited by Richardson and Feldon (2022). Hence, positive interdependence needs to be constructed in cooperative learning groups to help students work and learn together. Positive interdependence results in reciprocal interaction among individuals, which promotes each group member’s productivity and achievement. Promotive interaction occurs as individuals encourage and facilitate each other’s efforts to accomplish the group’s goals. In cooperative learning groups, students are required to interact verbally with one another on learning tasks. Teaching and learning are two sides of a coin. The most accepted criterion for measuring good teaching is the amount of student learning that occurs. There is consistently high correlation between students rating of the amount learning in course and their overall rating of the teacher and the course, Sajjad (2009) as cited by Saville (2019). All those factors make an overall classroom culture which either improves or restricts students’ ability to learn and feel safe and comfortable as a member of the class. Classrooms that encourage emotional wellbeing create an atmosphere for both learning and emotional development of pupils.

Student Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD) is a cooperative learning strategy created by Robert Slavin in which groups of four work within their teams to master a lesson presented by the teacher. Students take individualized quizzes, which are compared to past performances, and then team scores are put together based on the extent to which the students in the group meet or surpass past performance. Slavin, (1995) as cited by MacNeil, Gately & Clifford (2020). Teams that meet the appropriate criteria may earn some kind of reward from the teacher. Slavin recognized through his research an increase in mean scores through the use of Student Teams-Achievement Divisions. Webb (2017), defined STAD as a whole-class instructional method that combines cooperative learning with competitive rewards to improve student achievement. Additionally, with the participation of all students in the group the atmosphere of learning in class becomes more comfortable and fun for the students. 

In STAD, the firstly teacher presents a new topic or concept to the whole group. Next, the teacher forms heterogeneous teams to study with the purpose of studying and achieving a shared goal, they have to develop some activities together. In the third step, the teacher administers some individual or group tests to determine the students’ progress in learning. According to the results of the tests, the teacher can implement more activities and assess them at any time, Aronson, (2011) as cited by Buritica (2022).

Think Pair Share (TPS) is a Cooperative Learning Strategy that lets students develop a communicative approach during the English class. This strategy gives students the opportunity to analyze any questions or short statements given by the teacher and then turn to discuss it with other classmates. Lyman (2003) as cited by Aracely (2022) claims that during this activity the students feel more relaxed and safer when they express their thoughts and speak. Moreover, this strategy goes hand in hand with the capacity to listen to the students’ classmates. This activity can be done faster. For example, each question takes one minute to think about, and participants can share their ideas for two minutes, it helps them improve oral communication skills and it could be repeated several times during the class. Finally, when the teacher considers the students have shared their ideas with one another, the answers or ideas are shared with the whole class, to clarify doubts and reinforce knowledge

The jigsaw method was invented in the early 1970s by Arenson in response to critical issues caused by the socio cultural contexts, to enable students learn to appreciate each other’s differences, develop friendly attitudes towards one another and the schools’ environment and cumbersome the desegregation in public schools in Texas at that time. The Jigsaw is a Cooperative Learning strategy that brings some advantages to the class at the moment of learning a foreign language. Aronson (2011) who invented that model explains that students who use the strategy learn better from their classmates and they have a deeper understanding because they feel more confident to express information and to clarify doubts about the topic when they work as a team. Another advantage is that students become masters in a specific topic because they have to show the information and elaborate the material to others. Additionally, the participants collaborate at the moment of listening to each other and they learn to respect their classmates too. Jigsaw strategy has some steps for the students to acquire the goal. In the first step, the teacher divides students into 4 or 5 heterogeneous participants, and they are named the experts’ groups. At this moment, students have the responsibility to learn a specific topic assigned by the teacher. They also prepare the material to be presented to their other classmates. After that, when they are ready to present the information, the teacher reorganizes new groups named Home Groups, where each member teaches the rest of the groups the components that were prepared before. During this activity the teacher goes around each home group to verify the order or to give support if required. Participants can also make questions if they have doubts about the topic or they can give their opinions to clarify concepts. The experts at the end of their presentation can also make questions about their presentation to verify that everybody has the information clear, Aronson (2011) as cited by Aracely (2022).

Classroom climate or culture is perceived quality of the setting. It emerges in a somewhat fluid state from the complex transaction of many immediate environment factors for example, physical, material, organizational, operational, and social variables. Both the climate of the classroom and the school refers the influence of a schools’ culture, which is stable quality emerging from underlying, institutionalized values and belief systems, norms, ideologies, rituals and traditions. Classroom climates and cultures both are shaped by the schools’ surroundings and embedded political, social, cultural and economic context: home neighbourhood, city, state or country. Adelman & Taylor (2004) as cited by Kember (2021). According to Phillip and Rosalind (2017), classroom climate is the overall feeling experienced by students about the social and emotional dimensions of the learning environment. Classroom cultures is a socially constructed environments with their own languages, values, expectations, norms, symbols, artefacts, and ways of doing and thinking, De Wever (2021).

