ASSESSING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING IN TEACHING SPEAKING SKILLS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF EAST HARARGHE ZONE, OROMIA REGIONAL STATE

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the implementation of Cooperative learning in teaching Speaking Skills in secondary schools of East Hararge Zone, Oromia Regional state. For this study, descriptive survey method was employed; both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered through questionnaire, interview and observation. Stratified random sampling and Systematic random sampling were used to select participants of the study. The data were gathered from 137 teachers, 361 students and 14 principals and analyzed using frequency, percentage and the phenomena were carefully described. The data collected through questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS software. Results indicated that positive interdependence of the group members in implementing CL in teaching speaking skills was occasional in selected secondary schools. This is due to the group members’ use of one resource together and teachers made students to learn a topic and then teach it to the group rarely. Teachers and students confirmed the accountability of group members in secondary schools’ classroom of the study area was still at an infant stage, and almost there was no roles allocated to students to perform individually before bringing it to the group except the rarely observed what students were doing and given bonus points for best performed groups. Teachers were rarely engaging students in different activities due to carelessness of students, fear to use English in the class, fixed seating arrangements, lack of time, skills and other similar constraining problems were found as challenges for implementation of CL in secondary schools of the study area. Students occasionally enhance their social skills by participating in cooperative learning. The respondents said that students occasionally come on time for group discussion, and they listen to other group members’ points and ideas in speaking sessions. The implication of the results or the findings is that practices of CL in secondary schools of the study area was at an infant stage and there were a number of challenges that hinder the implementation of CL. Thus, on the basis of these results, valuable recommendations were made for effective implementation of CL in the schools where the study was under taken. Special attention to pre-service teacher trainees, providing in-service trainings for teachers, due attention to CPD, and providing sufficient education facilities were the major recommendations.