Ateneo de Zamboanga University

School of Liberal Arts

Challenges of Teachers in the Use of Cooperative

Learning as a Teaching Strategy in Teaching Reading

October 11, 2018

Mary Grace A. Villa

Ab-English IV
 INTRODUCTION

Background of the topic:

Teaching English is a challenging profession not only because English is not our mother

tongue but mainly because the students we teach are more advanced and skilled than some

decades ago and the new methods and techniques we use at class have to be more integrative and

interactive to arouse and maintain their interest. Teaching English in universities also asks for

specialized knowledge obtained through both academic study and practical experience, where the

students passed certain requirements and met certain standards. Their level of proficiency in

English is also assessed by a further linguistic certification as the students will be professionals

with shared goals, values and practices. In order to get a professional development of English

language we need to have a comprehensive understanding of what competences and expertise in

language the students need. What essential skills, knowledge, values, attitudes and goals do they

need in order to become skilled professionals and how can these be acquired? This paper tries to

explore cooperative learning as a means of maximizing students’ learning.

Working with others is an important skill that every student must learn and develop.

Cooperative learning lessons are a great way for students to develop these important social skills.

However, grading these types of lessons can pose a challenge for teachers. Dr. Spencer Kagan, a

pioneer in the cooperative learning movement, advocates that cooperative learning is for

learning, not for grading. Grading a student’s work based on their teammates is unfair. Dr.

Kagan gives the example that if two students with the same ability were each given the same

assignment but one student was with weak teammates, and the other with strong teammates, the

outcome would be that both students would receive different grades. So therefore, if grades have
to be given, they should be solely based on the individual, not the group. A student’s grade

should be a reflection of what they do, not what others in the group do.

In this paper i would like to know how does cooperative learning as a theory enhances the

teaching strategy of teachers in teaching reading to students. What is Cooperative learning and

teaching strategies? According to authors “Cooperative learning is currently acknowledged as an

effective pedagogy in achieving the cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes of schooling world-

wide. Empirical evidence from independent studies and the research programs implemented by

the proponents of cooperative learning have validated it as a proven pedagogy (Johnson,

Johnson, Roseth, & Shin, 2014; Slavin, 2013). Baloche and Brody (2017) further explicated that

cooperative learning “has the potential to effect positively students’ achievement, motivation for

learning, intergroup relations, critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, and a host of other

well-researched outcomes” (p.1). Furthermore, cooperative learning is supported by a number of

psycho-social theoretical frameworks such as the motivational, cognitive developmental/

elaboration, social cohesion/cognitive, social interdependence, and the behavioral as well as the

social constructivist theories of teaching and learning (Johnson & Johnson, 2015; Slavin, 2014).

Cooperative learning is also proclaimed as an instructional vframework in the context of

educational reforms and modernizing educational systems in many countries throughout the

world, given that it addresses universal curricular, cognitive and social goals (Sharan, 2010).”

Schools should be responding to the needs of the students and one here is to prepare the

students for future societal roles, teachers should integrate technology into the learning

experience, and to use collaborative learning strategies when appropriate. Teachers teaching

style and the response of the students to the use of strategy, starting of Teaching styles can

include leading and demonstrating from the front of the class, or adopting a more student-
centered approach where the teacher shapes the framework within which the students work and

then encourages them to make their decisions under guidance. Whether a teacher considers

her/himself as part of the group where whole-group decision making is encouraged; prefers to be

fully in charge and tell the students what to do; or ‘goes with the flow’ letting each lesson evolve

in its own way, is all part of teaching style. “Teaching and learning styles can be influenced by

students’ age; their perspectives both as individuals and as a group; gender and ethnic balance;

the make-up of the group – ie, whether they are streamed or of mixed ability. Research indicates

that mixed ability teaching tends to be more effective for middle and lower ability students

(Devine 2000, Lynch 1989).” “The challenge is to ensure sufficient differentiation, particularly

for more able pupils. It is argued that streaming can sometimes be more effective for the most

able. However, there may be a tendency to abandon a variety of teaching and learning styles with

high-ability groups. There may also be insufficient differentiation within groups and a lack of

movement between groups, thus labelling many students as less able. A direct approach to

teaching aims to acquire new knowledge and skills through a structured sequence, often

beginning with modelling, demonstration or illustration by the teacher. Lessons typically proceed

to individual or group work and often end with whole class review.

