Cooperative learning in teacher education: a means to foster learning motivation and academic engagement among EFL pre-service teachers

ABSTRACT

Research has shown that cooperative learning (CL) strongly promotes student learning at all educational levels. However, little is known about the CL’s influence in teacher education. This study examined the impact of CL on EFL pre-service teachers’ learning motivation and academic engagement using a pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental design. Two classes were randomly selected from regional teacher training centres in Cambodia, one class assigned as the experimental group (N = 35) and the other as the control group (N = 30). For one semester, the experimental group were exposed to CL while the control group were taught through lecture-based learning. Data were collected through adapted scales on learning motivation and academic engagement. The ANCOVA results revealed that CL was more effective for learning motivation and academic engagement, but no significant difference was found on extrinsic learning motivation. In conclusion, CL can foster learning motivation and academic engagement among EFL pre-service teachers.

KEYWORDS:

• Teacher education
• cooperative learning
• EFL pre-service teachers
• learning motivation
• academic engagement

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sokhom Chan

Sokhom Chan is a director of Education, Research, and Innovation Centre and a teacher educator at Kampot Provincial Teacher Training Centre, Cambodia. His research has focused on instructional designs, classroom climates, learning motivation, academic engagement, and teaching self-efficacy.

Sorakrich Maneewan

Sorakrich Maneewan is an Assistant Professor in Faculty of Industrial Education and Technology at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand. His research interest includes instructional designs, learning motivation and engagement, self-efficacy, self-directed learning, and educational technology.

Ravinder Koul

Ravinder Koul is an Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at Pennsylvania State University, USA. His areas of research include motivational attitudes, values, beliefs, engagement in learning and motivational perspectives on questions of equity in STEM education.