23 Cooperative learning designs activities to make students contribute to the
task. Cooperative learning can also be defined as an approach to group work
that minimizes the occurrence of those unpleasant situations and maximizes the learning and satisfaction that result from working on a high-
performance team Felder and Breat, 2007:1. According to Wong and Wong 2005: 245, cooperative learning refers to one of instructional
techniques where by students work in small, mixed- ability learning group. It means the students in each group are responsible not only for the material;
being taught but also for helping their group mate learns. From the definition above, cooperative learning refers to students
working in teams on an assignment under conditions in which certain criteria are pleased, including that the team members be held individually
accountable for the complete the same goal or content of the assignment or project.
b. The Elements of Cooperative Learning
In cooperative learning, there are several elements that must be taken into account. The above elements are considered essential to successful
cooperative learning. According to Kaufman et al., 1997: 37, there are six elements of cooperative learning in teaching and learning process.
1 Positive-interdependence Johnson and Johnson 1984 citied in Kaufman et al., 1997: 37
state that positive-interdependence requires that students have to
24 believe, and act, as if they are in it together, and must care about
learning. This is encouraged with reward structures and sustained learning group. The structures are built up in such a way that the stu-
dents in a team need each other’s output if they are to solve the task they have been given. The contribution of each student is a piece of the
total work Stenlev, 2003:36. In addition, Macpherson 2007:3 states that positive-interdependence is interaction through activity. It means
learners help, assist, encourage, and support each others’ efforts to learn
2 Social skills Social skill are promoted and enhanced in the task oriented group
environment, since students must exercise their leadership, communication, trust-building and conflict resolution skills so they can
function efficiently and effectively. 3 Face-to face interaction
Schmidt 1989 citied in Kaufman et al., 1997:37 states a high degree of face-to face verbal interaction is needed so that students are
active in the learning process by explaining, arguing, elaborating and linking the new learning material to previously learned facts and
concepts. Learners believe that they are linked together; they cannot succeed unless the other members of the group succeed and vice
versa. Although some of the group work may be parceled out and done individually, some must be done interactively, with group
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
