Investigating Challenges and Difficulties in the Implementation of Cooperative Learning: A Case of ‘Licence’ Classes in the Department of English at Mouloud Mammeri University in Tizi-Ouzou.

Abstract

The current study attempts to investigate the difficulties and challenges that the teachers of the department of English at Mouloud Mammeri University of Tizi-Ouzou (MMUTO) mainly face when implementing cooperative learning (CL) in their classes. It strives to glean some insight into teachers’ and students’ perceptions of CL, and the extent to which this pedagogical approach is effectively implemented. The study is also meant to identify the problems and factors behind the teachers’ poor implementation of CL. To attain these objectives, two distinct but interrelated frameworks have been considered namely; David Johnson and Roger Johnson’ Social Interdependence Theory (2009) as well as Spencer Kagan and Miguel Kagan’ Cooperative Learning theory (2009) as theoretical plinths. This research in fact, is based on a mixed-methods approach, combining both quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection and data analysis. Thus, two distinct but interdependent questionnaires have been addressed to thirty (30) “Licence” (i.e. first, second and third year) students and ten (10) of their teachers. In order to analyze the data, statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) is used for statistical data analysis while Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) has served to interpret the results of the open-ended questions of the two questionnaires. The conclusion drawn from the findings of this study is that, whereas the students have a negative attitude towards CL, their teachers hold a positive one. However, the results also show that despite their favorable perception of this pedagogical approach, teachers fail to properly implement it, as they do not consider the basic elements of CL and its main characteristics. In addition to the teachers’ lack of theoretical knowledge about CL, this study goes further, revealing the existence of two other obstructive factors - the lack of training and lack of collegial support which in turn generate problems for the implementation of CL. In sum, the difficulties identified are related the students’ behavior, time consumption, task construction, assessment, and class management.