By taking greater responsibility for their own instruction, students become more engaged with learning. Cooperative Learning helps address the diverse needs of modern classrooms. Cooperative Learning enhances the quality of instuction, without undue burdens on the instructor. Groupwork allows all students in a heterogeneous classroom to be on task at the same time. Less attention is given to the formation and management of classroom groups than to the preparation of content and instructional methods.
Successful groups improve student achievement and attitudes toward school.
Perceived academic or intellectual ability, regardless of relevance to the task, affects both participation and influence in small groups. Students are remarkably accurate in their ranking of peer reading ability, and perceived reading ability is a powerful predictor of student participation. What Research Says to the Middle Level Practitioner. National Middle School Association. Effects of Perceived Ability and Grade Status on Social Interaction and Influence in Cooperative Groups.