Methods
Quantitative methodology will be used in this work, - for this is one of the best ways to conduct such social experiments. Quantitative studies involve the conducting of various surveys based on the use of structured closed-ended questions that are answered by a large number of respondents. The main objective of quantitative research is to obtain numerical evaluation of market condition or reactions of the respondents on some event. For this experiment to be carried out, 60 fourth grade students from Skyland Elementary School at the beginning of the 2016 school year will be taken.
Description of the research design
The necessity of group studies is based on activity of each subject of educational process and opportunities to make decisions independently. As the examples of the target subjects of the study will be taken: exercise choice, the coexistence of different points of view and the ability of freely discussing them. During this experiment basic principles of cooperative learning work will be clearly implemented. A relatively large number of members should reduce the progress of learning, for a teacher’s attention is not always enough for each pupil in particular and, of course, their behavior a separate topic of discussion. An importance of this experiment is stressed by the necessity of inventing the new method to improve students’ learning skills and, what is more important, their willingness to learn. This method creates motives, needs, life goals with humanistic content, forms the qualities necessary for cooperation: kindness, understanding values of human communication, reveals the charm of the human person. Primarily, these students will write a test in order to check their progress at the start of the event and according to the knowledge they achieved in the traditional class. Later on, the students will be divided in two groups with 30 students in each. It is also necessary to ensure that students do not feel discriminated and do not hesitate to ask questions. The first one is the experimental group and will work as a whole in a library throughout 15 minutes, while the other one – will remain traditional with students working on their own. After that, teachers should give them a subject of investigation (e.g. the book) and a three-month period for students to thoroughly acquaint and discuss the subject. In the aftermath for both of the group will be given a test, which is the same the first one, to control their progress and to compare the results of these two groups. However, after the period of this experiment there also should be given an intervention to ensure that the results are definitive.
Participants
The sample includes a simple randomized sample. The whole group of participants will consist of 60 out of 120 sixth-grade students in Skyland Elementary School. They are eleven-twelve years old middle SES levels students, females by gender. Ethnic breakdown is Asian American – African Americans. Males and students of all the races accept African Americans and Asian American will be excluded. The experiment takes place in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. In addition, students will be identified only by numbers. Among them will be students with different learning skills (gifted, disabled etc.).
Instrumentation
In order to measure the variables, a group administrated questionnaires method will be used, for it well enough provides support for a quantitative method of data gathering. It also can be used for a large number of people and is comparatively cheap as well. In this case, among the 35 participants the measured is knowledge, states of mind, comprehension, expectation or conduct feeling of anxiety levels and the absorption of the thoughts (Data Collection Methods for Program Evaluation: Questionnaires, 2008).
The basic techniques of quantitative research are always exact statistical models, using large samples. This allows not only obtaining the opinions and assumptions, but finding out the exact quantitative (numerical) values of the studied parameters. Thus, the results of quantitative studies are statistically reliable, they can be extrapolated (spread, generalized) to all of the people of the region or the group, that was targeted for the study.
Procedures
As long as the aim of this study is to improve students’ learning skills, there will be provided some benefits of group work: thoughts are shared so one could view a material from different angers, students will improve their communication skills etc. Group studies can be helpful when it comes to dealing with challenging questions, which will be given to the entire group. Students are expected to discuss them and during the conversation build relationships with each other. It is rather important, for this is the key to the activity and success of the group (Hanson, 2006). During the discussion, their own views on life could be observed, as well as their mental skills or conversation skills.
Data collection
The data will be collected after the three month period, when all of the participants will be acknowledged with the investigating object and will be able to answer posttest questions correctly. After that, the results of the both groups should be compared and according to them, appropriate conclusions must be done.
