The effects of cooperative learning groups on the social studies achievement and self-esteem of fourth-grade students

This study sought to examine the effects of cooperative learning and gender on the achievement and self-esteem of a selected group of fourth-grade students in social studies. A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control-group design was used. The subjects included 143 fourth-grade students in eight intact classrooms from two Southwestern elementary schools with low socioeconomic, high minority populations. Four classrooms (two from each school) received the treatment of cooperative learning (n=72), and four classrooms (two from each school) used the treatment of traditional, teacher-directed instruction (n=7l). The Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory was administered to all students prior to the experiment. In addition, prior to each of two social studies units in the experiment, social studies achievement pretests were given. The scores from these three tests served as covariates in the analysis of data (to compensate for initial differences resulting from the use of intact classes). For a twelve-week period, both treatment groups studied the same content material from two Scott, Foresman textbook social studies units. At the end of each unit, a social studies posttest was administered to measure achievement in social studies, and at the end of the twelve-week treatment, the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory was readministered to measure any changes in self-esteem. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance in order to determine differences among groups. The dependent variables consisted of the total of raw scores from both social studies achievement posttests and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory posttest. First, a 2 X 2 analysis of covariance was performed with social studies achievement as the dependent variable and the total of raw scores from the two social studies pretests as the covariate. Another 2 X 2 ANCOVA was then conducted with the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory posttest as the dependent variable and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem pretest as the covariate. The independent variables for both analyses were treatment (cooperative learning and traditional, teacher-directed instruction) and gender. The results revealed a statistically significant difference in social studies achievement between the two treatment groups with cooperative learning promoting positive effects. No statistically significant effects— main or interaction—were found between treatment and gender on social studies achievement. Results for self-esteem revealed no statistically significant differences attributable to treatment effect. Statistical significance was determined for gender effect, but not for interaction between gender and treatment. It was concluded that cooperative learning was more effective than traditional instruction in promoting social studies achievement. Furthermore, results indicated that students' self-esteem was dependent on gender with males reporting positive effects. Participation in cooperative learning groups tended to lessen differences in self-esteem between males and females. This study supported the use of cooperative learning to improve student achievement in social studies for both genders.