Cooperative learning means the use of small instructional groups so that students work

together to maximize their own and each other’s learning. This approach has demonstrated that

well planned and performed the classes of English based on cooperative learning lead to true

achievements and positive relationships among students. These classes actually are both

cooperative and collaborative and imply small groups that work together to solve different

problems but at the same time students also improve their communication abilities. In short, it is

active learning that involves groups of students working together on a task. Thus, the students
have the feeling that they actively participate in the class, that they have a genuine contribution

to the topic discussed. The emphasis is on their ability to express themselves in terms of the

assignment they had to prepare.

By implementing this approach, students will be more active. They are responsible to

their own learning in their group during teaching learning process. Moreover, they feel happy

and motivated to learn and try to understand the context because of their responsible teachers to

transfer information and knowledge to their students. This approach is also suitable to apply in

teaching writing as well as reading, speaking, and listening

Besides, cooperative learning is also a team process where members support and rely on

each other to achieve an agreed upon goal. (Richard and M. Felder: 2008) observed that

cooperative learning should;

a. Develop and share a common goal.

b. Contribute your understanding of the problem, question, insights and

solutions.

c. Respond to and work to understand, other’s question, insights and solutions. Each member

empowers the other to communicate and contribute and to consider their contributions.

d. be accountable to others, and they are accountable to you

e. tie students to depend one another

Based on the statement above, it can be concluded that teamwork and collaborative are

important for the students to develop their idea, to understand the problem, to analyze them, and

to elaborate on solutions. In addition, (Olsen and Kagan: 1992) also proposed some key elements

of successful group-based learning on cooperative learning, that is, positive independence, group

formation, individual accountability, social skills, structuring and structures. Positive

independence occurs when group members feel that what help one member helps all and what

hurt one member hurts all. It is created by the structure of cooperative learning tasks and

building of spirit of mutual support within the group. Group formation, leads students stay

together in the same groups for a period of time so they can learn how to work better together.

The teachers usually assign students to the groups so that the groups are mixed. This allows

students to learn from each other and also gives them practice in how to get along with people

different from themselves. Individual accountability, involves both group and individual

performance, for example, by assigning each student a grade on his or her portion of a team

project or by calling at the students randomly on sharing information with whole class, with

group member, or with another group. Social skills, determine the way students interact with

each other as teammate. Usually some explicit instruction in social skills is needed to ensure

successful interaction. It also involves an explicit teaching of appropriate leader ship,

communication, trust and conflict resolution skill so that the team can function effectively.
Statement of the Problem:

Teaching the millennials today is a challenge, this different group of Grade 12 Senior

High School students of Ateneo de Zamboanga University are quite different in terms of

intellectual capacity, where in some students can read well and some are still having difficulties.

In this generation with the help of the k-12 curriculum teachers are able to cater to the needs of

the students where not everyone is learning the same way as others in the class. Teachers help

students improve their reading skills with the help of a cooperative learning strategy. Proponents

of cooperative learning strategies suggest that if students at secondary school level were trained

to work collaboratively and if proven structures were implemented, the cooperative learning

method could be more effective and efficient than the individual learning.

The purpose of this study is to determine the challenges of teachers in teaching reading

with the help of cooperative learning. This study will take place with Grade 12 Senior High

School students at Ateneo de Zamboanga University where this study investigates the

effectiveness of the cooperative learning strategy that teachers use on reading while at the same

time seeks to integrate the necessary social skills of students to work effectively in pairs, triads

or by group. In this context the researcher would like to find answer to the following questions:
Research Questions:

1. What are the challenges of teachers towards student’s attitudes about

cooperative learning as a technique in teaching reading?

2. What are the students’ views on cooperative learning after providing

cooperative learning instruction?

3. How does cooperative learning strategy help students in their reading skills?
Research Objectives:

1. To determine the challenges of teachers towards students’ attitudes about cooperative

learning as a technique in teaching reading.

