The Long‐term Effects of Cooperative Learning on Children's Behaviour and Interactions

Abstract

This study investigates the long‐term effects of training in small‐group and interpersonal behaviours on children's behaviours and interactions as they worked in small groups two years after they were initially trained. Forty‐eight third grade children, who had been trained two years previously in cooperative group behaviours, were assigned to the Trained condition and 44 third grade children who had not previously been trained were assigned to the Untrained condition. The children in the trained and untrained groups were reconstituted from the pool of students who had participated previously in either trained or untrained group activities. The results showed that there was a long‐term training effect with the children in the Trained groups demonstrating more cooperative behaviour and providing more explanations in response to requests for help than their untrained peers.