Components of Cooperative Learning: Effects of Collaborative-Skills and Academic Group Contingencies on the Social Interaction of Isolated Students

摘要

In this study the effects of (a) opportunity to interact with classmates, (b) positive goal interdependence, (c) positive goal interdependence with a collaborative-skills group contingency, and (d) positive goal interdependence with both collaborative-skills and academic group contingencies, were investigated on the achievement, relationships with nonhandicapped peers, and voluntary use of collaborative-skills of socially withdrawn and isolated students. Four socially isolated and withdrawn students (2 eighth grade and 2 eleventh-grade) were studied in English and chemistry classes. The results indicate that positive goal interdependence with both collaborative-skills and academic group contingencies promoted the most positive relationships with nonhandicapped classmates, most frequent engagement in cooperative skills, and the highest achievement for theses students. A second purpose of the study was to compare the impact of positive goal interdependence with specific collaborative-skills and academic group contingencies with positive goal interdependence alone and individualistic learning for three matched English classes taught by the same teacher. Students in both cooperative conditions achieved significantly higher than did the students in the individualistic condition.