Cooperative Learning and Project Maths: Attitudes, Key Skills and Academics. A Case Study.

Abstract

Ireland is currently in the early post-implementation stage of its largest curriculum reform of mathematics in the history of the state. Project Maths intends to educate and prepare students for life and employment in the 21st century. This reformed curriculum was designed and implemented at the same time as the Irish government’s key skills charter for education. Although these key skills were included within the Leaving Certificate component of Project Maths, the key skills were not included in the Junior Certificate curriculum. In conjunction with this mathematical reform, teachers were encouraged to select appropriate methodologies to deliver this new content. Although Project Maths favours an approach that promotes group-work, the guidance provided to Project Maths teachers to effectively implement such methodologies has been very limited.

The author, a full-time post-primary mathematics teacher, desired a teaching and learning methodology that would encompass the key skills in conjunction with the favoured approach of group-work. Cooperative Learning was the methodology chosen for this purpose.

A case study approach was designed, developed and implemented over a period of ten academic weeks to address three research questions in relation to Cooperative Learning. This research was conducted to determine the suitability of Cooperative Learning to encompass the key skills, to effect a positive change in attitudes and to improve the academic attainment of students.

The gathered data (both qualitative and quantitative) of the research was presented, and a discussion of the suitability of Cooperative Learning was provided. This dissertation highlighted the impact that Cooperative Learning had on students’ attitudes towards Project Maths and it revealed the teaching methodology that students preferred. Secondly, the suitability of Cooperative Learning to encompass the key curricular skills was examined. Lastly, there was a comparison of the scores of the experimental Cooperative Learning taught students and those students from the control classes who were traditionally taught.

Finally, the interesting results generated by this research study were listed. In addition, the author illustrated the limitations of this research and also the issues in relation to the generalisability of this research. As always, further research into Cooperative Learning and Project Maths was recommended and the author provided some potential future research questions.