Abstract:
This study attempted to assess the practices and challenges of cooperative learning in English language classrooms. The study was conducted in Hawi Gudina Woreda, Western Hararghe Zone. A multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to obtain a total of 134 Secondary School students from three Secondary Schools. Three English language teachers, and three principals and a supervisor were interviewed. 21 students have participated in focus group discussion. Questionnaire, semi-structured interview and focus group discussion were used to collect relevant data from the respondents. The data analysis was conducted using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22. Frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation were used as descriptive analysis. Chi-square and one-way ANOVA was used to investigate the significant value among three Secondary Schools and the students’ grade level. The finding of this study revealed that it was difficult to generalize that there is practices of cooperative learning in English language classrooms. There was also a significant difference among the secondary schools on the practices of “one to five” cooperative learning. Even though school principals and a supervisor had a positive perception, the teachers and students had unfavorable perception. Further, the computed one-way ANOVA results indicated that there was perceptual difference across the grade level students. The major challenges which were identified in this study are lack of awareness, lack of interdependence, unequal share of responsibilities lack of appropriate training and negative competition among students. Similarly, lack of clear guidelines, less willingness to implement and lack of enough time to cover textbook’s contents was also among the identified challenges. It is important providing sustainable professional support, training on cooperative learning, monitoring and controlling, by involving English language teachers and students in order to achieve the proper implementations of cooperative learning, and reduces the students and teachers negative perception towards to cooperative learning.
