Definition of Cooperative Learning The Benefits of Cooperative Learning

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5. Cooperative Learning

The researcher also presents the discussion of cooperative learning since the students need to cooperate with one another to achieve a certain goal in the presentation technique. The discussions of cooperative learning present the definitions of Cooperative Learning and benefits of Cooperative Learning.

a. Definition of Cooperative Learning

Cooperative learning is a teaching strategy involving childrens participation in small group learning activities that promote positive interaction Lyman and Foyle, 1988. Slavin 1990: 78 states that “cooperative learning group is a group whose members are committed to the common purpose of maximizing each others’ learning”. It means that each member has responsibility for the performance of himself all teammates, and the group as whole. Based on those definitions, it can be concluded that in implementing cooperative learning approach, the students will share their own knowledge or information to achieve their goals. Cooperative learning can promote positive feelings toward teachers and members of the group. These feelings build an important base for better achievement. In order to support the discussions of cooperative learning, the researcher provides the benefits of cooperative learning.

b. The Benefits of Cooperative Learning

Slavin 1990: 15 gives the explanation related to an important goal of cooperative learning. The most important goal of cooperative learning is to provide students with the knowledge, concepts, skills, and 22 understandings they need to become happy and contributing members of our society. From early on, research on cooperative learning has shown these strategies can enhance students’ achievement. However, this research also identified many reasons that cooperative learning enhances achievement and, most importantly, the elements of cooperative learning that must be in place if it is to have maximum affect on achievement. Based on those definitions, it can be concluded that cooperative learning has benefits to provide students with the knowledge, concepts, skills, and understandings they need. It means that cooperative learning provide better understanding on knowledge, concepts, and skills because students could discuss the difficulties of the materials together with other students in group. Moreover, it could enhance students’ achievement. In this research, cooperative learning is related to group presentation because group presentation is one of the examples of cooperative learning activities which can be applied in learning process. Burden and Byrd 1994 explain that each group in cooperative learning might be expected to prepare a printed report and to make a presentation to the rest of the class. It means that group members would be responsible to obtain the information, organize it, and prepare the report and the presentation. According to Johnson 1994 as cited by Burden and Byrd 1994, cooperative learning should include five basic elements, namely: a Positive interdependence, b Face-to-face interaction, c Individual Accountability, d Social Skills, and e Group Processing. In this case, positive interdependence means that each student depends on other students to gain success in learning process. Meanwhile, face-to-face interaction means that in cooperative learning, 23 students interact to other students in group directly. They share the material given by the teacher by face-to-face interaction to ease the discussions. The third element, individual accountability, means that each student has the responsibility both for hisher own learning and group’s learning or other members’ learning in group. Social skill element means that students could develop their knowing how to communicate to other students and how to respect others’ opinion. The last element is group processing. The existence of positive interdependence applies group processing inside. The interaction among the students shows that group processing is in cooperative learning. Based on the definition above, it can be concluded that the group presentation belongs to cooperative learning based on those five basic elements. According to Ray 2008 in The Benefits of Cooperative Learning, cooperative learning is a better way to promote academic achievement than traditional instruction. Traditional instructor means the students learn individually without any change learning technique. Moreover, Johnson 1994 as cited by Burden and Byrd 1994 stated that cooperative learning lead to higher academic achievement than competitive or individualistic approaches, better interpersonal relationships among the students, and more positive attitudes toward subject studied and the overall classroom experience. Furthermore, students will understand their dependence on other members of group to achieve certain goal. In group, the students will learn how to cooperate with others. In this research, group presentation is included in cooperative 24 learning whereby one member should cooperate with other members to gain the common purpose and goal.

B. Theoretical Framework

We will gain new knowledge after joining learning process. If there is a change behavior of the students, it means that the learning has occurred because of the stimuli. Different motivation and expectation will lead the students to have different perceptions on the contributions of group presentation technique. Group work is one of the teaching techniques as the implementation of cooperative learning method. Group presentation technique, in this case, is one of the learning techniques that can be applied in learning classroom. The reason is because it belongs to group work. The group members work together in doing and preparing the presentation. Moreover, group members in group presentation should cooperate with other members to do presentation. Thus, group presentation belongs to cooperative learning method because it relates to the basic of cooperative learning in which the students can cooperate and discuss the materials given to their group. Furthermore, the researcher has the conclusion that the benefits of doing group presentation can be gained from the benefits of group work, cooperative learning, and presentation itself. In this research, the researcher attempts to answer two problems. First, the researcher intends to know students’ perception toward the contribution of group presentation in Sociolinguistics and Mass Media Communication Class. Second question, the researcher intends to find out possible suggestions toward group