Cooperative Learning in Mathematics

Cooperative Learning in Mathematics

There have recently been many new trends towards the use of cooperative learning in many classrooms, particularly in mathematics classrooms. Cooperative learning involves students working together to accomplish shared goals. In this type of situation, students must feel they can only reach their learning goals if the other students in their group also reach their own learning goals. Students have to understand their achievements are interrelated. Cooperative learning helps students to fully understand the mathematical concepts and assists them in developing social skills that will take them through life.

There are different methods of teaching, in addition to cooperative, such as competitive and individualistic. In competitive learning, students are graded on a curve, which means they have to work against each other and try to work faster and more accurately than their fellow students. In individualistic learning, students work towards goals that are separate from their peers. When working on their own, they can work on their own pace, and work for their own set of goals. (Johnson 104). When using cooperative learning, it includes characteristics of both individualistic and competitive learning. In order for a cooperative learning environment to be most effective, there needs to be group rewards along with individual accountability. When each individual succeeds in their group, the group is rewarded; this prevents certain students from dominating the work. There are different methods for cooperative learning that incorporate individual and group rewards. One such method is Student Teams– Achievement Divisions (STAD). With motivation to win, the groups compete ag...

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...athematics. The students develop social skills and learn to work as part of a group. This greater understanding of mathematics and the social skills will stick with the students for the rest of their life.

Works Cited

Bol, Linda, Nunnery, John A., and Whicker, Kristina M. “Cooperative Learning in the secondary mathematics classroom.” The Journal of Educational Research. Sept./Oct. 1997.

(p. 42-8).

Leiken, Roza, and Zaslavsky, Orit. “Cooperative Learning in Mathematics.” Mathematics Teacher. March 1999.(p. 240-6).

Lew, Marvin and Mesch, Debra. “Isolated Teenagers, Cooperative Leanring, and the Training of Social Skills.” The Journal of Psychology. (p. 323-333).

Johnson, David W., and Johnson, Roger T. “Using Cooperative Learning in Math” Teaching and Learning Middle Grade Mathematics.-Student Resource CD. Key College Publishing.

2004.