Student’s Perception of Cooperative Learning on Their Academic Achievement and Social Development: The Case of Debre Tabor University Social Science and Humanities Faculty, Ethiopia

Abstract

Ministry of education in Ethiopia enforce to implement cooperative learning in all level of education more than other active learning strategy. But still there is continued debate in our university whether it is the most effective pedagogical technique to be used in higher education for overall development of student. To uncover these 61 males and 59 female students of faculty of social science and humanities from four departments through using stratified random sampling. Regarding sampled student composition 66 (55%) of them are group members in both sex, 36(30%) of them are group leader and 18 (15%) of students are class representative. The data were collected through using questionnaires and analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. The finding reviled that first achievement majority of students 104 (86.66%) respond that Cooperative learning made them to score better grade than working individually. Second knowledge improvement (106 (88.33%) of students agree cooperative learning enhanced their knowledge of the subject matter). Thirdly general evaluation of cooperative learning method 95 (79.16%) of students agree cooperative learning exceeds the advantage of it than its disadvantages. The fourth finding indicate 101 (84.16%) , 105 (87.5%) and 100(83.33%) of students reported their class participation, communication and self-expression improved respectively. finaly 90 (75%) of student reported solve disciplinary problem by themselves using cooperative learning. From this finding it was made clear that more than 80% of students in all dimension of student development were reported as improved.

Keywords: Cooperative learning, achievement, knowledge, social development, discipline.