The differences between Iranian EFL teachers’ perceptions and their instructional practices regarding the cooperative learning

Figures & data

Table 1. Components of Cooperative Learning

Components	Description of Components
Positive interdependence	In CL contexts, students have to acquire the allocated material and guarantee that all associates of the group learn the given material (Johnson & Johnson, 1994).
Group processing	Students group and face each other, in order to have interaction to accomplish the task.
Individual and group accountability	Each student should admit the accountability for accomplishing the role and help the team gain objectives.
Interpersonal and small group skills	Engaging unskilled students in a group tasks did not assure that they can do so successfully (Johnson & Johnson, 1994). Students must be educated overtly on how to collaborate with others.
Promotive interaction	Students must know that they are working cooperatively, so the teachers should allow them to be aware that they must support and encourage each other (Johnson & Johnson, 1994).

Table 2. Categorization of the questionnaire items based on the related components

Components	Questionnaire items
Positive interdependence	14,15,22,24,25,26,29
Group processing	18,23
Individual and group accountability	1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12
Interpersonal and small group skills	13,16,17,21,27,28
Promotive interaction	19,20,30

Table 3. Ranking of the CL components based on Mean Index of instructors’ questionnaire

Components	Mean	Std Deviation *
1. Promotive interaction	2.55	.92
2. Interpersonal and small group skills	2.27	.77
3. Individual and group accountability	2.14	.76
4. Positive Interdependence	2.08	.90
5. Group processing	2.06	.84

* Standard Deviation

Table 4. Promotive interaction items

	F	P	N	Mean	Std. Deviation
19. One group member is selected to notice group task and to report group activities.	17	48.4	30	2.50	1.10
20. Offer time to summarize activities and conduct debriefing sessions after group tasks are accomplished.	21	67.8	30	3.00	.87
30. I plan to use future occasions for extra teaching in CL.	19	61.3	30	2.16	.74

Table 5. Teaching interpersonal and small group skills

Items	F	P	N	Mean	Std. Deviation
13. Provide the groups with limited resources to force learners sharing resources.	17	54.9	30	2.76	.77
16. Assign scores to individual group members according to enactment of the whole group.	23	74.2	30	3.20	.80
17. Monitor and interfere in group tasks to inspire balanced contribution and to inspire cooperation.	10	32.2	30	2.30	1.23
21. I consider CL as an effective instructional practice in most contexts.	26	83.9	30	1.66	.71
27. I believe in using CL as an effective teaching practice.	22	70.9	30	1.83	.83
28. I schedule to enhance the practice of CL in class.	23	74.2	30	1.90	.75

Table 6. Individual and group accountability

Items	F	P	N	Mean	Std. Deviation
1. Experience CL through interaction with other teachers.	12	38.7	30	2.20	1.42
3. Experience CL through participation in an after school service program.	5	16.1	30	1.50	1.13
4. Experience CL through CL workshop participation.	3	9.7	30	1.30	.91
2. Experience CL through reading CL articles.	10	32.3	30	2.13	1.38
5. Using CL groups in reading classes.	29	93.6	30	2.83	.83
7. Using CL groups in speaking classes.	26	83.9	30	2.83	1.05
6. Using CL groups in writing classes.	22	70.9	30	2.20	.88
8. Using CL groups in listening classes.	18	58.1	30	1.86	.81
9. More than 50% of class time during a week dedicates to CL tasks.	28	90.1	30	2.20	.96
10. Usually use small group size of CL in my classroom.	16	51.6	30	2.46	.99
11. Usually determine group size based on task at hand.	4	12.9	30	1.86	1.12
12. Usually use big group size for CL in my classes.	10	32.3	30	2.40	.95

Table 7. Positive interdependence

Items	F	P	N	Mean	Std. Deviation
14. Offer group members special resources to force them find an effective way to complete group work tasks.	18	58.1	30	2.76	.97
15. Assign distinctive roles to certain group members to guarantee that all students must work together to create a final outcome.	25	80.6	30	3.23	.72
22. I believe that CL boosts learner contribution in learning activities.	29	93.6	30	1.53	.57
24. I believe that CL develops presentation of high ability learners.	17	54.8	30	2.26	1.04
25. I believe that CL develops presentation of average-ability learners.	23	74.2	30	1.83	.79
26. I believe that CL develops presentation of low-ability learners.	27	87.1	30	1.63	.66
29. Rewarding group members enactment based on group success is a reasonable technique of grading.	22	70.9	30	1.96	.76

