Contains maths

Nattiv, A. (1994). Helping behaviors and math achievement gain of students using cooperative learning. Elementary School Journal, 94(3), 285. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.

This paper starts by saying that cooperative learning is a name given to a wide range of education strategies based on the idea that students are placed into small groups, where each member works towards a group goal while being an accountable individual. Teams may contain a mix of genders, ethnicity and student ability level. Students instructed through cooperative learning learn more than students instructed through individual or competitive methods. It has been found that students who give and receive explanations relevant to the topic learn more than those that are given the answer without explanation.

The study was of 101 students in grades 3-5 in a elementary school in northern Utah, with "exemplary" teachers who were positive about and enjoyed teaching maths. The students were split into groups of six, mixed gender and ethnicity and containing two students of high, medium, and low ability (based on data from a standardised test three months prior). Students were instructed in helping behaviours for three weeks prior to the study, practised with daily feedback. Instruction methods included direct instruction, role playing, modelling, singling out correct behaviours, team points and feedback regarding effectiveness. Students were taught and shown methods of asking questions and explaining how to do things. The students and teachers had not previously been trained in cooperative learning or helping behaviours.

The cooperative learning system was one based on class wide direct instruction followed by student tutoring groups on the content. The students take a test on the concept and the team earned points based upon improvement over previous test results. Some of the tutoring took place by the group splitting into pairs which worked as solver/checker and the whole group coming together frequently to check progress and answers. They working in these groups for three weeks prior to the study.

The maths topics while the study was progressing were multiplication (3rd), measurement of distance, area and volume (4th) and complex fractions(5th), all involving comprehension, computation, application and some problem solving and use of manipulatives. Each team was video taped an average of twice a week for 5 minutes, with only on team taped at a time. The behaviours targeted were 'gives explanation', receives explanation', 'asks for help (receiving)', 'gives help other than explanation', 'receives help other than explanation', 'gives answer only', 'receives answer only' and 'receives no help after asking'.
When a behaviour was observed it was recorded for that student, with behaviours recorded again if went for longer than 30 seconds.

The results found that giving and receiving explanations or other help were positively related to achievement. High ability students gave more help, low ability students received more help and medium ability students giving and receiving help. Giving and receiving answer only was not significantly (statistically speaking) related to achievement.  There was no dependence on helping behaviours and gender observed. 5th grade students gave/received only answers half as often as 3rd and 4th grade students, however giving and receiving answers only occurred infrequently. Not receiving help after asking had the lowest mean observation frequency. They reported that sometimes team helping, one helping many and helping without being asked was observed. The author questions if students would engage in helping behaviours if they had not been taught them.