The Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning on Enhancing Spoken Communication Proficiency Among Elementary Students

Abstract

This study is mainly focusing on the effect of implementing the cooperative learning (CL) style on the learners’ speaking skills. The objectives of this experiment are to find out how this approach can develop the performance of elementary students enrolled at the International Maritime College Oman (IMCO) and to measure their attitude after experiencing its activities. The researcher has collected and analyzed qualitative and quantitative data using different methodologies. A total of 50 students from the General Foundation Programme (GFP) have participated in conducting this experiment. They were divided into two groups, an experimental and a control group. While participants of the experimental group have been exposed to the approach’s different activities, the control group members continued their studies using the traditional way. The students’ performance was assessed through an oral test at the beginning of the experiment. Most of the CL activities were utilized in the form of group discussions, which is the second test. Upon completing the study, the experimental group students improved their speaking abilities in comparison to those enrolled in the control group, indicating that the CL approach positively affects both students’ performance and attitude. Keywords: cooperative learning, elementary students and speaking skills