Cooperative learning at university: Opinion of students and application of the instrument Cooperative Learning Questionnaire (CLQ)

ABSTRACT

Cooperative learning is one of the active teaching and learning methodologies with a growing presence in the different educational stages in recent times. The aim of this work is to apply an instrument previously validated in university education to find out to what extent the fundamental elements of cooperative learning are potentiated. The Cooperative Learning Questionnaire (CLQ) is used with a sample of 500 students at the University of Huelva (Spain). The outcomes express, on the one hand, high scores on the items that make up the different basic elements of cooperative learning, as well as high positive correlations. Moreover, psychometric analysis of the instrument results in a high reliability, organising the elements of cooperative learning into three factors. In conclusion, this methodology is confirmed to be potentiated through the study plans.

KEYWORDS:

• Cooperative learning
• higher education
• teaching methodology
• active learning

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

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

Additional information

Funding

This work is funded by the 21^st Call for Teaching Innovation and Research Projects of the University of Huelva;Universidad de Huelva

Notes on contributors

Manuel Delgado-García

Manuel Delgado-García. He has a PhD in Psychopedagogy from the University of Huelva. He works as an Associate Professor in the Research Methods and Diagnosis in Education Area. He research fields of interest cover the areas of educational counselling, attention to diversity and teacher professional development.

Sara Conde Vélez. Completed a degree and a PhD in Psychopedagogy from the University of Huelva. Associate Professor of the Department of Pedagogy in the Research Methods and Diagnosis in Education Area. Her research fields of interest cover the areas of school coexistence, educational orientation, equality and social inclusion for minority gender groups, and design and validation of assessment instruments and data collection.

María de la O Toscano Cruz. Completed a degree and a PhD in Psychopedagogy from the University of Huelva. She is Associate Professor of the Department of Pedagogy in the Research Methods and Diagnosis in Education Area. Her research fields of interest cover educational orientation, personal and family orientation, and cultural orientation and diversity. Her areas of research also include diagnosis and research methods in education and tutoring in education.