Effects of cooperative learning on students at angiang university in vietnam

EFFECTS OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING ON STUDENTS AT ANGIANG UNIVERSITY IN VIETNAM VAN DAT TRAN 2012 EFFECTS OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING ON STUDENTS AT ANGIANG UNIVERSITY IN VIETNAM Submitted by Van Dat Tran M.Ed (La Trobe University) B.A (Can Tho University) A thesis submitted in total fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education Faculty of Education LA TROBE UNIVERISTY Bundoora, Victoria, 3083 Australia December, 2012 Brief Contents List of abbreviations List of tables, and figures Abstract Statement of authorship Acknowledgements Chapter Introduction 1.1 Background 1.2 Purposes of the study 1.3 The rationale of the study 1.4 Report outline 1.5 Definition of terms 9 18 19 19 20 Chapter Literature review 2.1 An overview of cooperative learning 2.2 Theoretical perspectives underlying cooperative learning 2.3 Research findings on the effects of cooperative learning 2.4 Research hypotheses 2.5 Conclusion 23 23 Methodology 3.1 Research paradigm 3.2 Rationale for choosing both quantitative and qualitative methods 3.3 Research design 3.4 Variables in the research study 3.5 Research participants 3.6 Treatment 3.7 Research instruments 3.8 Data collection 3.9 Data analysis 73 73 Results 4.1 108 Chapter Chapter 4.2 4.3 Chapter 36 52 69 71 81 84 87 89 94 100 105 106 Students‘ perceptions of the instructor and instruction 108 Effects of cooperative learning on achievement and retention 120 Effects of cooperative learning on attitudes 125 Discussion 5.1 Students‘ perceptions of the instructor 5.2 Students‘ perceptions of the instruction 138 139 140 5.3 Effects of cooperative learning on achievement 5.4 Effects of cooperative learning on knowledge retention 5.5 Effects of cooperative learning on students‘ attitudes Chapter Implication 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 Current situation Cooperative learning research Research hypotheses Methods and subjects Findings Limitations of the study Implications and recommendations Appendices 10 11 12 13 14 Background information of subjects Syllabus for the MAE course and the treatment Teaching schedule for MAE course Pre-test on MAE course Post-test on MAE course Marking scheme of both pre-test and post-test Answer sheet of tests Survey of instruction and instructor perceptions Survey of student attitudes Results of pre-test, post-test and delay test Cooperative lesson planning form Data auditor‘s statement Ethics approval Students‘ responses toward jigsaw learning group List of references 142 148 151 158 158 159 160 161 162 164 166 178 179 180 184 185 192 202 203 204 206 208 209 211 212 213 223 List of abbreviations DES Department of Education and Skills GPA Grade Point Average DETPSCD Department of Education of Education and Training Support and Curriculum Directorate MAE Management of Administration and Training MOET Ministry of Vietnamese Education and Training NASRV National Assembly of Socialist Republic of Vietnam QOTL Quality of Outcomes Teaching and Learning UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization VG Vietnamese Government VHEI Vietnamese Higher Education Institutions List of tables, and figures Table 2.1 2.2 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 Cooperative learning research in Western Context Cooperative learning research in Asian context Basic beliefs associated with the major paradigms Differences between quantitative and qualitative research Data relating to variables in the experimental and control groups Student training in cooperative learning The four-component solution Pattern matrix for instructor and instruction items Techniques of the instructor and instruction The relationship between techniques associated with the instructor and instruction Multivariate Testsb Results obtained from Tests of Between-Subjects Effects Items of Powerful Teacher scale Items of Engaging with Learning scale Items of Generic Teaching Skills scale Items of student-centered learning scale The relationship between pre-test, post-test, and delay test Results obtained from Tests of Between-Subjects Effects Results obtained from Tests of Between-Subjects Effects Results obtained from Paired-Samples T-tests Students‘ attitudes toward jigsaw learning group Figure 2.1 Overview of social interdependence theory 2.2 Component processes governing observational learning in the social learning analysis 3.1 The Pre-test-post-test nonequivalent comparisongroup design 3.2 Matching procedure 3.3 Home groups 3.4 Forming jigsaw groups from home groups 3.5 Activities of the instructor and students in the jigsaw process 4.1 Scree test 56 65 76 80 93 95 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 116 117 120 121 122 124 124 126 38 47 85 91 98 98 99 109 4.2 Plot of Means for Factor Data 4.3 Mean scores of Pre-test and Post-test 118 123 Abstract This study investigates the receptiveness of Vietnamese tertiary mathematics students to learning through the jigsaw cooperative learning strategy and the effects this has on their academic achievement and knowledge retention in a Management of Administration and Education (MAE) unit Vietnamese students are used to learning from lectures and their attitude toward the more cooperative strategy was also investigated Students in this study were divided into two matched groups of 40, based on age, gender and Grade Point Average (GPA) scores The groups were then randomly allocated to control (lecture) and experimental conditions (jigsaw) and pre-tested on the MAE unit before the treatment commenced The same lecturer taught both groups ANOVA analyses showed no significant differences (p >.05) between the GPA and the MAE pre-test course scores of the groups Instruction lasted for six weeks and at the end of the treatment, post-tests were used to measure students‘ achievement, and their knowledge retention Two survey questionnaires were also administered One was designed to measure students‘ perception of the instructor and instruction in both the treatment and control groups, and the other was given to the treatment group only, to measure students‘ attitudes toward jigsaw learning after the treatment The results of ANCOVA analyses, with MAE pre-test scores as the covariate, indicated that students in the cooperative learning group had higher overall scores on the MAE achievement and delay tests than did students in the traditional lecture-based teaching group However, students in both groups had a similar percentage of knowledge retention on the delay test of achievement In addition, ANOVA analyses showed that students in both groups perceived the instructor‘s teaching skills as effective, and perceived the instructor as knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the subject However, students in the experimental group perceived their instruction as more cooperative and more student-centered, and less teacher-centered than did those in the control group Moreover, results indicate that in general, students in the experimental group appreciated most working with others and getting help, discussing and sharing information and teaching others, and they enjoyed the jigsaw context This study identifies the positive impact of jigsaw cooperative learning on a sample of Vietnamese tertiary students‘ academic achievement, knowledge retention, and attitudes toward this kind of learning, and suggests that the jigsaw approach could be an appropriate pedagogy in the current wave of the teaching approach reform in Vietnamese higher education Statement of authorship Except where reference is made in the text of this thesis, this thesis contains no material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a thesis by which I have qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma No other person‘s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the main text of this thesis This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree or diploma in any other tertiary institution All research procedures reported in the thesis were approved by the relevant Ethics/Safety Committee or authorized officer as appropriate The reference for this approval is Project HREC No: R051/09 Signed:……………………… Acknowledgements I wish to express my sincere thanks to my colleagues for their assistance in collecting the data for the research, and the 80 students who participated in this research I would also like to thank very sincerely Ngo Ngoc Hoa for his hard work in conducting an audit trail of the data I would like to thank my enthusiastic and knowledgeable supervisors - Professor Ramon Lewis and Dr Peta Heywood – for their advice, support and direction in proceeding with and completing this research ... 106 Students? ?? perceptions of the instructor and instruction 108 Effects of cooperative learning on achievement and retention 120 Effects of cooperative learning on attitudes 125 Discussion 5.1 Students? ??... combination of instructor and participant processing resulted in greater problem solving success than the other cooperative conditions In addition, in the examination of cooperative learning. .. perceptions of the instructor 5.2 Students? ?? perceptions of the instruction 138 139 140 5.3 Effects of cooperative learning on achievement 5.4 Effects of cooperative learning on knowledge retention