Table 8. Quality of group processing

Items	F	P	N	Mean	Std. Deviation
18. Usually offer groups with feedbacks on my observations of group performance and using the cooperative skills.	17	54.8	30	2.63	.88
23. I believe that CL develops learner communication and decision-making skills.	27	87.1	30	3.23	.72

Table 9. Mean Index of the instructors’ instructional practices

Writing Stages	Mean
Post-writing stage	2.86
While-writing stage	2.69
Pre-writing stage	2.53

Table 10. Descriptive Statistics for the observation at the stage of pre-writing

Items	VM+M		A		Al + L
	F	P	F	P	F	P
1. Clarification of tasks objectives through providing cooperative task guideline and decision making strategy and supporting ideas before writing task.	4	66.7%	2	33.3%
2. Encouraging group dynamic and stablishing team goals through assigning responsibility and defining members’ roles.			3	50%	3	50%
3. Motivating students for further participation by means of group brainstorming (e.g., mind map, Charett method, think pair share and clustering techniques.)	3	50%			3	50%
4. use of authentic educational resources such as textbook or other realia.	5	83.3%	1	16.7%
5. Awareness raising of learners’ ideas and encouraging organization of ideas by providing several opportunities for group practices through planning on how to deal with writing problems.	4	66.7%			2	33.3%

Table 11. Descriptive Statistics for the observation at the stage of while writing

Items	VM+M		A		Al + L
	F	P	F	P	F	P
6. Considering students’ interest and providing opportunity for cooperative discussion in mutual interaction and monitoring group discussion.	3	50%	3	50%
7. Inspiring learners rely on others’ ideas and take responsibility for assessment and considering peer feedback through learners’ group work.	4	66.7%			2	33.3%
8. Considering gap between students’ and learners’ ability for communication, and considering time limitations for each task.	1	16.7%	1	16.7%	4	66.7%
9. Cultivating open communication and keeping students on target by specifying how learners deal with their writing issues.	2	33.3%	2	33.3%	2	33.3%
10. Removing the scaffolding, phase by phase and planning the writing task.	3	50%	1	16.7%	2	33.3%

Table 12. Descriptive Statistics for the observation at the stage of post writing

Items	VM+M		A		Al + L
	F	P	F	P	F	P
11. Motivating learners to evaluate their friends’ writing through correction and peer feedback process.					6	100%
12. Reassuring learners’ self-reflection on how well they write based on their initial plans and how well they correct their errors through proofreading tasks.			3	50%	3	50%
13. Noticing the learners’ relevant needs for further learning.	6	100%
14. Connecting ideas to make a coherent piece of writing.	4	66.7%	2	33.3%
15. Inspiring, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of writing strategies and motivating students to transfer strategies to new tasks by providing learners with oral and written feedback.	3	50%			3	50%

Table 13. Mean difference of instructors’ perceptions versus instructional practices

Group Statistics
	Codes	N	Mean	Std. Deviation	Std. Error Mean
Perceptions VS. Practice	Observation	6	1.3333	.51640	.21082
	Questionnaire	6	1.5000	.54772	.22361

Table 14. Independent sample t-test between observation and teachers’ perceptions

Independent Samples Test
		Levene’s Test for Equality of Variances		t-test for Equality of Means
		F	Sig.	T	Df	Sig. (2-tailed)	Mean Difference	Std. Error Difference	95% Confidence Interval of the Difference
									Lower	Upper
Scores	Equal variances assumed	.625	.448	−.542	10	.599	−.16667	.30732	−.85141	.51808
	Equal variances not assumed			−.542	9.966	.600	−.16667	.30732	−.85174	.51840

Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, F. (1994). Joining together: Group theory and group skills (5th ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1991-97576–000

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