2. To determine the students’ views on cooperative learning

3. To ascertain if cooperative learning aids the students in practicing their reading skills.
Conceptual Framework:

Teachers instructional
strategy in teaching
reading

Cooperative
learning

Students attitudes, Teachers

views, and help challenges
Significance of the study:

Primarily, this study is being conducted to determine if there is a difference between

teaching reading with the use of cooperative learning prior to teachers not using cooperative

learning in teaching the Grade 12 students of Ateneo de Zamboanga University. There are many

positive results that can come from this study, respondents of the study will observe the

cooperative learning strategy used by their teacher to help them comprehend reading texts.

Students in the study will be taught strategies to help break down the text they are reading and

teachers will be able to distinguish if the use of cooperative learning strategy aid the students in

reading comprehension.

What is k-12? The K to 12 curriculum covers Kindergarten and twelve (12) years of basic

education. The program aims to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills,

develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level skills

development, employment, and entrepreneurship.

Cooperative learning is a tested and effective teaching tool, but recent changes to the

delivery of instruction necessitate further validation and support. In the new curriculum of the K-

12, cooperative learning is emphasized in the teaching of reading but sometimes is less practiced

in certain schools and the use of cooperative learning strategy in teaching reading is much of a

preferable choice not only because it helps students interact but as well as the teachers. It will

make the lesson and activities more interesting and even though students will be grouped, their

individuality for their accountability will still be graded. It is important for teachers to use a good

theory in teaching not only in smaller class but also in bigger classes because with this theory
there will be no students left behind and the interactions will evolve to everyone inside the class

and this will make everyone equal with each other. “Although previous studies support the

instructional benefits of cooperative learning, there is little evidence connecting cooperative or

collaborative learning to broader college outcomes, such as the development of need for

cognition” (Cabrera et al., 2002). This study fills an important gap in research by providing

conceptual evidence of the cognitive impact of cooperative learning in teaching reading to

students.

Furthermore, the benefit of this research to students is how their attitude and behavior

becomes a challenge in learning reading with the use of cooperative learning theory, to teachers

on the other hand plans on how to teach reading with the help cooperative learning that will cater

to the different intellectual capacity of the students pertaining that there is no student left behind

in class.
 Review of Related Literature

(Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1991) noted thatCooperative learning is a teaching method

that uses small groups working together to maximize the learning potential of each group

member.

(Antil, Jenkins, Wayne, & Vadasy, 1998; Astin, 1993; Chickering & Gamson, 1987;

McKeachie, 1999; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Tinto, 2003) stated that The cooperation among

students creates interdependence which may lead to increased motivation and cognitive

processing. Collaboration among students in the learning process is a fundamental principle of

effective undergraduate teaching.

(Cabrera et al., 2002) agreed that Studies have shown that cooperative learning

influences gains in personal development, understanding the sciences, appreciating art, and

improving analytical skills.

(Johnson et al., 1991) pointed out that Cooperation may include learning communities,

peer study groups, or class project teams. Cooperative learning’s basic premise is that students

construct knowledge through interaction with other students.

(Johnson et al., 1991) observed that, students work together to fill individual gaps that

instructors may not recognize. The most critical element of cooperative learning is that students

must work together to achieve common interdependent goals. Such goals require each student to

achieve individual goals in order for other students to achieve their own goals. Instructors who

use cooperative learning should design activities and assignments that require students to rely on
each other to complete the work. The interdependence of group members provides the advantage

of cooperative learning over more traditional group discussion approaches.

(Greene, 1986) stated that Cooperative approaches to learning are not new concepts to

teaching and date back to the nineteenth century.

(Colonel Francis Parker 1837–1902) agreed that, as the father of the Progressive

Movement in education, began working with teachers in the Cook County Normal School to

encourage shared work among students. He felt the competitive nature of education was stifling

children’s creativity. Parker 13 sought to democratize education by encouraging shared rather

than competitive work. Shared outcomes, as opposed to competitive grades, are critical to

successful implementation of cooperative learning. As stated earlier, faculty members often use

cooperative and collaborative learning techniques interchangeably. In general, cooperative

learning is more structured than collaborative learning. Cooperative learning generally consists

of five primary components: (a) positive interdependence, (b) face-to-face promotive interaction,

(c) individual accountability, (d) social skills, and (e) group processing (Johnson et al., 1991).