English language is a west Germanic language that originated in England. It is the third most spoken language in the world, after mandarin Chinese and Spanish. English is the official language of 67 countries and is spoken by over 1.5 billion people worldwide. It is also the most commonly used language in international business science and technology. English language is a fascinating field of study that involves the examination of various aspects of language, including its structure, sounds, grammar, vocabulary, and usage. It explores how language is acquired, how it evolves over time, and how it is used to communicate effectively. Crystal D. (2006). M.M. Seidlhofer (2020), defined English language as a global language with many varieties and functions that are used in a wide range of contexts, both local and global.

Gillies (2016), is of the view that, Interest in cooperative learning gathered momentum in the early 1980s with the publication of the first meta-analysis involving 122 studies on the effects of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic goal structures on students’ achievement and productivity in a sample of North American schools (DW Johnson. 1981) as cited by Mergan and Webb (2022). The results of the study by Gillies showed that cooperation was more effective than interpersonal competition and individualistic efforts which is, working by oneself to ensure that one’s own learning meets a criterion independently from the efforts of others, (Johnson & Johnson, 1999), cooperation with intergroup competition was also superior to interpersonal competition and individualistic efforts. There were no significant differences between interpersonal competitive (it is the urge of an individual to accomplish something in any form of human endeavour, and sometimes prevents others from reaching that goal in the process, Dumblekar (2010) and individualistic efforts. Moreover, these results were consistent across all subject areas (language arts, reading, mathematics, science, social studies and physical education), for all age groups, and for all tasks involving conceptual understanding, problem solving, categorizing, and reasoning. In a similar vein, Slavin (1989) as cited by Cook and Wang (2021), reported on a best evidence synthesis of 60 studies across both elementary and secondary schools that compared cooperative learning to control groups studying the same material. The results of Slavin’s investigation showed that the overall effects of cooperative learning on achievement were clearly positive in 72% of the comparisons whereas only 15% favoured control groups with 13% recording no significant differences. These findings led Slavin to conclude that cooperative learning can be an effective teaching strategy for positive classroom cultures and increasing student achievement.

Nwabueze and Obaro (2011), as cited by Umar (2022) are of the view that, cooperative learning involves two or more students working together in a classroom, laboratory or field project. It involves structuring laboratory classes around small groups that work together in such a way that each group member’s success is dependent on the group’s success. Cooperative learning refers to students working in teams on an assignment or project under conditions in which certain criteria are satisfied, including that the team members be held individually accountable for the complete content of the assignment or project. Cooperation is not about having students sit side -by-side at the same table to talk with each other as they do their individual assignments. Cooperation is not assigning a report to a group of students where one student does all the work and the others put their names on the product as well. Cooperation involves much more than being physically closer to other students, helping, or sharing material with other students to improve their knowledge and skills. The benefits of cooperative learning are enormous. They stated that, students who engage in cooperative learning learn significantly more, remember it longer, and develop better critical thinking skills than their counterparts in traditional lecture classes. They go on to jobs that require teamwork. Cooperative learning helps students develop the skills necessary to work on projects too difficult and complex for any one person to do in a reasonable amount of time. It prepares students to assess outcomes linked to accreditation. Therefore, cooperative learning refers to a learning strategy, which students adopt by organizing themselves into small learning teams.

Moreover, they revealed that the various determined group discussions can be applied in academic settings for cross-fertilization of knowledge and ideas, organization of course content and delivery, online discussion forum, inter-school quizzes and debates, course related updates, career information and workshop, and sharing of university news. In this way, students learn content through group activities where they interact with each other, exchanging information and knowledge, and work as a team to achieve individual learning goals. This learning model is student-centered and encourages students to cooperate and collaborate with each other in achieving their learning outcomes. It also encourages students to foster interpersonal competencies, such as oral communication, active listening, leadership, the ability to examine assumptions, and the ability to tolerate ambiguities and opposing views.

There has been a widespread interest and innovation in different forms of cooperative learning (for example, online discussion forum, co-operative and collaborative learning, online testing, etc.) often to support and complement face to face teaching Anderson (2007). At one end of the spectrum are substantive groups that may be quickly formed to generate some ideas for immediate classroom discussion (cooperative learning). At the other end of the spectrum are collaborative learning groups with a carefully planned learning strategy for attaining specific learning goals. Emphasis is placed on students’ involvement in active learning (responding to questions and participate in group discussions) and the development of social skills (communication and presentation skills). Millis (1991) as cited by Lumsden (2019), supports this view that group work will better prepare students for the workforce by developing social, communication and presentation skills in teamwork within diverse groups. Social skills are promoted and enhanced in the task oriented group environment, since students must exercise their leadership, communication, trust-building and conflict resolution skills so they can function efficiently and effectively.

