The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of cooperative learning on preservice elementary teachers’ interest in, and the application of music into, core academic subject lesson plans. Participants (N = 59) were preservice elementary teachers enrolled in four class sections of a music method course designed for elementary education majors at a large southern university. All members participating in the study were placed by section for eight weeks in one of two groups-an individualistic learning group or cooperative learning group. During the first 6 weeks of the study, participants worked on the Music Integration Project. The purpose of the project was to develop academic lesson plans with the integration of music. Each Music Integration Project consisted of a: (a) title page, (b) table of contents, (c) a rationale citing 2 primary sources, and (d) 10 lesson plans integrating music into core subject lesson plans. At the conclusion of the 6 weeks, participants turned in their projects, which were scored by the primary investigator using the Music Integration Project Rubrics developed by the researcher. The Integrated Music Project Rubrics consisted of three sub-rubrics: (a) Organization Rubric, (b) Rationale Rubric, and (c) Lesson Plan Rubric. During the last two weeks of the study, all of the participants were videotaped teaching an integrated music lesson. Tapes were analyzed post-hoc and the participants’ scores were recorded by using the Integration of Music Observation Map. This Map assessed each of the participant’s microteaching on ten different criteria: (a) teacher, (b) pupils, (c) process, (d) element, (e) atmosphere, (f) purpose, (g) authenticity, (h) expression, (i) degree, and (j) range. Participants also completed a pre and post-Integrated Music Project Interest Survey. The independent variable used in this study was learning environment, cooperative learning and individualistic learning. The dependent variables were the participants’ scores on the Integrated Music Project Rubrics (organization, rationale, and lesson plan), scores from the Integration Music Observation Map, and scores from the pre/post interest survey. Interjudge reliability consisted of 20% of the scores from each learning groups’ Integrated Music Project and microteaching. Interjudge reliability was calculated as a Pearson product-moment correlation and found to be high with a range of r= .82 to .96. An alpha level of .05 was set for all tests of significance. Results from the Music Integration Project showed cooperative learning participants scoring statistically significantly higher on the organization rubric, lesson plan rubric, and total scores than participants in the individualistic learning group. For the microteaching component, participants in the cooperative learning environment scored statistically significantly higher on the Integration Music Observation Map in the areas of: (a) pupils, (b) atmosphere, (c) purpose, (d) authenticity, and (e) degree. On the pre and post Integrated Music Project Interest Survey, participants in the cooperative learning group rated all areas (attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction) statistically significantly higher than participants in the individualistic learning environment.

The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of cooperative learning method and individualistic learning method on learning outcomes and training reactions of adults participating an in-service training course. The study was conducted with 42 adults in pilot study and 92 in main study conducted in a government bank. Subjects were randomly assigned to two pilot study groups and four main study groups. Two different training programs were developed, one for individualistic learning, and the other for cooperative learning in order to test the effect of each method on learning outcomes and training reactions. The content and length of the training programs taught were held constant, and duration of training was totally 15 hours (3 hours in each of the five days). Participants, in all groups, learned the same topic of &ldquo / Structured On-the-Job Training&rdquo / and were taught by the same trainer. Cooperative learning groups worked on the exercises structured with the five basic elements of cooperative learning, and the individualistic learning groups worked as individually with the instructor calling on participants at random. Learning Outcomes Tests were administered at the end of each day to measure cognitive learning outcomes, which learners attained during the Training. Training Reactions Questionnaire was administered at the end of the Training. A significant difference between the cooperative learning group and the individualistic learning group was examined concerning learning outcomes as a result of ANCOVA by using the age as covariate. Subjects in the cooperative learning group had a significantly higher level of Learning Outcomes Test score than did those in the individualistic learning group. However, there was no significant difference between the cooperative learning groups and individualistic learning groups based on their training reactions. This study indicated that cooperative learning appears to be a method of instruction that is well suited to the needs of adult learners. Subjects of the study learned more through the cooperative learning method than individualistic learning method that was used. They responded to training as much positive as their counterparts learning in individualistic learning group. Results of the study suggest that structuring positive social interdependence in the classroom through cooperative learning procedures can be used effectively within adult education and specifically training settings.