The Facilitation of Reading Comprehension with the Implementation of Cooperative Learning in College English Class in Taiwan

• Main Authors: Ying-Yen Tseng, 曾英燕
• Other Authors: Jia–Yeuan Lee
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/37445003110476312547

碩士 === 中原大學 === 應用外語研究所 === 98 === Abstract Cooperative Learning means learners work together to achieve the same goal. They are rewarded for their efforts after finishing their tasks (Slavin et al., 1988). This study aims to investigate whether Cooperative learning (CL) could facilitate Taiwan’s college students’ reading comprehension through different kinds of cooperative approaches. The research questions are (1) Is CL beneficial in the improvement of college students’ English reading comprehension? (2) What are the learners’ perceptions of the use of CL in English reading process? (3) Is there any difference between male and female college students in terms of their performance in the reading comprehension posttest after the implementation of CL? 155 students in four classes were assigned to the experimental and control groups as two set of classes, with 79 students in the former and 76 students in the latter. The dependent variable is the students’ performance in a posttest after the treatment. A questionnaire and interview were given to the experimental group after the CL treatment. The data of the difference between groups were analyzed through t-test. The data of the questionnaire and interview were also analyzed. In addition, the post test scores of male and female students in two groups were also analyzed with one-way ANOVA in order to see whether CL has any significant effect on different genders. Though the results for the first and third research questions in the two data sets are inconsistent, students in the questionnaire and interview still consider that CL could be a method facilitating their reading comprehension and reducing their learning anxiety in class. Thus, it is suggested that CL be used in college English classrooms as a vehicle to facilitate students’ learning and activate learners’ potential through exchanging opinions in groups. Teachers also should be aware of each group’s working process and the distribution of learners in their ability and individual characteristics when using CL in classroom.