In Africa, there has really been no historical development of cooperative learning because of the influence of missionary and colonial education in establishing a Western form of schooling. This is why a discrepancy exists between African culture, which may be seen as defining some form of cooperative learning, and the present school culture. The new philosophy of African socialism has not markedly permeated the schools or methods of classroom teaching. Cooperative learning has special significance for south Africa, but its implementation is hardly possible because of serious educational inequalities which have to be redressed first. Nevertheless, the building of positive relations between black and white youth has `occurred with a cooperative learning approach developed by the author and used in non-formal settings Cedric (1995) as cited by Chigbu (2022). 

In the Nigerian context, cooperative learning can be a useful strategy to address some of the challenges faced by the education system, such as large class sizes, low quality of teaching, lack of resources, and diversity of learners. Oluwasuen & Olufemi (2022). Cooperative learning can help students to develop the skills and attitudes needed for the 21^stcentury, such as critical thinking, problem- solving, communication, collaboration and creativity. Some examples of cooperative learning methods that have been used or studied in Nigeria are:

• Learning together: students work in heterogeneous groups of four or five and are rewarded based on the groups average performance on a test or assignment.
• Jigsaw: students are assigned to expert groups, where they learn a specific part of a topic. Then they return to their home groups, where they teach their part to the other members. The students are assessed individually on the whole topic.
• Team- Assisted Individualization (TAI): Students work in teams of four, with different ability levels and roles. They follow individualized learning modules, and receive assistance from their teammates and the teacher. The teams are rewarded based on the individual progress of each member.

These methods have been found to be more effective than conventional lecture methods in enhancing students’ academic achievement and retention in basic science and physics. They also improved students’ attitudes towards cooperative learning and the subject matter. Abdullahi & Akinpelu (1985) as cited by Oladeji (2023).

In the South African context, some of the challenges and opportunities of implementing cooperative learning are:

• Multigrade teaching: many rural schools in south Africa have Multigrade classes, where learners of different grades and abilities are taught together by one teacher. Cooperative learning can be a useful strategy for Multigrade teaching, as it allows learners to work at their own pace and level, and to learn from each other. However, it also requires careful planning and management by the teacher, as well as adequate training and resources. Michael M. van Wyk (2019).
• Diversity and inclusion: South Africa is a diverse and multicultural society, with 11 official languages and various ethnic, racial, and religious groups. Cooperative learning can promote diversity and inclusion in the classroom, by fostering positive intergroup relations, mutual respect, and cross-cultural understanding. However, it also requires the teacher to be sensitive and responsive to the learners’ backgrounds, needs, and preferences, and to create a safe and supportive learning environment. 
• Peer mentoring: peer mentoring is a form of cooperative learning, where learners of different ages or abilities are paired or grouped together, and the more experienced or skilled learner. Peer mentoring can enhance the learning outcomes and motivation of both mentors and mentees, as well as their interpersonal and leadership skills. However, it also requires the teacher to define the roles and responsibilities of the mentors and mentees, to train the mentors and mentees, to train the mentors and monitor and evaluate the mentoring process. 

In the context of Ghana, there are several authors who have written about cooperative learning in Ghana, but none of them explicitly defined it. However, some of them like Stephen Kwame, Ransford Antwi, Jack C. Richards who referred to the definition of cooperative learning by Johnson, Johnson and Smith (1998), who proposed a model of cooperative learning with five essential elements or pillars: positive interdependence, individual accountability, Promotiveinteraction, social skills, and group processing.

The challenges of implementing cooperative education in Ghana are; inadequate time allocation, poor design and implementation of internship programs, lack of resources and infrastructure, cultural and hierarchal barriers and low teachers’ professional development. 

The Competence-Based Approach (CBA) incorporating cooperative learning was introduced in French speaking Africa in 1996 during the conference of Ministers of Education whose countries share the French language in Yaoundé (Bernard et all 2007). After analysing the introduction and implementation of the new curricula for primary schools based on CBA, they realized CBA was the most relevant method to enhance African education. Yet, with a focus on the Mauritanian primary schools, they obtained similar results as in many other African countries that the greatest problem lays in implementing the curricula. The teacher faced such difficulties as his context of general poverty, insufficient and inadequate didactic materials, large class size, making it difficult for them to create the situation needed for his lesson and individualizing instruction. They conclude that though CBA is a good approach for African schools, the needs and realities of Africa are also to be taken into consideration.

