Effect of Cooperative Learning on off Task Behaviour: An Action Research Approach for Better Academic Performance

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Eect of Cooperative Learning on o Task Behaviour: An
Action Research Approach for Better Academic Performance
Kalpana Sawane1, Sheela Upendra2, Sheetal Barde1
1Asst. Prof., 2Assoc. Prof., Symbiosis College of Nursing, Symbiosis International University
Abstract
Background: Disruptive o-task behaviour can interfere with the continuity of an average classroom
performance.Learningin groups andteamscan help equipstudents to brainwavetheir critical thinking
skillsthatwillpreparethemtoentertoday’sworkforce.
Objective:ThemainobjectiveofthestudywastoimplementCooperativelearningandtotheseetheeect
onotaskbehaviourofstudentsintheviewtoimprovetheacademicperformanceofstudents.
Material and Method:Onegrouppertestpost-testdesignwasadoptedtoimplementCooperativelearning
on40BaccalaureateNursingstudents.Thesamplewereselectedbypurposivesamplingtechnique.Checklist
was used to assess the o task behaviour and academic performance test were conducted to measure
academic performance.
Results: Daywiseacademicperformancewasassessedanditwasfoundthatthereisreductioninotask
behaviourofstudentsfromdayonetodayseven.Cooperativelearninghaspositiveeectongoodacademic
performanceevidentbyWilcoxonSignranktest.
Keywords: O task behaviour, Cooperative learning, Academic performance
Corresponding Author:
Sheetal Barde
Assistant.Professor,
PlotNo23,srNo88,GujratColony,
Kothrud,Pune-411038
Email: shitalbarde@scon.edu.in
Introduction
Disruptiveo-taskbehaviourcaninterferewiththe
continuity of an average classroom performance. One of
the greatest challenges of the teacher is to maintain order
in the classroom to assist students so they can achieve
academic objectives. Frequency of misbehaviour,
includingo-taskbehaviour,talkingwithoutpermission,
moving without permission, aggression, daydreaming,
inattentiveness,andplayingwithsomethingorsomeone
are all common concerns of educator today1. Rathvon
(1990) denes o-task behaviour as students doing
anything not appropriate to the task at hand. O task
behaviour interfere with academic growth as it creates
distractionintheclassandaectstheconcentration.2
Cooperativelearningmeansmethodwhichlearners
workinasmallgroupmembersorteamswhichcontain
3 to 6 students with heterogeneous capacities work
together until attain goal that both whole group get it.
Groupworkishighlyappreciatedbystudentsasameans
oflearningandpreparingforfuturework
Cooperativelearninginuniversities is based onthe
theoriesofcognitive development, behaviourallearning
and social interdependence. Cooperative learning has
been linked to a range of positive social, eective and
psychological outcomes, including social support, the
quality of students’ relationships, attitude to learning,
learning skills and self-esteem. Cooperative learning
is based on the theories of cognitive development,
behavioural learning and social interdependence.
Cooperativelearninghasbeenlinkedtoarangeofpositive
social, eective and psychological outcomes, including
social support, the quality of students’ relationships,
attitudetolearning,learningskillsandself-esteem.3
Cooperative learning has changed classrooms
frombeing“teacher-centred,”wherethefocusisonthe
DOI Number: 10.5958/0976-5506.2019.01991.0

Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, August 2019, Vol.10, No. 8 813
teacherimpartingknowledgetothestudents,to“student
centred,”wherethestudentsareexpectedtotakeamore
vigorous part in their own learning.4
Teachershaveseenanincreaseinthelackofsocial
skillsbeingtaughttostudentswhichhasampliedthe
students’lackofcontrol intheirbehaviourandrespect
forothers.Often,studentsfeellittlerespectfromteachers
anddonothavetheskillsthemselvestorespectothersor
to control their behaviour. One of the greatest challenges
of the teacher is to maintain order in the classroom to
assiststudentssotheycanachieveacademicobjective.5
Purpose of the study: Theo-taskbehaviourtypically
begins with one person who does not want to focus on
hisworkandhisbehaviourbecomesdistractive,which
disrupts and gathers wind with some of the other students
in my class.
Asateacherinthecollege,Ihaveobservedalarge
amount of disruptions in my class whenever I discuss or
askquestionsinclass,agreatmajorityhavetodowith
studentsspeakingoutofturn,havingsideconversations.
Only few students used to participate in discussion.
Thosewhoarenotparticipatingtheykeepbusyintheir
own conversations and when asked for response they
usuallyhavenothing tosayorparticipatesupercially.
This results in bad performance at the time of assessment.
Asateacher I wasthinkingto overcome this problem
for the better achievements of students. I want to see
whether the cooperative learning is really impacting
them to be more creative rather than distracting. Also I
want to see whether there is any change in the academic
performance and that change is by chance or it is
associated with cooperative learning. Based on these
factorsinmymindIsetthefollowingobjectivesformy
action research.
Objectives
 1.Toimplementthecooperativelearningtechnique
 2.Toassesstheeectofcooperativelearningono
taskbehaviourofstudents
3. To assess changes in academic performance after
cooperative learning
 4.To nd the association between cooperative
learning and academic performance
Material and Method
Design: The research design selected for the study was
one group pertest and post-test design
Setting: Setting of the research study was Symbiosis
CollegeofNursing,SenapatiBapatRoad,Pune,India.
Target population: Target Population for the present
researchisBScNursing2ndyearofSymbiosisCollege
ofNursingwhohavejoinedintheyear2015-16.
Tool: A Checklist was developed to observe o task
behaviour and Academic test in the form of Multiple
choicequestionswerepreparedinordertoassesstheo
taskbehaviourandacademiclearningofthestudents
Procedure for Data Collection: Prior information
was given to the Head of Department of research at
SymbiosiscollegeofNursing
Pretestin theform ofAcademictest was taken on 30
July before the implementation of cooperative learning.
The cooperative learning was implemented. 8
groups were framed. There were 5 students in each
group. I informed about the cooperative learning to
the students. Groups were made keeping in mind the
diversity of the group. The instructions were given and
taskwasexplainedtothestudentseverytimewhenthe
class has been conducted. The cooperative learning was
implementedfrom2Augto8Aug2016.Thetimingof
the class was same for all same days. I tried to maintain
the environment as smooth and conducive as possible to
conduct.Cooperativelearning.Acomfortableclassroom
was selected and the participants were made comfortable
andrelaxed.Timetakenforonesessionwas1hour.
I took additional assistance of Dr. Sheela Upendra,
Assoc. Prof. at Symbiosis College of Nursing to observe
the o task behavior.A separate session was conducted
toexplain her aboutthe details,objectives, purpose of the
researchbeforetheimplementationofCooperativelearning.
ThePosttestintheformofacademictestwastakenon8th
day of the implementation of the cooperative learnin
RESULTS
Section 1: Demographic characteristics calculated by
percentage where maximum students were in the age
group pf 17 to 18. 9 were male and 31 were female
students.

814 Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, August 2019, Vol.10, No. 8
Section 2:Theeectofcooperativelearningonotask
behaviour of students
Theotaskbehaviourwasmarkedinthechecklist
aseitheryes(ifpresent)orNo(ifnotpresent).
Day wise the score that is number of Yes (= 1) is
decreasing. So graph show decreasing pattern of o
taskbehaviouralltogetherfor8groups.Thisisagood
change in academic performance after implementing
cooperative learning
Section 3: Changes in academic performance after
implementing cooperative learning: Thereissucient
evidence to reject the null hypothesis (p < 0.05). The
populationmedianisstatisticallydierentfrom0.Here
estimated median is 1. So using this, I can conclude
that there is positive eect of cooperative learning on
academic performance of students
Table 1: Comparison of Pertest and Post Test
N = 40
Pre test Post Test
Mean 5.825 Mean 4.8
Median 6Median 5
Mode 6Mode 5
Standard
Deviation 1.034965626 Standard
Deviation 0.992277877
Sample
Variance 1.071153846 Sample
Variance 0.984615385
Section 4: Association between cooperative learning
and o task behaviour: Chi-squaretestforassociation
betweenthequestionsresponseofpre-testandpost-test.
Allthep-valuesarelessthan0.05,Henceshowsthereis
association between cooperative learning and academic
performance.
Discussion
The present work emphasised on the o-task
behaviour in nursing students during the class and
to investigate the relationship between cooperative
learningtoreducetheotaskbehaviour and its eect
onacademicperformanceofstudents.Specically,we
examinedwhetherthispedagogyofgroupworkisreally
eectiveinreducingtheotaskbehaviourornot.Our
ndingsindicatedthatcooperativelearningishavinga
positiveeectinreducingtheotaskbehaviouramong
students as students are utilising same destructive
energyintotheconstructivegroupworkoflearningand
problem solving.
This pedagogy engage the students in the goal
oriented activity. Instructional activities that are more
motivational are in turn increase students’ on-task
behaviour. A state of focused attention is raised when
instruction consists of team work and cooperative
behaviour.
Conict of Interest:Nil
Source of Funding:Nil
Ethical Clearance: Taken from SCON Research
AdvisoryCommittee
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