A comparative study of student academic achievement and satisfaction in grade 4 science under traditional instruction and cooperative learning instruction methods at Sarssas Witaed Bangbon School, Thailand

Abstract

The National Education Act of B.E. 2542 (1999) as well as the Basic Education Core Curriculum of 2008 emphasize the importance of both the acquisition of the English language in present Thai society, as well as the development of 21st century skills for all Thai children. Furthermore, the Thai Ministry of Education supports and encourages cooperative learning as a way to create appealing, motivating, and meaningful learning. Unfortunately, this vision is often not shared by schools in Thailand, which prefer a more traditional instructional method. This comparative study aimed at measuring academic achievement as well as student satisfaction under two instructional methods - traditional instruction and cooperative learning instruction. The research was conducted in science grade four at Sarasas Witaed Bangbon School, Bangkok, Thailand. Science as a school subject is ideal for the implementation of cooperative learning. Indeed, science literacy develops critical thinking, analysis, and cooperative skills. A total of 122 students took part in this study over a period of six weeks during the second semester of the school year 2015. The research included six objectives. Objectives one and two were to determine student academic achievement under traditional instruction and cooperative learning instruction methods. Objectives three and four were to determine student satisfaction under traditional instruction and cooperative learning instruction methods. Finally, objectives five and six were to compare the results between the instructional methods in order to determine if an instructional method was more efficient and/or appealing. The findings of this study suggested that academic achievement of the cooperative learning group did not improve significantly. Student satisfaction was higher for the cooperative learning group than the traditional instruction group. Recommendations for school administrators and future researchers are provided.