The effect of cooperative learning and traditional group study method on fourth grade elementary school students' academical achievement and self-esteem in social knowledge course

In this experimental study, if cooperative learning method readapted combinetechnique and traditional group study method has any effect for obtaining chapters of ?Iam learning my past and the place where we live? of elementary school 4th gradeSocial Konowledge course on students? academicel achievement and self-esteem.The study was carried out in an officel elementary school in the district ofYuregir-Adana in 2005-2006 academic autumn semester.The study performed on 53students who were divided into one experimntal and one control sub-groups. Study wascarried out for 14 week. The lectures were run in experimental group with readaptedcombine tecnique of cooperative learning method and control group with lesson planswhere as according to traditional group study method.Social Knowledge I am learning my past success test and Social Knowledge Theplace where we live test was given to the experimental and control groups as pretest andposttest. Copersmith self-esteem scale was applied as pretest posttest to determine thepersonal properties of the study group, personal information forms were given out co-variance analysis was applied on the data obtained from measurement and postmeasurement.Findings showed that in Social Knowledge ?I am learning my past? chapter, theEducation according to readapted combine technique of cooperative learning methodwas effective on academical success.On the other hand in Social Knowledge ?The place where we live? chapter, theEducation according to readapted combine technique of cooperative learning methodwas not effective on academical achievement and seems insignifant.In the view of avarage points of self-esteem, the effect between control andstudy groups was insignificant.Key words: Cooperative Learning, Readapted Combine Tecnique, Self-esteem, SocialKnowledge Education.