英语版合作学习文献综述

A Study on the Problems and Strategies of Cooperative Learning in

Elementary School English Class

Literature Review

Class five, Grade 2013 Zhan Fuqin

Abstract: Cooperative learning is one of the learning methods that New Curriculum Reform has advocated. To cultivate students’ ability of cooperation and communication has become an important educational object. In order to meet the requirements of social development and school education, and to cultivate students’ ability of cooperation in a bett er way, we need to analyze the deficiencies and problems in the past researches; we also need to absorb and reference the existing research experience. We must find the new breakthrough of cooperative learning in order to cultivate students’ cooperative ha bits. Therefore, this paper makes a survey of these researches done to cooperative learning.

摘要：合作学习是新课程改革倡导的学习方式之一。培养学生的合作能力、交流能力已经成为了一个重要的教育目标。为了满足社会发展和学校教育的要求，更好的培养学生的合作能力，我们需要分析在过去研究中存在的不足和问题，吸取和借鉴已有的研究经验，争取在合作学校研究方面有新突破，更好的促进学生合作习惯的培养。因此本文对合作学习的这领域已做过的一些研究进行一个综合论述。

I. The History of Cooperative Learning

Cooperative learning has a long education history. More than two thousand years ago, “to learn,” has recorded about cooperative learning, which is Chinese classical education writing. It has stressed learners’ cooperation in learning process. In the first century AD, Kun Tiliang in ancient Rome brought up obtaining benefits by cooperation. From the eighteenth, Joseph Lancaster adopted cooperative learning method widely in England. His thoughts spread into America in1860, and his thoughts were welcomed by American educators, such as Parker and Du Wei. Parker’s teaching methods of cooperation leaded the education in America from 19 to 20 century. Later, Du Wei’s groups of cooperative learning became an important part of his famous teaching methods. And it laid a solid foundation for cooperative learning.

II. Research on Cooperative Learning

There are many educators studied Cooperative learning. Different educators brought up different theories. Professor Slavin thought that cooperative learning is a class teaching technology that students cooperate in different groups. And students can achieve praises according to their group performances in this process.

Ga Siji thought that cooperative learning is a kind of teaching pattern. It needs two to six students to organize a group to complete all kinds of important cooperative learning activities. Wang Hongyu thought cooperative learning refers to students in different groups cooperate with each other according to cooperative process and methods. And it is a teaching strategy system that can improve students’ cognition and emotion. Group learning is a main pattern of class teaching. Yang Mingquan thought that cooperative learning is a teaching pattern that students cooperate in groups.

From definition above, the connotation of cooperative learning mainly include four aspects. At first, cooperative learning is to disrupt traditional class teaching system. It is a dynamic cooperative teaching method. Secondly, groups are unit of cooperative learning. Thirdly, cooperative learning is a kind of inquiry-based learning, and it has stable aims. Finally, it is a group activity with inner cooperation and outer competition. And group performances decide their final performances.

III. Problems in Cooperative Learning

According to current education situation in China, it is not difficult to find that students in elementary school and middle school have common problems that lack of cooperation consciousness and communication skills. With the continuous development of society, Chinese

education career also develop in reform. The State Council enacted the Decision on the Foundation Education Reform and Development which advocatesthat cooperative learning is one of the significant learning methods. Cooperative learning can cultivate cooperation consciousness, collective idea, creative ability and competition sense. It has more advantages than other teaching theory because it truly reflects the unity of teachers and students.

With the development of New Curriculum Reform, cooperative learning theory in teaching plays a more and more important role. Its rich connotation, profound theory basis and practicing value have profound significance to improve the teaching quality and advance quality education in China. Many experts think that cooperative learning in China will have a very broad future.

However, in teaching practicing, the effects of cooperative learning are not satisfactory because of teachers’ superficial understanding and formal operation. Many teachers do not have a clear understanding for class cooperative activities. In the process of teaching, teachers design colorful and complex cooperative activities. After analyzing these dazzling activities, it is not difficult to find that effectiveness of these activities is not enough. Cooperative learning mainly exists five obvious problems in elementary school according to the researches of Yang Mingquan, Wang Yujiang and Wang Tan, ect.

