Cooperative learning methods – effective for everyone?

We learn more and practice social skills through cooperative learning. Research has shown that students who work together towards common goals become more motivated and therefore gain more knowledge. Students who have challenges whilst learning can benefit from cooperative learning, but what about the high-performing students? How do high-performing students interpret cooperative working? In this essay I will, with a socio-cultural perspective, analyse the high performing students' ideas on cooperative learning. Students participated in a group interview. They conducted a survey with multiple choice questions and open answers questions and were observed during some lessons. The results of these surveys were analysed using Robert Slavins analysis model where I have looked at cognitive outcomes and non-cognitive outcomes as: interaction, altruism and intersubjective understanding. The results showed that students appreciate the cooperative learning but they see a danger of free-riders. The students also expressed a fear of being graded unfairly. The conclusion is therefore that the teacher's role is important to counter the negative aspects that the students raise. The teacher needs to have a clear structure and a clear goal of cooperative lessons to ensure that all students benefit from both cognitive and noncognitive outcomes