Definition of Perception Perception
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Johnson, Johnson and Holubec 1990 define cooperative learning as the instructional use of small groups so that students work together to maximize their
learning. Slavin 1995 adds that cooperative learning refers to variety of teaching methods in which students work in small groups to help one another learning
academic content. In cooperative learning activities, students are expected to help, discuss and agree with each other, assess each other’s current knowledge and fill
gaps in each other’s understanding. Therefore, in this study, cooperative learning is an approach that makes the students work together to achieve learning goals. It
involves students learning from each other in groups. The students are responsible for one another’s learning as well as their own. In the classroom, the students are
expected to help each other, to cooperate with their peers, to discuss and argue each other, and to access each other’s current knowledge in the learning process.
Group work does not merely that students sitting side-by-side at the same table to talk with each other. It does not merely assigning a report to a group of students
where one student does all the work and the others just put their names on it. It is more than being physically near other students.
In order to be successful, Johnson et al. 1994 explain that cooperative learning tasks are designed by teachers so that students are required to depend on
one another to complete the assigned tasks and to master content and skills. There are five cooperative learning methods that are designed to achieve different
objectives Johnson et al., 1994.
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1 Jigsaw
Each student, in a four to five member team, is given the information for the only one part of the learning activity. Each student needs to know all
information to be successful. Students work cooperatively in two different teams, their original team and an expert team. All students in the expert team seek the
same information, study the information and decide how best to tell it to their peers in the original team. After seeking the same information is accomplished,
students return to the original teams to teach their portion of the lesson to the others in the team Johnson et al., 1994.
2 Think-Pair-Share
This strategy can be used before the teacher introducing new concepts. It gives everyone in the class time to access prior knowledge and provides a chance
for them to share their ideas with someone. Think-Pair-Share helps students organize their knowledge and motivates learning of new topics. There are three
steps to do Think-Pair-Share with the limit on each step signaled by the teacher. a Students are asked to brainstorm a concept individually and organize their
thoughts on paper. b Students pair up and compile a list of their ideas. c Each pair will then share with the entire class until all ideas have been recorded and
discussed Johnson et al., 1994. 3
Send-a-Problem Students are placed into heterogeneous teams of four. Each team designs a
problem to send around the class. The other teams solve the problems in this one activity. Results are shared with the class Johnson et al., 1994.