Essentially, cooperative learning occurs when students positively work together to achieve group

goals.

(Johnson et al. 1991) pointed out that social skills and the promotion of positive

interaction contribute to the success of cooperation among group members. Therefore, some

students may be better suited to cooperative learning based on their ability to work with others.

According to (Johnson & Johnson: 2009), cooperative group is defined as two to five

students who are tied together by a common purpose to complete the task and to include every

group member. Cooperative groups differ from typical classroom groups in the following ways:
1. In typical groups, one leader is chosen by the teacher; in a cooperative group, leadership is

shared so that all students are responsible for completion of the task and all group members are

included.

2. In typical groups, groups are homogeneous in nature; in cooperative groups, members are

selected by the teacher. Therefore, the groups are heterogeneous.

3. In typical groups, members create their own product, have their own materials and have

rewards based on individual accomplishment. In a cooperative group, the group creates one

product and/or shares materials, and/or has a group reward based on the success as a group.

4. In typical groups, students are told to "cooperate" with no attempt to teach social skills. In a

cooperative group, social skills are defined, discussed, observed and processed.

5. In typical groups, the teacher interrupts group work to solve problems, warn students and

remind them. In a cooperative group, the teacher encourages group problem-solving. He is an

instructor rather than an intervener.

6. In a typical group, the top priority is to accomplish the task get the job done. In a cooperative

group, the top priority is to accomplish the task and to include every member through each

person's use of social skills.

THE ADVANTAGES OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING APPROACH

(Harmer: 2009) emphasized that there are some advantages in teaching learning process in

cooperative learning approach (learning in group). The advantages are as the following;

1. Groups can help the students develop communication skill, leadership skill, and cooperation

skill.

2. Groups motivate the students who are bored.

3. Groups allow the students to work and interact independently without necessary guided of

teacher, thus promoting the student’s independence.

4. It recognizes the old maximum that ‘two heads are better than one’ and in promoting

cooperation helps the classroom to become a more relaxed and friendly place.

5. It is relatively quick and easy to organize.

6. Group can improve students’ achievement.

Based on the above explanation, it can be concluded that the advantages of cooperative

learning activity are that the students are easy to take part in a discussion. It helps the students to

express their idea, enjoy the discussion and share the knowledge.

THE DISADVANTAGES OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING APPROACH

Based on the advantages mentioned above cooperative learning approach also have some

weaknesses. The disadvantages of cooperative learning are as follow;

1. Time consuming to organize a group work.

2. The teacher has less control over what students are doing in group work than in a normal class.

3. Group work in a large class will be noise.

4. Not all students enjoy it since they would prefer to be focus on the teachers’ attention rather

than working in their group.

5. During the group activity, the teacher cannot control the language used by the students.

6. The actual choice of pair group or group work can be problematic, especially if students

frequently find themselves working with some they are not keen on.

However, these disadvantages can be overcome both by teacher and the student; for

example, the teacher gives an interesting topic to the students, in order to motivate them to enjoy
the discussion in teaching – learning process. Therefore, the teacher and the student can

anticipate the problems during the teaching learning process.

Other challenges to be consider are:

Problem personalities

As you observe students engaged in group work, something to watch for is a student on

the sidelines or dominating the conversation. In most cases, it doesn't last. The student may be

taking a break or have some particular expertise on the subject. If, however, other students

complain or the issue seems protracted, you may have to intervene.

Hitchhikers

This behavior is rare, with only about 7% of students riding the group coattail observed

by (Kaufman et al., 1999 ). It may be a problem of motivation or immaturity or it may simply be

the case that the student is too shy or too passive to get involved with the group.

Shy or unconfident students may be able to get involved with help from the rest of the group,

so the first attempt to deal with the problem, if you wish to give the student the benefit of a

doubt, would be an informal request to the group to make an effort to involve the shy student.

 One way to do this would be to suggest that the group assign roles. Not only would the

passive student have a responsibility, but it would be the responsibility of certain other

group members to involve him or her.

 Incorporating the use of talking chips also promotes contributions by all group members.

Students are provided with the same number of chips at the start of the exercise. Each time

they contribute to the discussion they must forfeit a chip. A student cannot contribute again
 until each group member contributes in turn. Different color chips can be used to integrate

different types of contributions (brainstorming, critical reflection, etc) throughout the

exercise.

