Differentiating Methods of Cooperative Learning in Research and Practice

The various cooperative learning methods overlap but are not equivalent in terms of their theory, procedures and goals. In light of their unique characteristics, they will not necessarily lead to the same goals typically achieved by other methods. Means‐ends relationships are neglected too often in educational practice and research, with the result that methods of teaching are applied for purposes which they cannot possibly achieve, or they accomplish only a fraction of what was anticipated. An extensive study of some children's attitudes toward cooperative learning is analysed here as an example of the inappropriate application of certain cooperative learning methods to the teaching of special groups of students for whom these methods were never intended. Finally, a tentative taxonomy of the chief characteristics, theoretical bases and modes of operation of six cooperative learning methods is presented. Some inferences are drawn from the taxonomy to provide a basis for differentiating the various methods in terms of their means‐ends relationships.