An investigation into the effects of using cooperative learning activities on vocabulary learning in the 10th grade English course

The study aimed at investigating whether the implementation of cooperative learning (CL) activities, in the subject of English classrooms, will have an effect on students? academic achievement of vocabulary learning and recalling levels of the vocabulary. It was an experimental study in which cooperative learning method was compared with traditional learning method. This study was conducted in Ezine Anatolian High School, Çanakkale. The subjects were from the researcher?s two English classes of 10th grade in the second semester of 2011. One class was selected as a control group and the other one was experimental group. The experimental group received teaching method using cooperative learning method and Jigsaw technique which was a cooperative learning technique, while the control group received traditional teaching method. The treatment phase lasted for two weeks period. Data were gathered in this study using types of sources; pre- test, post-test, delayed-post test (VKS) and students? comments on cooperative learning activities. To determine the effect of cooperative learning method on achievement in vocabulary learning and recall levels of students, non-parametric tests were used for analysing techniques. Data analysis revealed that both the experimental and the control groups showed positive performance of vocabulary learning. However after the treatment respondents of the experimental group showed better performance than the control group who did not show similar achievement. The experimental group outscored significantly the control group on post-test showing the supremacy of cooperative learning method over traditional learning method. Furthermore a delayed post- test showed that the recall levels of the students in the experimental group were better than the students? recall levels of the control group. Moreover, the students? comments on cooperative learning revealed that students had positive attitudes towards cooperative learning. Hence, the ultimate result of the study indicated that cooperative learning method was more effective for vocabulary learning of English as compared to the traditional learning method.Keywords: Cooperative Learning, Traditional Teaching, Vocabulary Learning, ForeignLanguage Learning.