The impact of teachers' assessment of cooperative learning on students' thinking skills : a case study

النوع : Mémoire

This study deals with three main issues in education: teacher’s self- assessment, cooperative learning and students’ critical thinking skills. The researcher relates teacher’s self-assessment to professional development. This study, qualitative in approach, takes place in five grade-eight classes. The first two are the main classes, sections A and B, where the teacher is the researcher herself. The other three are taught by three other teachers. The major subjects are the students of the researcher’s class. Throughout the study extending over a period of one academic year, the teacher/researcher assesses such issues as the teaching strategies and techniques aiming at improving students, as well as improving her performance, teaching critical thinking skills and above all the implementation of cooperative learning. There is the presentation of ways, tools, and instruments for teachers to assess themselves through conducting experimental research. Because of the significance of critical thinking skills as well as the effectiveness of cooperative learning as seen in the research, the researcher has attempted to implement cooperative learning in one of the sections, section B, in her classroom. This is done in order to find out whether it has a positive impact on students’ thinking skills provided that she applies a variety of strategies to teach students to think critically in both classes. The results show that applying critical pedagogy in both classes has improved the thinking skills of the students. Implementing cooperative learning also helps to better improve the students’ thinking skills both at the normal and higher levels of thinking. The research findings show that when teachers assess themselves regularly, they would grow professionally and improve the implementation of cooperative learning. This would help their students enhance their critical thinking skills.