Study of Cooperative Learning as a Tool/Strategy to Address the SEN of Students in Mainstream Classroom of Primary Inclusive Schools

This study is an exploration of cooperative learning as a teaching stratégy to address the speciál educational needs (SEN) of students in the mainstream classroom. In India SEN is not recognized in the classrooms. Most commonly it remains unidentified and unattended. With the shift from speciál schools to inclusive schools like everywhere in the world the pressing need in India is to address SEN in the mainstream classrooms. This provides as a background and starting point for an investigation of cooperative learning as a teaching stratégy to address the SEN of students in mainstream classrooms. The study has investigation in the light ofrich literature in cooperative learning. This investigation was carried out in 4 inclusive primary schools and 2 primary speciál schools of the Czech Republic and the Netherlands. Qualitative approach involving interview, observation and data analysis was employed. The sample size included class teachers of students 9-10 and 11-12 years and SENCO ofthe schools. The findings indicate that cooperative learning is used as a teaching stratégy in the schools. It benefits all students in the mainstream classroom. It is one of the factors contributing in academic progress of students with SEN. Reading in the group has shown improvement in reading speed and reading comprehension...