Intan Widiastuti, Puji Astuti

Exploring the Implementation of Cooperative Learning for Elevating Students’ Motivation in Learning English

Introduction

Exploring the implementation of cooperative learning for elevating students’ motivation in learning english. Explore how cooperative learning elevates secondary students' English motivation. Study implementation, teacher challenges, and student perceptions under the Emancipated Curriculum.

Abstract

English become an advanced elective subject at the secondary school based on the current curriculum: the Emancipated Curriculum. Thus, the role of the teacher in implementing effective language teaching methods is essential. This study aims to look at the phenomenon within one of them namely cooperative learning. Therefore, this study focuses on three points: 1) the implementation of cooperative learning viewed from the five principles of cooperative learning, 2) the challenges faced by English teachers, 3) the impact of cooperative learning on learning motivation from students' perception. This study was conducted in SMA Negeri 1 Gemolong which implemented Emancipated Curriculum with the participant of 30 students from eleventh grade and one English teacher. We used qualitative methods with classroom observations using observation guides, analysis of instructional documents, interview, and students' questionnaires. After collecting and analysing the data, we found that one of principles, namely group processing, was not manifested in the learning process. Additionally, students' lack vocabulary and grammar mastery is the main challenge faced by the English teacher throughout the process of cooperative learning implementation. Nonetheless, cooperative learning is helpful to elevate the motivation of students to learn English. We thus recommend that future studies need to further investigate other principles of cooperative learning.

Review

This study tackles a highly pertinent topic in contemporary English language education, specifically the implementation of cooperative learning within the framework of Indonesia's new "Emancipated Curriculum." The authors set out to explore the practical application of cooperative learning principles, the challenges faced by teachers, and its impact on student motivation – all critical aspects for effective language pedagogy. Given the emphasis on student-centered learning and the role of motivation in language acquisition, this research provides a valuable perspective on how a widely recognized teaching method functions in a specific, evolving educational context. The methodology adopted, primarily qualitative with classroom observations, document analysis, interviews, and student questionnaires, is well-suited to delve into the nuances of classroom implementation and individual perceptions. The findings are particularly insightful: they reveal a potential disconnect in the full application of cooperative learning, specifically noting that "group processing" was not adequately manifested. This detail offers a critical point for reflection on teacher training and pedagogical execution. Moreover, identifying students' lack of vocabulary and grammar as a significant challenge for teachers underscores a practical hurdle that needs to be addressed for optimal cooperative learning outcomes, despite the overall positive impact on student motivation. While the study offers strong qualitative insights, its scope, focusing on a single teacher and 30 students from one school, naturally limits the generalizability of the findings. Future research could benefit from a larger sample size or comparative studies across different institutions to provide a broader understanding of the challenges and successes of cooperative learning under the new curriculum. The authors' recommendation to investigate other cooperative learning principles is appropriate and could be expanded to explore the effectiveness of various strategies for integrating these principles more fully into classroom practice. Overall, this study serves as a valuable initial exploration, laying groundwork for more extensive and comparative research into optimizing cooperative learning for English language learners' motivation and proficiency.

Full Text

Comments

You need to be logged in to post a comment.