Explanation of the procedures
In order to make the results of this experiment clear enough, the random sample is to be chosen as the type of sample. Those random students would be given an object, selected by lecturer, which they must parse and write the pretest and the posttest after the experiment’s end. As long as the both groups’ working strategy is completely different, their results will be different as well. One group will work as a one and its students will help each other, while another one will have separately working students. This will be done for the confirmation of the theory of group working benefits. They will be attending a library for fifteen minutes per day in order to research this subject. Teachers must always be close to their students in order to help those who will need some help and answer questions connected with the research they have. While students will be learning their task, they as well will gain some experience of communication, searching the needed information and classifying it. After the research is finished, students will be given the posttest, according to which the final conclusion about this experiment will be made. Teachers compare the results and so determine, whether the final goal of it was achieved or not. If the students from the target group have better results than those from the not-target, than this experiment will justify itself, It also should be pointed, that teachers are to treat pupils as equals and have no favourites. Pupils must be aware that as long as the aim of this research is to evaluate their own knowledges, no teachers help is allowed. However, there might be some exceptions, which are described below.
Ethical considerations
All of the participants should be in the equal conditions in order not to put anyone in an awkward position. It is very important, for participants of this research will be children and they are quite vulnerable to the different forms of injustice.
In addition, the teacher must make sure that children will not conflict with each other. It is important from moral and scientific points of view because there must be friendly atmosphere during the research. Moreover, if there could be conflicts, students will be unwilling to do anything as well, as even come to the researching center.
As in every experiment, this one also could have some disadvantages. Lecturers have to be prepared to fix any harm, which this research can do to students.
1. Students of the non-target group may feel disadvantaged in mental and social aspects, thus, may feel lack of self-esteem. The teacher is to talk to the class and explain that both groups are equal in their skills and that the second group is also an important part of the experiment.
2. Some students, chosen for the non-experimental group, may not be able to process the given material. This can lead to nervous stress which is, obviously, harmful for health. In this situation the teacher has to locate such students and offer some aid. However, this is not to be shown in public because during this research teachers must keep all students in equal conditions.
3. Some of the students of the target group may not be ready for team work. They might stay away from their groupmates which will definitely harm their psyche and relations with peers as well. Teacher must help such students become a part of the team, to encourage them to have some friends among the group’s participants.
4. During group work, if several leaders are formed, some students may feel undermined and unconfident enough to speak up even if they have questions or do not understand the materials. In order to do this, the taks of different team members should be clearly identified so that every student has an equal participation in the project.
Internal Validity
Of course, the whole experiment is directly dependable on the students themselves. There are no clear results of this research without observing the situation from the inside. Students will communicate with each other, for example, and so the purity of the experiment could be under question. Thus, here should be observed some threats, which are to be considered for the research to be carried out in the right way:
Testing is a threat because it may lead to the practice effect. It is recommended to make a pretest at the same time in order to make sure, that the both groups are in the equal conditions.
History is a threat because historical events at school or after school are able to affect students’ willingness to study this subject. In order to avoid that, it is recommended document any event that may occur and the effect on students. Both groups should be under such conditions, for this situation must not have influence on students’ final results.
External validity
The results of this study will be generalized to all sixth grade students in Skyland elementary School System for this is appeared to be a local experiment. No doubt, that each of the school could take part in this experiment since the conditions are equal for everyone. Unfortunately, the results cannot be generalized to all of the schools for the simple plan is not so large.
According to this information, one would make a conclusion about the benefits of such a system. Group work can provide different schools with quality system, which would, doubtless, guaranty the exceptional understanding of a separately taken subject.
Actually, every school will be able to participate in such an experiment, by doing so, its teachers could on their own experience estimate, how splendid this method is.
The validity and reliability of this instrument could be easily determined via looking at the students’ final scores. After comparing the results of the both groups, it will be clear that command-working students achieved better results than those from the separately working group.
Overall, the goal of cooperative learning is to make each individual stronger in his or her own position. . Each member understands that he is associated with others in such a way that one cannot succeed while others do not do their job. Participants will together learn what they can better use individually in the future.
References
Data Collection Methods for Program Evaluation: Questionnaires. (2008) (1st ed.).
Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/evaluation/pdf/brief14.pdf
Hanson, D. (2006). Instructor's guide to process-oriented guided-inquiry learning. Lisle, IL:
Pacific Crest.
