Teacher Perception of Cooperative Learning Strategies Impacting English Learner Engagement and Academic Performance Levels

This study was conducted to determine teacher perceptions of cooperative learning strategies affecting the engagement and academic performance levels of English language learners. The purpose of this study was to explore if cooperative learning strategies increase the academic performance of English learners within their English courses. Guided by the theories of Dewey (1938), Vygotsky (1978), and Piaget (1926), which are derived from elements of cognitive, developmental, and democratic theories that focus on the benefits of group discourse, this study examined how communication and collaboration impact academia. The study revealed that high school English teachers perceived the effectiveness of cooperative learning strategies positively impacted English language learners’ academic performance and engagement levels. Seven English teachers participated in the study. These teachers completed two questionnaires, one at the beginning of the study and one at the end of the study, participated in a cooperative learning lesson observation, and completed an interview with the researcher. The questionnaires, interviews, and observations were coded using Excel and NVivo software and were used to determine the teachers’ perceptions on how cooperative strategies impact English language learners’ engagement and academic performance levels. The results indicated that teachers perceive cooperative learning strategies have a positive impact on English language learner engagement and academic performance. The benefits of this study reveal the positive impact cooperative learning strategies have on English language learners and reflect that teachers perceive these strategies to be useful in their classrooms