The Definition of Cooperative Learning

25 members providing one another with feedback, challenging reasoning and conclusions, and perhaps most importantly, teaching and encouraging one another Felder and Breat, 2007:1. 4 Individual accountability. All students in a group are held accountable for doing their share of the work and for mastery of all of the material to be learned Felder and Breat, 2007:1.The structures give each student an important role in the interactional pattern. Everyone likes to feel that they know something others can use, and everyone gets the chance of showing this precisely via the structures Stenlev, 2003: 36. Even each person in the group contribution to their work, they will be score individually depending on each person’s ability. 5 Group processing It requires team member to set group goals, periodically assess how well they are working together and how they could improve to ensure successful and efficient completion of their academic tasks, as well as score high in tests Felder and Breat, 2007:2. The purpose of group processing is to classify and improve the effectiveness to achieve the group goals. 6 Appropriate grouping. Students are encouraged and helped to develop and practice trust- building, leadership, decision-making, communication, and conflict management skills. On the other hand, the teacher ensures that each 26 group contains members with various attributes to strengthen problem- solving and social skill building of all group members Felder and Breat, 2007:2.

c. Advantages of Using Cooperative Learning

Kagan and Kagan 2009: 2.15 states eight advantages of using cooperative learning. They are presented as follows. 1 Students taught with cooperative learning have a more enjoyable learning experience and are more motivated to continue learning beyond school, especially from and with others 2 Many of our students will have the responsibility for caring for elders. Students taught with cooperative learning become more helpful, caring and better prepared to serve our aging population. 3 Promote a higher self-esteem. 4 Students taught with cooperative learning construct meaning and make learning more relevant 5 Increasingly employers are using teams in the workplace. Students taught with cooperative learning are more prepared for the workplace. 6 Many of our classrooms struggle with discipline problems. Students taught with cooperative learning are less disruptive and spend more time on task. 7 Students taught with cooperative learning are far more active; their classroom is far more stimulating than a teacher-centered classroom.