Cooperative Learning In The 

Secondary Mathematics Classroom

A Group Website Featuring The Work Of: 

Adolescent Learning and Development

Education 0500A, Spring 2002

Professor Hartman

What is Cooperative Learning?

Cooperative learning, although used in small groups, its ultimate goal is to develop and use critical thinking skills and teamwork of all members, promote positive relations among different ethnic groups, implement peer coaching, establish environments where academic accomplishments are valued, and even cooperatively manage schools. 

Cooperative learning can be used in all subject areas.  Here are some strategies that can be used with any subject at any grade level and without a special curriculum:  STAD, Jigsaw II and Group Investigation.  Student Teams – Achievement Divisions (STAD) – students with varying academic abilities are assigned to 4-5 member groups in order to study what has been initially taught by the teacher and to help each other reach his/her highest level of achievement.  Students are then tested individually.  Teams earn certificates or other recognition based on the degree to which all team members have progressed over their past records.  Jigsaw II is used with narrative material.  Each member is responsible for learning a specific part of a topic.  After meeting with members of other groups who are “expert” in the same part, the “experts” return to their own groups and present their findings.  Team members then are quizzed on all topics.  Group Investigation – this is structured to emphasize higher order thinking skills such as analysis and evaluation.  Students work to produce a group project, which they may have a hand in selecting.

There are certain guidelines for facilitating cooperative learning in mathematics: the structure of the group, students’ interactions in each group, interactions among the different groups, learning tasks, and the teacher’s role in the classroom and assessment and evaluation of the learning process.  The structure of the group is defined by the number of students within the group and the degree of heterogeneity of a group.  (Summary by Sandy Deacon)

Cooperative Learning Resources