Developing an Assessment Scale for the Characteristics of Cooperative Learning in Language Teaching

Abstract

This paper describes the development and metric traits of a new research instrument used to examine teachers’ assessments of the characteristics of cooperative learning in language teaching in junior grades of primary school (class teaching). We integrated findings obtained through a social-psychological approach on cooperative learning and socio-constructivist outlooks on contemporary teaching and learning into the structure of the Questionnaire – Teacher’s Assessment Scale (Q-TAS). In addition, the starting point for the scale’s development was the analysis and appraisal of existing instruments based on self-reports or reports of the respondents on the implementation of cooperative learning, particularities of language teaching and class teaching, as well as theoretical analysis of the construct of cooperative learning. The survey included 240 teachers of the fourth grade of primary school who implement cooperative learning in Serbian language classes from 14 districts of Serbia. In line with the theoretical structure of cooperative learning’s characteristics, we designed four subscales: Structuring a cooperative task, Forming cooperative groups, Principles of cooperative learning, and Roles and activities of teachers and pupils. The scale’s reliability as a whole, as well as the reliability of its constituent subscales was examined by measuring internal consistency, whereas the structural validity of the subscales was examined by means of exploratory factor analysis. In general, given the findings on the reliability and validity of the subscales, we can conclude that the Questionnaire-Teacher’s Assessment Scale has satisfactory metric traits, i.e. it is a reliable and valid instrument for examining the characteristics of cooperative learning in current language teaching. Finally, we offer critical assessment and recommendations for further improvement of the developed instruments.