DYSON, B. (2001). COOPERATIVE LEARNING IN AN ELEMENTARY

PHYSICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM. JOURNAL OF TEACHING IN

PHYSICAL EDUCATION, 20, 264-281.

Kathleen Wack and David Robertson

Type of, purpose of study/paper, theoretical framework/background

• Purpose of study was to describe and interpret a teacher’s and the students’ experiences of cooperative learning in an elementary school physical education classroom

Four Major Approaches

• Conceptual Approach—only one to indicate all 5 elements be used—Students need to be taught how to reflect, give feedback, and suggests assigning roles to students, such as reader, recorder, or presenter as well as others

• Structural Approach—(Kagan) Structures, such as, Jig-Saw and Learning Teams—positive interdependence and individual accountability

Four Major Approaches continued

• Curricular Approach—grade-level specific and subject-specific curricula—highly formalized approach, group goals—focus is on team rewards, equal opportunity for success (work at your ability level to help), individual accountability

• Complex Instruction—group work as a strategy for enhancing student social and academic achievement—open-ended discovery and problem solving task—higher order thinking—roles material manager, harmonizer, and resource person

Cooperative Learning Defined

• Instructional format in which students work together in small, structured heterogeneous groups to master content

• Students are responsible for learning the material as well as helping their group-mates learn

• Growing body of research based in general education, minimal research in physical education

5-Elements Needed For “Success”

• Positive Interdependence—each group member learning to depend on the rest of the group to complete the task

• Individual Accountability—”answerability” of the task—teacher finds out if task is complete—praise, recognition, monitoring behavior, grades and tests

• Promotive Face-to-Face Interaction—head to head discussion around the group in close proximity

5-Elements Needed For “Success” continued

• Interpersonal and Small Group Skills—tasks in which the students participate—listening—decision sharing, taking responsibility, learn to give and receive feedback, encourage each other

• Group Processing—discussing how well the group members achieved their goals and maintain effective working relationships

Background and significance of study…what did it report to add?

• “Paucity of research” a qualitative research study was initiated in an elementary school physical education classroom

• Context-specific, field-based research to better understand the school environment

• Researchers asked teachers and students their thoughts

Methods/Analysis• Data from a larger multiple-methods qualitative

research study—year-long study• Interviews of physical education teacher, students,

principal, and classroom teacher—many informal interviews—Structured interviews—before and after unit and at the conclusion of the study

• Nonparticipant observation• Field Notes• Documents

Analysis Methods• Themes and sub-themes emerged from day-to-day events

—Interpretive Approach used to attempt to accurately describe and interpret the teacher’s and students’ voices

• Inductive Analysis and constant comparison used to organize and analyze the data

• Data organized into manageable and accessible records• Category System of Analysis• Perceptions (teacher and student) merged into one

document with field notes—triangulation of data that strengthened findings

Findings/Main ArgumentsThemes

• Goals of the Lesson—Motor skill and Social Development• Cooperative Learning Aids Motor Skill Development—

Learned to observe other members and provide help as well as observe the skill and replicate movements—atmosphere of respect and accountability

• Cooperative Learning Roles—Assigning specific roles to group members—6-assigned roles—Coach and Encourager mentioned the most by teacher and students

• Benefits of Cooperative Learning—assigned roles helped students work together—put our minds together and think of a strategy

Findings/Main ArgumentsThemes—continued

• Low-High Skilled Students—Less skilled students who were normally reluctant to participate were not marginalized in the cooperative learning format—High skilled students did not seem at a disadvantage

• Working Together as a Team—Work together as a team to complete a task and play as a team in a game situation

Conclusions/implications for practice and/or future research

• Implementation of Cooperative Learning—Shifting Responsibility to the students—Identifying students strengths and using them in a Strategy

• Teacher concern—students providing accurate feedback—focusing on a specific element in each class—do all students navigate this structure in a positive way

• Lead to psycho-motor improvement and social-skill enhancement—lead to sense of ownership

What We Learned!

• Students learn from their peers when given specific unobtrusive parameters

• The affective domain is an important component of student success in the gymnasium and the classroom in an elementary school

Questions For You!

• Would you implement cooperative learning curriculum in your physical education class and why or why not?

• Why is this instructional format not implemented in greater numbers at the elementary level or other academic grade levels?