Development and validation of a self-report instrument for exploring team work in schools
Type
conference paper
Date Issued
2011-08-30
Author(s)
Abstract
Cooperative learning is a popular method for classroom teaching since it makes it possible to accommodate for individual differences as well as to achieve various educational goals (academic as well as social). Additionally, it aligns with the socio-constructivist notion of learning (Antil et al., 1998). However, when looking at everyday practice in classrooms, cooperative learning seems to not always be able to hold its promises. One reason for this might be that certain framing conditions are neglected in classroom practice which would be necessary for the effectiveness of cooperative learning (Abrami & Chambers, 1996). Due to the complexity of teamwork, it is a challenge for teachers to identify the reasons why teamwork in the classroom does not lead to the results expected. This study aims at developing and validating a self-report instrument for assessing team work at schools and for providing teachers with hints on how to improve teamwork in their classrooms. The instrument will be validated with about 400 students of at least 4 different schools. The scales are theoretically founded and cover relevant aspects of teamwork at school. All instruments were either originally developed for usage in schools or adapted to the school context. Even though further validation is necessary, the first results are already quite promising. They show that the basic structure of the questionnaires is valid and that the instruments are reliable. Thus, this study provides a valuable instrument for both practitioners and researchers.
Language
English
Keywords
cooperative learning
teamwork
instrument development
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
No
Book title
Education for a Global Networked Society
Publisher
European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction
Publisher place
Leuven
Event Title
14th Biennial European Conference for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI)
Event Location
Exeter
Event Date
30.08.-03.09.2011
Subject(s)
Eprints ID
202424