Cooperative Learning: Does it Improve the Academic Achievement of Students with Handicaps?

This article reviews the research on the effects of cooperative learning on the academic achievement of students with handicaps. Journal articles that included students with handicaps in the sample (achievement as a dependent variable and cooperative learning as an independent variable) were selected for inclusion. A limited number of studies (12) met the selection criteria, and the findings were inconsistent. More research is needed before teachers are encouraged to use cooperative learning methods to promote the academic achievement of mainstreamed special education students.