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b The teachers have to assign students to groups and roles, and also the
teachers have to select the materials and time. c
The important role for the teacher in cooperative learning is that of facilitator of learning. When they worked in the group, the teachers must
move around the class helping students and groups. d
The teacher as a facilitator in the classroom must give feedback for the students, redirecting the group with questions, encouraging thinking,
supplying resources, and also encouraging the group to solve its own problem.
While according to Kessler, the roles of teacher in cooperative learning is as an observer in the classroom. As an observer, the teacher has to know the
learners ‟ progress and also the teachers must find out learner‟s interest, strength,
needs and feelings.
35
Based on the explanations above, the writer would like to summarize that the teacher has somes roles in conducting cooperative learning, those are: the
teacher has to manage the classroom, the teacher as a facilitators, and the teacher as an observer. The writer believes that the teacher in Indonesia can understand
those roles, because cooperative learning is possible to learn and to use it by the teachers.
5. The Advantages of Cooperative Learning
There are some advantages for the teacher and the students in conducting cooperative learning in the classroom. Below are the benefits of cooperative
learning. a
Applying cooperative learning can improve the student‟s academic learning and social skills; and for the teachers, it is really helpful in
managing the classroom.
36
b In doing and learning academic task, cooperative learning has benefits for
high and – low students when they work as a team. The students who are
35
Carolyn Kessler, op.. cit., p.167
36
Orlich, op. cit., p. 269.
25
higher achievers can teach the lower achievers, and the lower students get the new information from the higher students.
37
c Implementing cooperative learning can provide students with the
knowledge, concepts, skills, and understanding they need to become happy and contributing members.
38
d Cooperative learning helps students to learn respect for one another‟s
strengths and limitations and to accept these differences. It is very important if the clasrroom is diverse.
39
e By applying cooperative learning in the classroom, the teacher hopes that
students can be more encouraged to think about their learning process, identify the limitations of their knowledge, and learn to seek help when it
is necessary.
40
From the explanations above, the writer would like to summarize that there are many benefits of cooperative learning in the classroom. Cooperative
learning helps students to learn respect and they can more encouraged in studying, the students need to become happy, and cooperative learning can
build the students‟ cooperation.
6. The Limitations of Cooperative Learning
There are nothing perfect in methods or approaches when the teachers teach the lessons, and nor are in cooperative learning. Because attempting to use
cooperative learning does not guarantee that your students will learn it. In fact, cooperative learning has also the following specific limitations. Below are the
limitations of Cooperative Learning based on Roy Killen: a
Some of the students do not like to learn cooperatively and some of the students prefer studying alone to studying in groups.
37
Richard I. Arends, Learning to Teach 7
th
edition, New York: Mc Graw Hill Inc., p. 345.
38
Robert E. Slavin, op.cit., p. 15.
39
Killen. loc. cit.
40
Killen, op. cit., p. 185.
