The effect of cooperative learning on mathematics academic achievement, retention, mathematics self-efficacy and attitudes toward mathematics

The aim of this research is to examine the effect of Student Teams- Achievement Divisions (STAD) on ninth grade students? academic achievement, attitudes toward mathematics and mathematics self-efficacy in the teaching of the concepts of relation, function and operation; to determine the reasons of this effect through individual interviews. This study has been administered to the two ninth grade students at an Anatolia high school located in Ankara over an eight week-period during the first semester of 2005-2006. There were 14 females, 17 males in experiment group and 13 females, 16 males in control group. The quantitative research design was pretest-posttest and the qualitative research design was descriptive method. To measure the students? mathematics academic achievement, the ?Mathematics Achievement Test?; to measure the students? attitudes toward mathematics, ?Attitude Scale toward Mathematics? (its validity and reliability made by the researcher) and to measure the students? mathematics self-efficacy, the ?Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale? (Umay, 2001) were used. After the study was completed, individual interviews with the critical students who got more high or low total score from Mathematics Achievement Test or those v two scales in the experiment group were conducted using semi-structured interview guide (Appendix 4) and these interviews have been recorded using a video-camera. All works in these both groups have been administered by the researcher himself. To ensure the neutrality of the researcher toward the both group, ask two teacher for monitoring in the each groups and some lessons in these groups have been recorded using a video-camera. In the quantitative data analysis, for independent groups t-test and in the analysis of the interviews with the critical students and the students compositions, descriptive analysis were conducted. The findings from the data analysis are below. a) Statistical significant difference was found on students? mathematics achievement scores in favor of experiment group. b) The relation between retention of mathematics achievement and the learning methods were insignificant. c) Cooperative learning method has significantly increased students? attitudes toward mathematics and mathematics self-efficacy. The findings which were obtained as a result of the individual interviews with the critical students are below: During the team working, the students have learned more problem solution strategies, reinforced their knowledge and perceived their learning gaps sharing their knowledge. Also, the students have easily asked each other and immediately gotten an answer through peer communication in the team. On the other hand, the method make the mathematics lessons are enjoyable . This situation has caused the development of students? attitudes, self efficacy and achievement. Key Words: Cooperative Learning, Student Team-Achievement Division (STAD), Attitude toward Mathematics, Mathematics Self Efficacy, Traditional Learning.