Cooperative Language Learning in the English as a Foreign Language Classroom

Abstract

The doctoral thesis describes the design and evaluation of an in-service teacher training for cooperative language learning (CLL) at middle and secondary schools (grades 5-10/11- 12). The training is based on relevant research findings, established training approaches, and recommendations for foreign language teacher education. It comprises six days of training (24 hours) and is conducted over a period of three months. The training phase is embedded in a pre-training and a post-training phase of ten months. The teacher training was evaluated through written surveys with regard to: • cognitive factors that influence cooperative language learning use in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom • the frequency and quality of cooperative language learning use in the EFL classroom • the acceptance of the training with respect to the perceived quality The results of the written surveys (pretest, posttest, and follow-up test) of eleven training participants were compared to a sample of eight EFL teachers who did not take part in the training. Furthermore, students from one learning group of each participating teacher were surveyed on teachers’ CLL use in the EFL classroom. Altogether data from 355 students was gathered. The results indicated that the training has positive impacts on teachers’ CLL conceptions, their intentions to use CLL and their sense of personal teaching efficacy. In addition, the training seems to enhance the frequency and quality of CLL use in the EFL classroom. Teacher and student ratings were generally consistent. The quality of the training was ranked highly. The findings support and extend previous research findings on the use of CLL in the (foreign language) classroom and teacher training approaches for cooperative learning. Furthermore, they verify forms of intervention that combine experience-oriented and cognitive-behavioral training approaches