Science-classroom studies of cooperative learning show mixed results, with several null or negative comparisons¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (3 entries) · causal r1 · q2
Currency · newest study 1993 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person
Evidence quality · No study behind this claim is a peer-reviewed article with a DOI: it rests on an ERIC document (a report, conference paper or thesis). It is kept because 4 design pages cite it; treat it as a lead to check, not an established finding.

Subclaims¶

q2 i? In Jones's grades 3-5 study on temperature misconceptions, the cooperative learning approach was no more effective than the control despite conflict training changing students' concepts. → Blosser 1993 q2 i? In Rice and Gabel's preservice elementary teacher chemistry course, control classes outperformed experimental cooperative classes on all 60 comparisons. → Blosser 1993 (2) q2 i? In Sherman's seven-week high school biology study, Group Investigation and individual work both raised posttest scores with no significant differences between treatment groups. → Blosser 1993 (3)

Evidence¶

Blosser 1993¶

Blosser, P. E. (1993). Using Cooperative Learning in Science Education. ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED351207

q2 · i? · causal · r?

Jones (1990) worked with teachers and students in grades 3, 4, and 5 in two rural elementary schools, comparing cooperative learning to traditional pair work in moving students through misconceptions about temperature, with pretest, cognitive conflict activity, and posttest. No effect size is printed.

"Although conflict training did result in changes in students' concepts of temperature, the cooperative learning approach was no more effective than the control."

Blosser 1993 (2)¶

Blosser, P. E. (1993). Using Cooperative Learning in Science Education. ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED351207

q2 · i? · causal · r1

Rice and Gabel (1990) studied preservice elementary teachers in four college chemistry sections, with Slavin's team report and bonus point system in experimental groups versus self-chosen pairs submitting individual reports in conventional classes. The control classes won on all comparisons; no effect sizes are printed.

"students in the control classes outperformed those in the experimental classes on the 60 comparisons involved in the study"

Blosser 1993 (3)¶

Blosser, P. E. (1993). Using Cooperative Learning in Science Education. ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED351207

q2 · i? · review · r2

Sherman (1989) compared Group Investigation with individual work in two approximately equal-ability high school biology classes over seven weeks using a 40-item multiple choice pretest-posttest. Sherman concluded both methods were effective but neither superior, speculating the late-school-year timing or fixed friendships may explain the null between-group difference.

"While posttest scores were significantly higher for both groups, there were no significant differences on pre or posttest scores between treatment groups."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Cooperative Learning Improves Achievement — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it
• Conceptual change strategies in cooperative groups reduced misconceptions in community college chemistry, but poor group leadership undermined discussion — related
• Cooperative learning produces significantly greater achievement than traditional instruction in most long-duration controlled comparisons — reports the opposite
• In school studies, cooperative and peer-learning methods that reward groups on every member's individual learning raised achievement more than methods without such rewards — related
• PAIR-C scaffolding shows mixed evidence for deep understanding and reduced misconceptions in emergent-phenomena instruction — related
• Cooperative biology instruction raised achievement and improved perceived classroom atmosphere in Israeli junior high studies — reports the opposite
• The playlist intervention showed no significant difference in post-implementation science attitudes on the Emerging STEM Learning Activation Survey — related
• Cooperative concept mapping produces better meaningful learning than individualistic concept mapping — reports the opposite
• Conflict-based instruction improves science conceptual learning, though staged contradictions helped only learners who reported being confused, and no study isolates disequilibrium as the mechanism — related
• In secondary-school research, cooperative learning beat frontal teaching in 68% of comparisons, with STAD most and Jigsaw least successful — related
• The Hero Elementary playlist intervention showed no statistically significant effect on K-2 students' science knowledge (effect size 0.10, p ~ 0.38) — related
• Cooperative learning reduced disparities between students' critical thinking scores, with lower performers gaining most — related