Behavior and Interactions of Children in Cooperative Groups in Lower and Middle Elementary Grades

The study investigated the behaviors and interactions of children in structured and unstructured groups as they worked together on a 6-week social studies activity each term for 3 school terms. Two hundred and twelve children in Grade 1 and 184 children in Grade 3 participated in the study. Stratifi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of educational psychology 1998-12, Vol.90 (4), p.746-757
Main Authors: Gillies, Robyn M, Ashman, Adrian F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavior
Biological and medical sciences
Child psychology
Children
Classroom Behavior
Classroom Environment
Cooperation
Cooperative Learning
Educational Psychology
Elementary Education
Elementary School Students
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Group Behavior
Group Instruction
Human
Interpersonal Interaction
Learning
Male
Middle school students
Peer Relationship
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Pupil and student. Academic achievement and failure
Social Behavior
Social Studies
Social Studies Education
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Summary:The study investigated the behaviors and interactions of children in structured and unstructured groups as they worked together on a 6-week social studies activity each term for 3 school terms. Two hundred and twelve children in Grade 1 and 184 children in Grade 3 participated in the study. Stratified random assignment occurred so that each gender-balanced group consisted of 1 high-, 2 medium-, and 1 low-ability student. The results show that the children in the structured groups were consistently more cooperative and they provided more elaborated and nonelaborated help than did their peers in the unstructured groups. The children in the structured groups in Grade 3 obtained higher reading and learning outcome scores than their peers in the unstructured groups.
ISSN:0022-0663
1939-2176
DOI:10.1037/0022-0663.90.4.746