Cameroon like most nations had resolved to guarantee self-actualization and development for every child. Standards were falling and teaching became more teacher-centered. Inspired by the urge to improve on the standards, education authorities organized the National Forum on Education in 1995 which was later promulgated into law in 1998. However, the main goal of the forum was to make recommendations in all domains; political, economic and educational, as well as to make students more involved and inculcate in them the ability to think critically and state personal opinions, ideas with the original framework of mind. Therefore, to achieve the main objectives in the 1998 law, it serves as a pointer to educationists to better implement Competence- Based Approach (CBA) method through making provisions for the cooperative learning teaching strategy.

According to the Cameroon Primary School Curriculum (2018), the Cameroon education system has experienced pedagogic evolutions from the Objective- Based Approach (OBA) through the inferential Thinking Approach (New Pedagogic Approach) to the Competence- Based Approach (CBA) or Behavioural Objective- Based Approach which is in use today. CBA facilitates the development for competences through the practice of Project-Based learning, Cooperative learning and Integrated theme learning. This method was and is preferred as it is based on the potentials of learners. Learners are responsible for constructing, building up their learning and focus is laid on learning rather than on teaching. The EFA (Education for All) conference also underscored that active and participatory approaches (cooperative learning) are particularly valuable in assuring learning acquisition and allowing learners to reach their fullest potentials.

Positive classroom cultures are characterized by a positive classroom climate, supportive teacher-student relationships, collaborative student-student relationships, and high student engagement. Creating a positive classroom culture is vital for the success of both students and educators. A positive classroom, culture fosters an environment where students feel safe, included, and motivated to learn. There are several key components that contribute to a positive classroom culture.

Firstly, positive teacher- student relationships play a crucial role. When educators demonstrate care, respect, and understanding towards their students, it helps in building trust and a positive rapport. This often leads to increased student engagement and a willingness to participate in the learning process.

Promoting a sense of community within the classroom is essential. Encouraging collaboration, teamwork, and open communication among students initials supportive classroom environment. This involves recognizing and celebrating diversity, and creating opportunities for students to learn from one another’s experiences and perspectives.

Statement of the problem

Traditional classroom activities create a win-win situation, where one can only succeed if the other losses, according to advocates of active learning such as John Dewey, Paulo Freire, Howard Gardner and David Kolb, traditional classroom activities such as group work, problem solving and discussion, benefit students and teachers. For the students, these activities promote active learning and engagement which leads to deeper understanding and more positive attitudes towards learning. For the teachers, these activities create a more interactive and dynamic classroom environment, which can be more enjoyable and satisfying than the traditional lecture method. While cooperative learning is the direct opposite to it, here conquest of all is success of all. Cooperative learning has edge over other teaching methods in terms of its effectiveness for improved cognition, social skills and motivation. Which presumes that team effort of students towards single goal of learning a particular aspect result in more understanding than sole efforts. Despite the recognized benefits of cooperative learning strategies in enhancing student engagement and understanding of English language concepts, there is lack of comprehensive understanding of the relationship betweenStudent Team Achievement Division, Think Pair Share, Jigsaw strategies and classroom dynamics in the English language subject. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of these cooperative learning strategies and their relationship to classroom cultures in the context of English language subject.

General objective 

The main objective of this study is to determine the relationship that exists between cooperative learning strategies as correlates of positive classroom cultures in English language secondary schools in the North West Region, Mezam Division.

Specific objectives

The specific objectives of this study is to;

• Examine the influence of Student Team Achievement Division (STAD) on classroom cultures in English language.
• Verify how jigsaw affects classroom cultures in English language.
• Evaluate the influence of think-pair-share on classroom cultures in English language,
• Identify the most effective cooperative learning strategies that promote positive classroom cultures in English language secondary school classrooms.

Research questions 

• How does the use of Student Team Achievement Division (STAD) affect classroom cultures in English language? 
• To what extend does the use of jigsaw affect classroom cultures in English language?
• How does Think-Pair-Share affect classroom cultures in English language?
• To what extend does cooperative learning strategies promotes positive classroom cultures?

Research hypothesis

Ho₁: There is no significant difference in the use of Student Team Achievement Division(STAD), as correlates of positive classroom culture in English language secondary school classrooms.

Ha₁: There is a Significant difference in the use of Student Team Achievement Division(STAD), on positive classroom culture in English language secondary school classrooms.

Ho₂: There is no significant difference on the use of jigsaw as correlates of positive classroom culture in English language secondary school classrooms.

Ha₂: There is a Significant difference in the use of jigsaw as correlates of positive classroom culture in English language secondary school classrooms.

Ho₃: There is no significant difference in the use of Think-Pair-Share as correlates of positive classroom culture in English language secondary school classrooms.

Ha₃: There is a Significant difference in the use of Think-Pair-Share as correlates of positive classroom culture in English language secondary school classrooms.