 Some students may not encourage participation by passive students if they believe it will

negatively impact the group grade. Building in positive interdependence and individual

accountability (which is one of the five key elements of cooperative learning) can help

overcome this behavior.

If in-group efforts don't work, you can put the non-participator on probation, working on a

project alone, for the next unit.

 If you have some way of determining what each student did during the last project, you can

split up any group grades and give the student now on probation a separate grade.

 If the solo project doesn't get finished or isn't done well, the nonparticipator should

probably continue to work alone for the rest of the term. You'll want to make sure his or

her former team is not excessively handicapped by having one fewer member.

Dominant Personalities/Perfectionists

Sometimes, it's the other way around. One student (occasionally two) will have high standards

or intense involvement with a project to such a degree that they (often unintentionally) exclude

their teammates.

 Sometimes, the student with the problem will be the one to complain to the instructor (that

his or her teammates are not pulling their weight).

 Careful monitoring is necessary to distinguish a group with hitchhikers from a group with

one or more extreme achievers.

 Another possibility is that certain members of the group are good friends, and find it so

much easier to communicate with one another that they simply fail to involve shy students.

 Often a perfectionist student may warn an instructor early on that he or she really cannot

deal with group work.

 Methodology

Research Design

This study will use the mixed method (quantitative-qualitative research). This method is

appropriate for this study since it will use both numerical data and texts to analyze the problems.

The numerical data will be essential to find out students’ views on cooperative learning

instruction. Best and Kahn (1998) stressed that descriptive research is concerned with the

analysis of the relationships between non-manipulated variables and the development of

generalizations, extending its conclusions beyond the sampled observed

Hestketh and Laidlaw (2010) stress that quantitative research tends to focus on

measurement and proof. This research adopts a ‘scientific approach’. It is based on the premise

that something is meaningful only if it can be observed and counted. Its key characteristics are

numerical data that permits a range of statistical analysis.

On the other hand, texts will be sourced out from the observations and interviews with

teachers to analyze the challenges of teachers on the attitudes of students towards cooperative

learning as technique or strategy. Shank (2002) defines qualitative research as “a form of

systematic empirical inquiry into meaning”. By systematic he means “planned, ordered and

public”, following rules agreed upon by members of the qualitative research community. By

empirical, he means that this type of inquiry is grounded in the world of experience. Inquiry into

meaning says researchers try to understand how others make sense of their experience.

Denzin and Lincoln (2000) claim that qualitative research involves an interpretive and

naturalistic approach: “This means that qualitative researchers study things in their natural
settings, attempting to make sense of, or to interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings people

bring to them”.

Arce (1998) stresses the salient characteristics of qualitative research as:

The salient characteristics of qualitative research that are pointed up

here have to do with: a) the type of data that is used; b) the number of units
that the investigator focuses on; c) the specificity of the research to a particular
locale; d) the integral part of the research process that the researcher plays;
e) the use of this research is a variety of investigations; and f) the use
of this type of research for a variety of theoretical needs.

Population and Sapling Procedure

The target population of this study is the two Grade 7 classes (Grade 7 section and

Grade 7 – section) in Zamboanga City High School. The two Grade 7 classes have a

combined population of 89; 56 and 58 , respectively. Moreover, two teachers in English of

these classes will be considered participants.

Table 1. Population and Sample Distribution of the respondents by section

Section N n

Name of section 56 44

Name of section 58 45

Total 114 89

1.285

In determining the student-sample , the Slovin’s formula will be used. Based on the

computation, the sample size is 89. In selecting the student-samples, the simple random

sampling will be used. It implies that the names of the students will be written in pieces of
paper, rolled and placed in a container. Then thesepieces of paper will be picked out one at a

time until the desired number of samples will be obtained. The same procedure will be

observed in other class.

Research Instrument

This study will use three research instruments, observation sheet, guide questions and

survey questionnaires.

A.Observation Sheet

The observation sheet consists of names of the teacher to be observed, time observed

and the name of the class being observed. It also consists of three columns; column 1 is the

time of the activity held, column 2 , teacher activity and column 3 is student activity.

