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need to decide on what and how much to focus on based on students’ need at that particular stage.
3. Cooperative Learning
Students’ ability in writing especially writing description text is not the same for all students. Therefore, it is necessary to find a method in teaching
writing that can improve students’ ability in writing description text. One of
popular teaching methods that are evidently effective in doing so is cooperative learning.
a. Definition of Cooperative Learning
Researchers and practitioners have studied cooperative learning for more than a decade. They learned that students working in small cooperative groups
were able to develop the type of intellectual exchange which fosters not only creative thinking but also productive problem-solving.
According to Kagan 1989: 4 cooperative learning refers to a set of instructional strategies which includes cooperative student-student interaction
over subject matter as an integral part of the process. He also defines cooperative learning as a teaching arrangement which refers to small, heterogeneous groups of
students working together to achieve a common goal. They work together to learn and are responsible for the teammate’s learning as well as their own Kagan,
2010: 85. Kagan also created cooperative learning model of his own. The model is
based on the concept and use of structures and it is considered as an innovative approach to classroom instructions.
Kagan’s model of cooperative learning is
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believed to be one of the best out there because its structures could bring about good outcomes including greater social and language skills that will prepare
students for real world situation and also greater employability.
b. Elements of Cooperative Learning
Among many other teaching methods, cooperative learning is clearly one of the most complex ones as there is much more to it than just arranging students
in groups. Although it is more complex than it seems, cooperative learning is actually really divine. It is a layered method so teacher can easily pick, choose,
and select of what might work and might not from it. The success rate of cooperative learning is pretty high. Ross and Smythe
1995: 63 describe successful cooperative learning tasks as intellectually demanding, creative, open-minded, and involve higher order thinking tasks.
Johnson and Johnson 1994: 25 identify five elements that define cooperative learning. The first and foremost element is positive interdependence.
Students have the sense that they are i n this together, feeling that each member’s
individual effort will not only help them but also the whole group. The grade of each student is dependent upon effort of other group members. The next is
individual and group accountability. Each student is accountable for their own contribution to the group. Clearly, described goals ensure that each student knows
what they are responsible for and what the group is responsible for. The third is face-to-face or promotive interaction. Students are promoting
each ot her’s learning through face-to-face activities where they discuss and
explain assignment topics with each other. The next element is collaborative
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skills. Students learn not only the subject matter but also interpersonal skills and how to work in teams. Students are taught skills of communication, leadership,
and conflict management during the early stages of cooperative learning. The fifth and last element is group processing. Students are given a means for analyzing
their group for how well the group has learned and whether or not collaborative skills are being used.
c. Cooperative Learning Techniques
There are many techniques, also known as structures, which can be used to help teacher incorporating cooperative learning in their teaching and learning
process. Each technique enhances different skill. Mandal 2009: 99 states that there are some structures which teacher can
easily use to facilitate cooperative learning. The first structure is Jigsaw which is one of the most common techniques that have been widely used in classrooms.
Students are members of two groups: home group and expert group. In home group, students are assigned a different topic. Once it has been identified, they
leave the home group and join a new group expert group to learn together the material based on the initial assigned topic. After that they are allowed to return to
the home group and once back, each student is accountable for teaching their assigned topic.
The second structure is Think-Pair-Share. This one was originally developed by Lyman 1981. This technique allows students to complete a posed
question or problem silently. The student may write down thoughts or simply just brainstorming in their head. When prompted, they pair up with a peer to discuss
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their ideas and then liste n to their partner’s ideas. Following pair dialogue, teacher
solicits responses from the whole group. When teacher uses this technique they do not have to worry about their students not volunteering as each student will
already have an idea in their head, therefore, teacher can call on anyone and increase discussion productivity.
Other than the above two structures, teacher can also use Numbered Heads. A team of four is established. Each member is given number 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Questions are asked of the group. Groups work together to answer the questions so that all can verbally answer the questions. Teacher calls out a number e.g.
three and the students with that number from each group are asked to give the answer. This could be used for comprehension exercises.
The last structure is Three-Step Interview. Each member of a team chooses another member to be a partner. During the first step students interview their
partners by asking clarifying questions. During the second step, partners reverse roles. In the
final step, the members share their partners’ response with the team. Other than those four cooperative learning structures, there are more
techniques that teacher can experiment with. Slavin 1995, for example, devised a specific cooperative learning technique that is called Student Team
Achievement Division STAD. Students are placed in small groups. The class in its entirety is presented with a lesson and the students are subsequently tested.
Individuals are graded on the team’s performance. Although the tests are taken individually, students are encouraged to work together to improve the overall
performance of the group.
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d. Cooperative Learning in Teaching Writing and Learning Process
