Date of Award

1-2006

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Program

Curriculum & Instruction

Department

Curriculum and Instruction

Major Professor

Oescher, Jeffrey; Barnitz, John

Second Advisor

Casbergue, Renee

Third Advisor

Speaker Jr., Richard

Abstract

To examine the effects of cooperative learning on EFL students in Taiwan, a 12-week quasi-experimental pretest-posttest comparison group research study was designed. Two college classes (42 students each) in Taiwan participated in the study, one receiving grammar instruction through cooperative learning and the other through whole-class teaching. Three specific research questions guided the study. The first looked at effects of cooperative learning on motivation, the second on out-of-class strategy use, and the third on grammar achievement. Additional exploratory questions examined these results across subgroups within each class as well as the relationships between the dependent variables. Data were collected via learners' pretest and posttest scores on the dependent variables. The data were analyzed with MANCOVAs, one- and two-way ANCOVAs, simple effects, and Pearson correlations. Cooperative learning was found to have large positive effects on motivation and strategy use, and medium-to-large positive effects on grammar achievement. Overall, the findings indicated a consistent pattern in favor of cooperative learning over whole-class instruction in teaching the Taiwanese learners English grammar. The results of the exploratory questions indicated that cooperative learning facilitated motivation and strategy use of learners across all subgroups, but more so with those performing at higher and lower levels. Grammar achievement of learners at higher and lower levels was affected positively. Additional analyses also indicated cooperative learning positively affected learning at higher cognitive levels. Implications for future research and for curriculum and instruction are addressed.

Rights

The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.

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