This is a qualitative study which aims to explore if cooperative learning can be a teaching strategy to improve inclusiveness, social relations and academic achievement for young students in special needs in Swedish primary schools. Earlier research in cooperative learning and its effects suggests that social interdependence and individual accountability are important components, according to Johnson, Johnson and Holubec (1994). Other prominent factors for successful cooperative learning is that students have opportunity to practise and improve their cooperative and social abilities, that the structures of education are thoroughly implemented and well known by the teachers and, finally, that differences among children are viewed as beneficial rather than problematic. To conduct this study, semistructured interviews and participating open classroom observations has been done. Four female teachers with long experience and two female principals have been interviewed. Two classroom observations has been conducted. The results of the study show that principals consider the teachers' abilities to be most important for the inclusion of students, their social relations and academic achievements. Three of the four teachers regard cooperative learning as a teaching strategy for inclusion, social relations and academic achievement, while the fourth teacher experience that cooperative learning can be excluding for some students in special needs. The classroom observations suggest that a thoroughly implemented cooperative learning, with a teacher who is versed in the basic thoughts and theories of cooperative learning may foster inclusion, social relations and academic achievement.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:umu-156477 |
| Date | January 2018 |
| Creators | Sjögren, Viktoria |
| Publisher | Umeå universitet, Pedagogiska institutionen |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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