LAP Code: No.

of Hours: 3 hours/meeting
LAP Subject Title: Teaching Strategies for Elementary Science

LAP-DAY 11
Instructional Strategies for Science
(Physics, Earth, and Space Science)
A. Topic Outline

Content
Unit Learning Objectives Activities Assignment
Standard
Unit 3: LAP 11: -To explain the use of cooperative learning as Picture Analysis
Strategy 4– a teaching strategy Conceptual Analysis
Cooperative Sample Lesson Plan
Learning

B. Introductory Activity: Picture Analysis (5 points) What does the following images below imply?
Use short size bond paper for your answers.

C. Abstraction
I. What is Cooperative Learning?
Cooperative Learning is one of the most sought and studied teaching strategies nowadays
because of its versatility and effectiveness. There are various types of this strategy, depending on the
learning outcomes and the types of learners. Cooperation is an act of working together to fulfill shared
goals. Therefore, cooperative learning is an instructional strategy in which the learners work together in a
small group to help one another achieve a common learning goal. It is founded on the principle that the
learners can achieve more by working collaboratively than by working alone or by passively receiving
information from a teacher. It believes that the learner’s age and ability do not really hinder the success of
this approach (Killen, 2009).
Some teachers employ cooperative learning when they have learners working in groups. On the
other hand, Johnson, et. al. (1993) believed that most group work is not cooperative learning.
Slavin (1983, 1990, 1995) and Johnson and Johnson (1989, 1994) set the foundation of
cooperative learning. They proposed that there are two important components of cooperative learning
methods: a cooperative task (which is a feature of most group work) and a cooperative incentive structure
(which is unique to cooperative learning).
The study of Johnson (1994) presented the five basic elements of small group work to be
considered as cooperative one (cited in Killen, 2009).
1) There must be positive interdependence.
 The learners work as a coordinated group to achieve a specific learning goal. To do so, each
student must be confident that he or she is responsible for the learning success of other members of
the group. Cooperative relationships become important because each member believes that they
cannot be successful unless other members are also successful in achieving the group goals.
2) There must be ongoing direct interaction – in which the students help one another to learn.
They must discuss the task, decide how to approach it, exchange ideas, and explain to each
member how the group can achieve the learning outcomes. It is not enough that tasks are delegated.
Each member should know how the group is going.
3) There must be individual accountability.
All the members are accountable for each other’s success or failure. They should all work hard to
ensure that each member of the group performs the assigned task/s and achieve the learning outcomes
of the given activity.
4) The learners must use appropriate interpersonal skills.
Each member should be able to develop the following skills: attentive listening questioning to
clarify ideas, negotiating and constructively resolving differences. With all these skills, interactions
will become meaningful and productive.
5) The participants become reflective learners as they analyze the outcomes they achieve and how
well the group functions.
Why does it Work?
Cooperative Learning is being used worldwide for three primary reasons: It is clearly based on
theory, it has been proven by various research works, and has been operationalized into clear procedures
that educators can use.
The students are encouraged to work collaboratively in order for them to be more successful
academically than when they are working alone (Stahl, 1997). A good number of researchers also believe
that this is possible (Hattie, 2009).
On the contrary, according to Abrami and Chambers (1996:71) no matter what teaching strategy
is used, “student learning” is not possible if the students lack interest or if they do not have a reason for
learning. There are three possible motives for student engagement and learning as educators use
cooperative learning: outcome motives, means motives, and interpersonal motives (Killen, 2009).
Outcome motives encourage group learning through intrinsic interest in the task, task novelty, and task
structure. Lastly, interpersonal motives encourage group learning through peer support, a desire to help
others, and the need to belong to a group.
Another important thing to consider in using cooperative learning as a strategy is a good
atmosphere within each of the group. The members should be comfortable working with one another for
them to be motivated to make the individual effort that is necessary for group success (Michaelson Jones
and Watson, 1993). The members are not just performers but supporters of their groupmates. They exert
extra effort whenever they feel valued.
Most proponents of cooperative learning emphasize that this approach is effective in promoting
academic learning and positive peer interactions and relationships. It is the teacher’s task to create a
learning environment that will make all these expectations become real.
Some Advantages of Cooperative Learning
Cooperative Learning is very versatile, and it can be used in all subject areas at all levels of
education. It is not required that all the teachers will always employ it in class. The teacher needs to
identify the best opportunity to apply for it.
This strategy is effective in helping the students achieve a wide range of academic and social
outcomes, including enhanced achievement, improved self-esteem, positive interpersonal relationships
with other students, improved time management skills, and positive attitude toward school. Many of these
outcomes can be achieved concurrently, rather than being developed in isolation. It is particularly useful
for the following reasons:
 Having the students work together results in more learning than when the students work alone,
competitively or individually (Johnson and Johnson (1986). The students will also like school
 better, will like one another better, and learn more effective social skills when cooperative
learning is used.
 It teaches the students to be less reliant on the teacher and more reliant on their own ability to
think, to seek information from other sources, and to learn from other students. They become
empowered to take greater responsibility for their own learning and for the learning of others
(Drake and Mucci, 1993).
 Cooperative learning helps the students to learn to respect one another’s strengths and limitations
and to accept these differences. This is very important in culturally diverse classrooms and in
classrooms that include students with disabilities.
 It helps the students understand that different points of view need not be diverse, but they can be
a positive aspect of developing and understanding of a subject.
 It can boost the students’ confidence and self-esteem because it allows all the students (not just
the high achievers) to experience learning success.
 It can change the students’ views about learning. It helps them to move from seeing learning as
individual memorization of facts to seeing it as a collective construction of understanding.
 It emphasizes democratic thought and practice as a desirable way for people to interact (whatever
the focus of their interaction).
 It is appropriate to use when the students are engaged to large problem-solving tasks and research
projects in which the task is heavy for one person and time is limited or when more than one
person is needed to manipulate equipment, perform the experiment, collect, and analyze data.
 It ensures that all the students are socially integrated into networks of positive peer relationships.
This helps the students to become skilled in constructive conflict resolution, and this can reduce
antisocial behavior like bullying (Johnson et al.2008).

