The effects of cooperative learning strategies on sixth grade Bhutanese students learning satisfaction in social studies class

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine if cooperative learning strategies implemented in Social Studies classroom had an effect on the learning achievement and learning satisfaction of Bhutanese grade six students. A mixed-methodology was employed and evaluated the effectiveness of the intervention through the utilization of learning achievement test, the students’ reflective journal and focus group discussion. Clustered random sampling was adopted to choose one section of grade six consisting of 30 students from two sections as research participants. The sample group was taught through cooperative learning structures for a period of four weeks with two periods of teaching per week. The quantitative data gathered from learning achievement test were deduced by means of paired sample t-test based on mean, standard deviation and significant value. The qualitative data collected through students’ reflective journal and focus group discussion were examined within the framework of content analysis. The outcome of the learning achievement test score analysis revealed significant difference between the posttest mean (x̅ =15.50) and pretest mean (x̅ =7.37) of the sample group with the mean difference of 8.13. The significance value for the group was .01 which indicated significant increase in the posttest scores as compared to those of pretest. Improvement of scores were noted for everyone with the exception of one student whose posttest score was at par with the pretest. However,the majority of the students had their posttest scores improved. Thus, the cooperative learning strategies had a significant effect on Bhutanese grade six students’ learning achievement in Social Studies. Analysis of the qualitative data within the framework of principles of content analysis proved impactful on students’learning satisfaction. Hence, cooperatiive learning strategies are highly recommended for instructing not just Social Studies but every subject with the similar objectives to be achieved