11 of content from math to reading, to writing, to speaking from
basic skills to complex problem solving.
Increasingly , cooperative learning can be used as the teacher‘s main way of
organizing classroom for instruction. It can be used in order to increase the learners‘ achievement as well as such other outcomes as improvement of inter-
group relation, and to help the learners to think, solve problem, integrate, and apply knowledge and skills when practicing spoken English.
Cooperative learning is also an approach in teaching that makes use of cooperative activity in pairs or small groups of learners Richard and Rodgers,
2001:192. As a consequence, it can create pro-academics norm, which have important effects on the learners‘ achievement.
a. Theory of Learning
According to Johnson 1981:16 and Slavin 1993:16, there are two theories which support the appropriate of cooperative learning as an effective method in
building communicative competence. The theories are divided into two major categories; motivational and cognitive theory.
1 Motivational theory
Cooperative learning creates a communicative situation in which the only way group members can attain their own personal goals. In order to gain their
individual goal, each group members must help their group mates in order to achieve the successfulness. As a consequence the cooperative goals can create
good motivation among the learners. This motivation has important effects on the learners‘ achievement.
12
2 Cognitive theory
It gives influence to the learners‘ cognitive and changing to the learners‘ motivation to do the academic work. Cognitive theory emphasizes the effects of
working together. There are two cognitive theories, as follows: a Developmental Theory
Interaction among the learners in learning speaking increases the learners‘ mastery to the material. Vygotsky 2000:47 describes the influence of
cooperative learning in building communicative competence as, Cooperative can help the learners to learn from one another, so that
cognitive conflict will arise, inadequate reasoning will be exposed and higher quality understanding will emerge.
b Cognitive Elaboration Theory The learners who receive elaborated explanation from others will learn more
than those who work alone. The learners who gained the lesson through cooperative activities are those who provide elaborated explanation to other
Nooren Webb, 1985.
b. The Characteristic of Cooperative Learning
Slavin 1994 :12 states that there are six principle‘s characteristics of
cooperative learning. Those characteristics will be as follows:
1 Group Goals
Most of cooperative learning methods use some form of group goals. These may be certificates or other recognition given to groups that meet a preset
criterion. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
13
2 Individual Accountability
This account can be achieved in two ways; 1 is to have group scores be the sum or average of individual quiz scores or other assignments, as in the Student
Team Learning models and 2 is task specialization, whereby each student is given a unique responsibility for part of the group task. Each student in a group
has responsibility to take part in doing a task for the group to achieve academic objectives together.
3 Equal Opportunities for Success
A unique characteristic of cooperative learning is the use of scoring methods that ensures all the learners an equal opportunity to contribute to their groups.
4 Team Competition
Competition is used between groups as a mean of motivating the learners to cooperate within groups.
5 Task Specialization
Task specialization is the assignment of a unique sub task to each group members.
6 Adaptation to Individual Needs
Most Cooperative Learning methods use group paced instruction, but two —
TAI Team Accelerated Instruction and CIRC Cooperative Integrated Reading ad Composition
—adapt instruction to students‘ individual needs.
c. Cooperative Learning’s Activities
