Group and Cooperative Teaching
as a Part of Complex Teaching Method
LENKA HRUŠKOVÁ
Vysoká škola
technická a ekonomická v Českých
Budějovicích
(Technical and Economical College in České Budějovice)
ABSTRACT
Cooperative model of teaching is based not only on the principles which result from wide theoretical solutions, but it is elaborated and verified up to the level of common cooperative strategies and very specific methods and techniques founded on teachers´ experience. This multilevel cooperative and group teaching theory works as a specific teaching basis using principles of cooperative structure of peer relationship at different types and levels of the schools.
PRELIMINARY
TO PROBLEMATICS
All intentional human activities use a specific way which traces the goal stated. There is a direct proportion between the success of the way – method (in Greek: meta-lodos) on one hand and the goal on the other. The better the goal is stated the more significant the information is, the easier it is to overcome obstacles and achieve the goal. This characteristics correspondents with teaching or tutorial methods which are understood as ways of pupils and students to adoption of educational subject matters where teacher plays only a supportive role. So the method becomes a tool for achieving educational goals. The method itself depends on several factors:
v on the contents of the subject and its daily plan
v on age peculiarities of pupils and students
v on students´ experience and intellect
v on teaching organisation
v on school posibilities – especially on its technical equipment
v on the personality of a teacher – his professional attitude and qualifications
(Vašutová, 2002)
Modern teaching methods observe activities and effort of pupils and students as a determining tendency which develops a personality. However, student itself needs a supportive teacher´s help as only the teacher can optimise this process. Analogously, tutorial method works only as a significant part of an educational system so that education can fulfil the goal. (Maňák, Švec,2003)
COMPLEX TUTORIAL METHODS
If traditional, typical tutorial methods (verbal, visual and demonstrative, aptitude methods) lead to knowledge and skills based on the curriculum standards together with an active role of pupils and students, modern, complex methods involve further items such as organisational forms, didactive tools and they reflect more total goals of teaching and education. “It is about complicated methodical structures which acquire various but coherent combination of several basic units within the didactical system such as methods, organisation of teaching process, didactic tools or life situations the efficiency and viability of which are based on their practical use.“ (Maňák, Švec, 2003) The advantage of the modern tutoriaol methods is a wider range of didactic reality in teaching as it can be seen from the point of view of outside observers and practical users. To handle all complex structure, it is necessary to start from the basic methods as a common tool of all methodic work.
As modern tutorial methods which has become a dynamic components of the tutorial system belong partner teaching, individual and individualised teaching, individual work, project teaching, drama teaching, open learning, learning from life situations, learning through computer, hypnopedy, sugestopedy, superlearning and especially group and cooperative teaching.
COOPERATIVE
TEACHING
In recent years you can meet the terms of group and cooperative teaching. Cooperative teaching is a term of complex teaching method which is based on cooperation and realised in groups. Therefore, a little simplified, it is a form of group work. The group of pupils or students of the same age within cooperative teaching, their cooperation in learning and using cooperative strategies bring many positive results in teaching. In teaching process, the groups of 2-4, or 6 if necessary,with the same learning style seem to be the best ones. On the other hand, the students with different teaching style should also cooperate as they can enrich one another and learn mutual tolerance. (Vlčková, 2006) The basic factors for setting the groups are the aim and the type of tasks. The same importance should be done to experience with this method both of pupils and teachers, as well as the level of cooperative skills. (Kasíková, 2001)
Efficiency of teaching process results from the basic feature of coooperative teaching “face to face“ and therefore teams should not be very big (Kratochvíl, 1974). The number of students depends on the teacher´s desicion as there are advantages and disadvantages both in smaller and bigger groups. The problems connecting with the number of students in one group are discussed very often in pedagogical literature. (Skalková, Mechlová, Kasíková, Vašutová, Kotásek, Horák)
A
system of cooperative teaching works with groups which are identical for shorter
or longer periods depends on their function and subject matter they were set
for. For long-term work it is better to set up formal cooperative learning
groups while temporary and base groups are set up for short-term work.
Long-term learning groups work together for some weeks or terms. Long-term work
with the groups means to prepare activity plans, to explain the tasks and
cooperative structure to students, to monitor learning activities, to apply
cooperative skills and to evaluate learning activities from both factual and
social point of view.
To be able to control the activities of pupils and students, the teacher must deal with individual phases of development in the group (the phase of forming, revolting, setting standards and efficiency). The group must be given time and conditions for coping with different demands of individual phases. For these reasons, long-term learning groups which work together at least one term, year or even Langer periods meet all the requirements. The fact that students in the group play two roles, social role and the role from the point of view of their activities (Kasíková, 2001) supports the work of long-term groups. Different roles within the group are very significant for students as they can change their roles in cooperative activities but there are also problems connected with leaving them. The roles in teams depend on the task and size of the group. The key roles are those of a coordinator, assistant with information, secretary and observer, judge. Cooperative learning can use some other roles as a reporter or supervisor if the groups are bigger. The roles within the team should change so all students try to fulfil group tasks and and this way they improve the knowledge of the subject. The other advantage of such organisation consists in personal contacts between the student and teacher.
There are the following basic principles of cooperative learning as a system:
The are two phenomena as basic features of efficient cooperative teaching: the evaluation of the group results as a whole and individual contribution to group work.(E.G.Cohen, 1994)
Social aspects which are connected with the work of students solving problems rang among advantages of cooperative (group) work provided students can cooperate with their fellows. Group teaching often works with tutoring. Pupils and students cooperate on tasks but, at the same time, the strategies differ in structure rate, character of positive mutual dependance, stimulus structure and possibility of including team competition.
COOPERATION -
COLLABORATION
J. Vašutová
(2002) uses less common expression collaboration which you can meet in
Anglo-Saxon literature. The principle of
collaboration is “to work together“ so students share learning process. Collaboration is
neither a mechanism nor learning method.
Collaborative
situation is defined
as a kind of social contact either
between students or between students and a teacher. This situation appears when:
v
students
can deal with the same activities based on common knowledge and skills
v
students
have common goals which they share
v
students
cooperate
Speaking about cooperation, we usually
think partner division of labour in performing tasks. Cooperation means
interoperability, notifying, mutual impact and help or mutual support in common
result. Cooperation and collaboration are diferentiated on the basis of
interaction. Cooperation is a partner and mutual supporting activity.
Its aim is common activity. Collaboration is distinctively
participative, leads to common work. Its aim is common work
(Vašutová, 2002).
Group
and cooperative teaching can be combined with other complex modern tutorial
methods and, of course, with classical and active methods. The development of
creative thinking can be supported by combination of group work with heuristic
methods (group-problem teaching). Also combination of cooperative with
individual teaching (individual work of
students) or combination of cooperation with competition
(Maňák, Švec, 2003) should be taken into account. At present
networked group (cooperative) and
project teaching following frontal teaching is very popular. As many projects
are shared by more subjects the timing of
the work over them is usually longer than one lesson.
.
Literature
[1] Cohen, E. G.
1988, Restructuring the Classroom : Conditions for Productive Small Groups. Review of Educational Research. 1994,
roč.64, č.1,s.1-35.
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[3]
Kasíková, H.,2001. Kooperativní
učení a vyučování. Teoretické a
praktické problémy. Praha, Portál.
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Maňák, J., Švec, V., 2003. Výukové
metody. Brno, Paido.
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J. 1999. Obecná didaktika. Praha,
ISV nakladatelství.
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J., 2002. Strategie výuky ve
vysokoškolském vzdělávání. Praha, UK
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Vlčková, K., 2006. Strategie
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