Cooperative Learning in Elementary Classrooms: Teaching Practices and Lesson Characteristics

Characteristics of cooperative learning (CL) lessons were investigated in this observational, field-based study. 18 elementary school teachers (grades 2-6) who were experienced users of CL were observed on multiple occasions and interviewed. In all, 56 CL lessons were observed and described. Field notes of the observations were analyzed to identify the nature of lesson activities, their contents, teacher and student behavior, and characteristics of the academic tasks. Results include summaries both of the lesson characteristics and comparisons of more and less successful lessons based on assessments of student engagement, performance, and cooperation. There was considerable variation in the extent to which lessons incorporated major features of CL. Lesson success was associated with higher levels of individual or group accountability, teacher monitoring, feedback, and the use of manipulative materials in group work.