Evaluating the Cooperative Component in Cooperative Learning: A Quasi‐Experimental Study

Abstract

In this study, the authors employed a quasi‐experimental research design to examine the efficacy of a cooperative learning pedagogy (i.e., think‐pair‐share exercises) integrated into sections of microeconomic principles. Materials, exercises, and assessment instruments for all study sections are identical except for the nature of the problem‐solving process used for in‐class practice problems. The results suggest that the treatment group of students engaging in think‐pair‐share problem‐solving exercises performed no better on the Test of Understanding in College Economics (Saunders 1991) or overall course scores than students in a control group engaging in independent, in‐class, problem solving. Similarly, no differences on measures of student interest, attitudes toward the subject, or other perceptions of the course or instructor emerge between the treatment and control groups.

Keywords:

• cooperative learning
• economics education
• pedagogy

JEL code:

• A2

Notes

The first pairing was randomized at the beginning of the semester, and students were assigned a seat in class next to their partner. Thereafter, students spent the rest of the semester working the cooperative learning exercises with the same partner. The student who initialized the sharing process alternated across problems over the semester.

Students were also provided problems associated with efficiency and market failure, but due to time constraints, they were not part of the in-class problem-solving process.

Wherever possible, SAT scores are used. In cases where a student's records only indicated ACT scores, these scores are converted to SAT equivalents using http://www.act.org/aap/concordance/. For ease of exposition, we simply refer to SAT scores (whether original or converted from ACT) throughout the text.

Although the difference between males and females is only marginally statistically significant (p =.055).

The difference between course scores is marginally statistically significant (p =.074).

Students were allowed to work individually or in self-selected groups of two to four on each of the six homework assignments. Students electing to work as a group turned in a single solution and received the same grade on that assignment.

For further information regarding these and other cooperative learning techniques, see “Starting Point: Teaching and Learning Economics,” Cooperative Learning module (http://serc.carleton.edu/econ/cooperative/index.html).