B. Guide Questions

The guide questions consist of questions which require long answers from the

participants. These questions are based on the two specific problems of the study, such as,

determining the challenges teachers encountered in the use of cooperative learning technique

in reading comprehension and in ascertaining the effectiveness of cooperative leaning strategy

in teaching reading comprehension.

C. Survey Questionnaire

The survey questionnaire is a 5 – point-Likert type which comprises of 15 statements

on attitudes towards cooperative learning as a teaching technique/strategy. Each statement has

five options numbered and described: 5 – strongly agree, 4 – agree, 3 – neutral, 2 – disagree,

and 1 – strongly disagree.

Validity and Reliability of the Research Instrument

The guide questions , observation sheets and the survey questionnaires will be

subjected to a validity test. It means that the three research instruments will be referred to a

panel of experts to evaluate the items in terms of relevance, suitability and appropriateness to

the items.

However, the survey questionnaires will be subjected to reliability test. It means that

copies of questionnaires will be administered to student-non-respondents who have similar

characteristics with the Grade 7 students. The data obtained from them will be computed

using Cronbach Alpha and its reliability estimate will determine whether the survey

questionnaire is reliable or not.

Data Gathering Procedure

Permission will be sought from the School Principal of Zamboanga City High School

to conduct the research activities, such as, class observation to Grade 7, interview with

teachers and administer the survey questionnaires. Upon approval, the schedules of class

observation and interviews with the two English teachers will be arranged and the distribution

and retrieval of questionnaires from the students.

A survey- based design questionnaire and in depth interview will be utilized to obtain

the relevant data of the study. The questionnaire is a very effective data collection tool; it

enables large volumes of data to be collected over a short period of time and can be self-

administered. The questionnaire is developed by the researcher, the students chosen were given
the questionnaire and a few minutes to respond and return it to the researcher. This

questionnaire is composed of fifteen (15) questions and two (2) interview questions for the

English teachers.

For the purpose of analyzing the data, the respondents will be allowed to rate each

item on a scale of options which numerically coded as 1 (strongly disagree); 2 (disagree); 3

(neutral); 4 (agree); 5 (strongly agree).

Statistical Analysis

Frequency and percentage will be used in analyzing quantitative data; however data

from the interviews will be transcribed and organized into categories.

References:

Johnson, D. W. & Johnson, R. T. (2015). Theoretical approaches to cooperative learning.

In R. Gillies (Ed.), Collaborative learning: Developments in research and practice (pp. 17-46).
New York: Nova.
Sharan, Y. (2010). Cooperative learning for academic and social gains: Valued pedagogy,
problematic practice. European Journal of Education, Research Development and Policy, 45(2),
300-313. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1465-3435.2010.01430.x
Slavin, R. E. (2013). Cooperative learning and achievement: Theory and research. In W.
Reynolds, G. Miller & I. Weiner (Eds.), Handbook of psychology, vol. 7, 2nd ed. (pp.199-
212). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Baloche, L. & Brody, C. M. (2017). Cooperative learning: Exploring challenges, crafting
innovations. Journal of Education for Teaching, 43(3), 274-283.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2017.1319513
Olsen, R., and S. Kagan, About Cooperative learning. In C. Kessler
(ed.),Cooperative Lenguage Learning : A Teacher’s Recource Book,1992 in Jack C
Richards and Theodore S Rodger, Approaches and Method in Language Teaching
(Cambridge: Cambridge Language Teaching Library, 2001), p. 196.
Richard M Felder, Cooperative learning in Technical Course: procedures, pitfalls,
payoffs (North coralina: State university and Rebecca Breth/http://www.Stuygs.Net
/cooplearn, November 15th 2008, p. 17.
Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T. (2009). An Educational Psychology Success Story: Social
Interdependence Theory and Cooperative Learning. Educational Researcher. 38(5), 365-379.
D.B. Kaufman, R.M. Felder, H.Fuller (1999) . Peer Ratings in Cooperative Learning Teams.
Annual American Society for Engineering Education Meeting Proceedings of the 1999
Annual ASEE Meeting, Session 1430.

