협동 학습이 고등학생의 영어 읽기 능력과 자기주도 학습 태도에 미치는 영향

Effects of cooperative learning on high school students’ English reading ability and self-directed learning attitude

The current study aims to investigate the effects of cooperative learning on high school students’ English reading ability and their self-directed learning attitude. For this study, 244 high school students were assigned to experimental (cooperative learning included) and control groups, in which they were also divided into two groups according to their English reading ability (high and low). The participants were asked to take pre- and post-tests to measure their English reading ability and to respond to pre- and post-survey related to self-directed learning attitude. The findings showed that 1) the experimental group outperformed the control group in the post-test, with significant within-group differences; 2) high-level learners in both groups revealed improvement in the post-test, whereas low-level learners in the experimental group obtained significantly better post-test scores; 3) cooperative learning exerted some substantial effects on the improvement of learners’ perception on self-directed learning attitude, with significant between-group differences; and 4) as for high-level learners, no significant differences were found between groups in the post- survey, while perception on self-directed learning attitude of low-level learners in the experimental group increased significantly in the post-survey, with significant between-group differences. Discussion and pedagogical implications were addressed.