This book recognizes the importance of cooperative learning, in contrast to the traditional classroom, as an effective approach to learning. Its coverage of the subject ranges across the educational spectrum, from pre-school years to university, and offers a fresh perspective on a topic that has gained increasing interest worldwide. With contributions from an international panel of leading experts in the field, this engaging text succeeds in providing key insights, linking the theories that underpin the study of group dynamics to their practical application in the classroom. It presents a comprehensive overview of this alternative educative approach, illustrating how cooperative learning experiences can promote socialisation and friendships, and facilitate learning. The editors assemble a range of well-researched essays, covering such aspects as: * The importance of teacher and student interaction * Small group, virtual and non-virtual teaching environments * Assessment practices for measuring the outcomes of individual and group progress * The effect of cooperative learning on relationships amongst students with diverse cultural, social and learning needs. Illustrated with practical examples throughout, this book will be a crucial read for teacher educators, educational psychologists, student teachers, academics and researchers who want to realize the significant potential of cooperative learning in all educational settings.

This book tried to find the answers to questions like- By which strategies and settings, the academic achievement of students can be raised up to some standard? How can we proceed with cooperative learning methods in Indian classrooms? Among a set of cooperative learning methods which one is more appropriate to teach a class constructed with a wide variety in caste, class, religion, region and different set of values? How conventional methods of teaching in Indian classroom overcome by cooperative learning methods? With which cooperative learning setting a learner can enhance self-concept optimum? How experiences in cooperative and non-cooperative environment play a role in teaching-learning process? Finally, how Student-Teams Achievement Divisions (STAD) and Jigsaw methods of cooperative learning helpful in raising scholastic achievement and self-concept among students of seventh graders in the subject Mathematics? This book is not written by an expert person and does not claim to address experts in this field; rather, it is addressed to pupil teachers, in-service teachers, researchers and non-experts but enthusiastic to do something new to gain more. It shall provide an introduction to cooperative learning methods involving Student-Teams Achievement Divisions (STAD) and Jigsaw. It enables the reader to proceed for comparatively new learning strategies in collaboration.

Language and Learning in the Cooperative Classroom reports the results of an experiment on the effects of cooperative learning. The authors address the following questions in detail: Is the effect of cooperative learning on achievement more salient for pupils from the majority or minority ethnic groups? Do pupils who study with the Group-Investigation method display more extensive verbal interaction with their peers than pupils who study with the Whole-Class method? Is the pupil's verbal interaction in groups related to his/her academic achievement? The findings are discussed in terms of their relevance for classroom instruction, for different theories of language behavior and language research, and for issues regarding ethnic relations in multi-ethnic classrooms.