Lewis, B. K. (2012, May 01). Dr. Spencer Kagan's Theory on Cooperative Learning.
Retrieved from https://prezi.com/qiemqijcmsqu/dr-spencer-kagans-theory-on-cooperative-
learning/s
What You Should Know about the New K to 12 Curriculum. (2015, November 02). Retrieved
from http://k12philippines.com/an-overview-of-the-new-k-to-12-curriculum-in-the-
philippines/
Theory-based or Theoretical Sampling. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.qualres.org/HomeTheo-3806.html

Best. J. W. and Kahn, J. V. (2005). Research in education. (9th ed.). Simon and Schuster
(Asia) Pte Ltd, Singapore

Denzin N. and Lincoln Y. (Eds.) (2000). Handbook of Qualitative Research. London: Sage

Publication Inc.

Hesketh, E. A. and Laidlaw, J. M. (2010). Quantitative research. Education Development

Unit NHS Education for Scotland. Retrieved November 10, 2018 from
www.sportsci.org/jour/0001/wghdesign.html

Shank, G. (2002). Qualitative Research. A Personal Skills Approach. New Jersey:

Merril Prentice Hall.

Permission Letter

Ateneo de Zamboanga University

School of Liberal Arts
La Purisima St., Zamboanga City

November 13, 2018

Dr. JULIETO H, FERNANDEZ, CESE

School Principal IV
Zamboanga City High School
Alfaro Road, Tetuan, Zamboanga City
Dear Sir:

I am a Bachelor of Arts student major in English in School of Liberal Arts of Ateneo de

Zamboanga University and presently undertaking a research study , “Challenges of Teachers in
the Use of Cooperative Learning as a Teaching Strategy in Teaching Reading”, in partial
fulfilment of the Requirements in _______.

In view thereof, I would like to request permission from your good office to observe
two classes in English, conduct interviews with two English teachers and administer the
gathering of data using the survey questionnaires from randomly selected students. The data
which I will gather from these activities will be used to answer my research problems.

I would be glad if you will allow me to conduct the research activities either on a
Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. Rest assured that the identity of the teachers, and students
will be strictly held confidential.

Thank you for your support on this endeavour.

Respectfully yours,

GRACE VILLA
Student

Noted:

Name of the Research Adviser

Adviser

.Observation Sheet

Name of a Teacher __________________________

Time ____________
Grade and Section ___________________________

Directions: Write the activities in the appropriate columns that teachers and students do
during the one-hour period.

Time (Example) Teacher Activity Student Activity

7:00 – 7:05
7:06 – 7:10
7:11 – 7:15
7:16 – 7:20
7:21 – 7:25
7:26 – 7:30
7:31 – 7:35
7:36 – 7:40
7:41 – 7:45
7:46 – 7:50
7:51 – 7:55
7:56 – 8:00

Guide Questions

Survey - Questionnaire

Students’ Attitude towards Cooperative Learning

Respondent Number: ____ Gender: _______

Dear respondent,
This questionnaire is designed to investigate students’ attitude toward Cooperative Learning. The
researcher really appreciates your cooperation and participation.

INSTRUCTION: To respond to this questionnaire, please put a check mark (√) in the
appropriate box to indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with the statements:
1 (strongly disagree); 2 (disagree); 3 (neutral); 4 (agree); and 5 (strongly agree)
No. Statement 1 2 3 4 5
1 I will willingly participate in
cooperative learning activities

2 When I work with others it’s more

easier than working alone
Cooperative learning can improve my
3
attitude towards learning.
Cooperative learning helps me to
4
socialize more.
Cooperative learning enhances good
5
working relationships among students.
Cooperative learning enhances class
6
participation.
Creativity is facilitated in the group
7
setting.
Group activities make the learning
8
experience easier
I learn to work with students who are
9
different from me.
enjoy the material more when I work
10
with other students.

My work is better organized when I

11
am in a group.

12 I prefer that my teachers use more

group activities / assignments.

13 Cooperative learning builds up my

interest in learning and listening

14 Traditional learning makes the class

loose interest in the subject

15 Cooperative learning is much better

 than the traditional learning technique

Guide Questions for the teacher’s interview:

1. What are the benefits of using cooperative learning as a teaching strategy than

the use of traditional learning?

2. How does the use of cooperative learning help improve the students learning?