At first, the degree of participation of students is not high enough. Students who have good performances, outgoing personalities and strong performance desires often play main role in learning groups. Even they take on everything when they cooperate with others. On the contrary, some students who are introverted become audience listeners. More seriously, some students without initiative can not do any works. They do not say a word, or they just say that they have the same ideas. Then they become a freeloader.

Secondly, some people will get distracted when others cooperate with each other. Generally speaking, discussing groups which are arranged by teachers are often desk-mates. The whole class is full with noise but teachers do not give any valid monitoring and guiding. In fact, some students are talking about some irrelevant topics. They do not help each other and do not solve problems together.

Thirdly, the ability of students in the same groups is not balance. Cooperative learning advocates that students with different learning ability should be in the same group. But in real teaching practicing, teachers do not arrange groups according to this standard, which makes groups’ performances have obvious differences. And students’ resentment and jealousy will

increase, which is not good for class learning.

In addition, cooperative assignments are not appropriate. Cooperative learning is an important learning method. It can cultivate students’ ability of creation, cooperation, leading and self-control. But students can not discuss all the time in a class and tasks also should not be completed by cooperation all the time. In fact, discussion for a long time can not achieve an ideal result. What is more, task allocation amount is also a key part. Cooperation is fair to every student, so the tasks also should be fair to them. They should not escape the cooperative assignment because of indolence.

Finally, the relationship of group members is not harmonious. When groups do not have united relationships, cooperation will have serious problems. Cooperative learning is a cooperative behavior that has specific division of labor. They study for the same goals. If there appear contradictions, cooperation will be in a stalemate.

IV. Countermeasures to Solve the Problems

Wang Tan, Wang Hongyu and ect also give some countermeasures to solve these problems. At first, teachers should try their best to pay attention to every student. They can adopt strategies of praises or points for individuals and teams.Teachers and group leaders should drive the class discussion atmosphere.

Secondly, students get distracted in cooperation are normal because they are too young. Therefore, if teachers find that students do not discuss the topic, they should remind students to participate in cooperation. Of course, when teachers remind students they should consider the characteristics of students. Their words should not too harsh.

Thirdly, education psychology experts think that teachers should arrange groups according to personality, interests, learning levels, communication skills and manipulative ability. Actually, teachers do not have this organization ability now. Although the most advanced software does not do this. Nowadays, teachers judge students according to their total scores, but it is not an efficiency method, because most students have different ability in different subjects. Maybe stud ents’ total scores are high enough, but his English may not be good.

As far as am concerned, students with different ability in the same group are scientific, and students’ learning levels should be considered. But it can not strongly implement this rule. Harmonious and unity are more important in cooperative learning.

In addition, the contents of cooperative learning related to efficiency and results of cooperation. The contents must attract students’ interests. The task can not too easy or too

difficult, they should be achieved by students’ efforts. Only by this way, will students accept cooperative learning by hearts.

Finally, in daily life, teachers should pay attention to students’ relationships. And they can teach some communication skills in advance. Students should learn how to listen to others, how to express their own ideas and how to ask help when they have problems. Compromise is more important in cooperation when they have different ideas. When teachers arrange cooperative tasks they should design cooperative rules and incentive system in advance. For those students who are not easy to get along with, teachers can take some measures to prevent bad behaviors by chanting, reminding, criticism and warning.

In summary, based on previous researches, cooperative learning, which mainly studies cooperative interaction in learning process, is a cooperative behavior that has specific division of labor. And it is a kind of learning method that is opposite of individual learning. Although many learners found these problems in cooperative learning, such as the degree of participation of students is not high enough; some people will get distracted when others cooperate with each other; the ability of students in the same groups is not balance; cooperative assignments are not appropriate the relationship of group members is not harmonious, and they gave some correspondent measures, cooperative learning still has not achieved a good teaching result. And there still exist some potential problems in cooperative learning.

However, it is no doubt that advantages and values of cooperative learning can not be covered. That is to say cooperative leaning is worthy to adopting in English teaching. As long as teachers can find and analyze problems of cooperative learning in time, one day, cooperative learning will achieve the desired goal in English teaching.

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