An examination of cooperative learning models and achievement in middle and secondary level social studies

There is a lack of understanding of different cooperative learning methods and their effects on student achievement in middle and secondary level social studies education. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to compare two different cooperative learning models in terms of their effects on student achievement in middle level social studies classes. The research question addressed in this study involved understanding the nature of the relationships between different cooperative learning models, gender, ability level and achievement in social studies students. The two cooperative learning models compared were the structured dyad model, which was effective in studies on reading achievement, and the Jigsaw II model, which was well-suited for social studies students. This quantitative study compared the differences between unit pre-and posttest scores of 6th grade students using repeated-measures t test analysis. The study revealed that the learning using a structured dyad model resulted in significantly higher student achievement scores than learning using the Jigsaw II model. Implications of the study include promoting the use of cooperative learning in classrooms to converting schools into learning communities