The Effects of Small-group Cooperative Learning Strategy on College Students’ Performance of Basic Mathematics

Abstract

This article reports the contribution of small-group cooperative instructional strategy among pre-service teacher education students in learning college level discrete mathematics (Math 122). Two classes of second-year students from one Ethiopian teacher education college participated in the study. The classes were arbitrarily assigned into Treatment and Comparison group. The Treatment Class was taught using small-group cooperative learning strategy, while the Comparison Class was taught using the traditional teacher-dominated strategies. Data sources of the study were scores of: Group Performance Rating Checklist (GPRC), Procedural-Conceptual Mathematics Test (PCMT), Math 122 Test, and Year I Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). The PCMT was the sum of Procedural and Conceptual mathematics tests. Analyses of GPRC data showed that students in the Treatment Class made significant shifts towards displaying learning behaviors that enhance learning in small-group cooperative instructional settings. Despite the fact that the analysis of CGPA showed comparable prior academic performance of both classes (t = 0.75, p ≥ 0.01), the Treatment Classes significantly outperformed their counterparts in mean Conceptual Mathematics test (t = 3.73, p ≤ 0.01), Total PCMT (t = 2.88, p ≤ 0.01), and Math 122 test scores (t = 3.86, p ≤ 0.01). In conclusion, small-group cooperative learning strategy improved students‟: (a) involvement in mathematics learning, (b) ability in solving conceptual mathematics problems, and (c) performance in mathematics tests. Implications for classroom practice and further research are provided.