The Effects of Cooperative Learning on Creative Writing and Self-Efficacy in Portuguese and Mathematics

Cooperative learning is a pedagogical practice widely endorsed in the literature to enhance students’ creative writing skills. This methodology promotes the development of originality, fosters openness to new ideas, provides opportunities for interaction and tossing ideas around, and subsequently contributes to boosting creative textual production. This study aims to assess the impact of incorporating cooperative learning strategies on developing creative writing skills and enhancing self-efficacy among 6th-grade students. Additionally, this study reflects on using cooperative learning methods in the classroom setting, namely the roundtable and the cooperative graffiti. The participants were 34 students from two classes of the 6th grade of the 2nd cycle of basic school: an experimental group, where cooperative learning applies, and a control group, conducted using a traditional lecture. The study used a quasi-experimental design, incorporating pre-test and post-test. The non-parametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to assess within-group changes in pre-test and post-test scores for both the experimental and control groups. The findings from both classes suggest that cooperative learning is more effective than a traditional lecture in building creative writing skills and self-efficacy in Portuguese (first language) and maths.