These benefits do not occur rapidly. The students can develop all these positive attributes if they have
been engaged successfully in cooperative learning for four or more weeks.
Most studies looked at the advantages to the students; few research identified its benefits to the
teachers. The study of Garvie (1994) showed that teachers who employed cooperative learning are more
enthusiastic than those who do not use it. Also, Shachar and Shmuelevitz, )1997:65) found that teachers
who used cooperative learning in their classroom expressed a significantly greater degree of efficacy in
promoting the learning of slow students compared with teachers who did not employ cooperative learning
in their classrooms at all.
Consequently, Killen (2009) suggested these considerations when using cooperative learning:
Use cooperative learning if: Do not use cooperative learning if:
 You want to encourage the learners to  The students do not have the basic skills
develop their social skills while learning required for collaboration and teamwork.
academic content.
 You want the students to use their prior  The students lack the prior knowledge to
knowledge as a foundation for examining guide their collaborative learning.
issues in depth.
 You want learners to explore issues from  There is insufficient time for the students
multiple perspectives. to collaboratively investigate, discuss, and
think about the things you want them to
learn.
 You want learners to develop their ability
to learn collaboratively.
 The learning task is too big for individual
students to undertake.

II. How to Use Cooperative Learning as a Strategy in Class?

Teacher’s Preparation
The teacher’s task is to get the students to work as a team, exchange ideas, think critically and
analytically, and help one another to learn. It is vital that the teacher can create a learning environment
that promotes purposeful interaction, positive interdependence, individual accountability, and appropriate
use of interpersonal skills (Topping, 2006).
The teacher should not also forget the two major considerations: student motivation and the
learning process the students will utilize. The students can work well if they are properly motivated and
they have a clear process to follow.
Generally, the teacher needs to prepare the following (Killen, 2009):
 Give the students guidance and practice in helping one another to learn.
 Specify clearly what outcomes you want the learners to achieve.
 Decide what content (issues, problems, theories) will focus on as they try to achieve the
outcomes.
 Select what you think will be the most appropriate form of cooperative learning to use.
 Prepare the materials.
 Decide how to form the groups.
 Explain to the students in detail how the cooperative learning will operate, what you expect from
them, how you will assist them, and how they will be assessed.
 Develop a system of recognizing and rewarding the learning of individual students, as well as the
achievement of the groups.
 Prepare appropriate assessment instruments so that the students will be able to demonstrate their
mastery and retention of academic content and skills after the cooperative groups have completed
their work.
 Develop a system of keeping records of the group and individual achievements of the students
and for publicly acknowledging the achievements of the group.
 Plan a period of reflection so that after the groups have completed their tasks and received their
feedback, the students can analyze their achievements and their group process.
Implementing Cooperative Learning
The teacher is expected to plan, manage and monitor the learning environment so that the
students can maximize learning as a team.
After doing the suggested steps for preparation, the teacher can proceed with the following
(Killen, 2009):
 Assign the students in groups. It makes the students more alert to the instructions to be given to
them.
 Clearly explain the outcomes that the students are to achieve and provide clear directions about
the academic tasks that each group will undertake.
 Explain how the learning of individual students will be assessed.
 Remind the students of your expectations from them (particularly in relation to helping to one
another learn) and of the cooperative goal structure (the rewards for learning).
 Provide the students with resources if necessary.
 Remind the students how long they have for the cooperative learning and get them started.
 Move around, visit each group to provide assistance, and monitor the activities and learning of
the students to make notes of matter that will need to be dealt with once the group activities have
finished.
 Bring the lesson to a logical conclusion.
 Evaluate the student achievement and help them assess how well the collaborated with one
another.
III. Sample Lesson Plan (For Demonstration Teaching)
Topic: Weather Patterns in the Philippines
 Grade Level: Grade 6
Learning Competencies
The learners should be able to:
1. Describe the different seasons in the Philippines; and
2. Discuss appropriate activities for specific seasons of the Philippines.
ENGAGE
Ask the students about their prior knowledge/experience of different seasons in the Philippines.
EXPLORE
Show a video clip or a news coverage about a recent typhoon. Instruct the students to list
down their observations.
EXPLAIN
Discuss the different seasons in the Philippines and appropriate activities for the seasons. Show
video clips.
ELABORATE
1. Divide the class into 5-6 members. Ask them to collaboratively develop a proposal on
mitigating damages brought about by typhoons across different areas of the country as if they
are policymakers, lawmakers, administrators, or leaders. They should be able to consider
different aspects such as safety, livelihood, and health of the citizens.
EVALUATE
Give each group at least five minutes to share their proposal in class. Use a rubric to assess
the students. Give your comments and suggestions regarding their output.
IV. Conceptual Analysis (10 points). (This is an individual output)
1. What are the advantages of using collaborative learning as a strategy in class?
2. What are the limitations of collaborative learning as a strategy in class?
3. Given the following competencies below, develop a sample lesson plan incorporating
cooperative learning.
Application: Sample Lesson Plan (10 points)
Topic: Other Members of the Solar System: Comets, Meteors and Asteroids
Grade Level: Grade 6
Learning Competencies
1. Compare and contrast comets, meteors and asteroids.
2. Predict the appearance of comets based on recorded data of previous appearances; and
1. Explain the regular occurrence of meteor showers.
2. Use the 5E model.