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Eect 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.Learningin groups andteamscan help equipstudents to brainwavetheir critical thinking
skillsthatwillpreparethemtoentertoday’sworkforce.
Objective:ThemainobjectiveofthestudywastoimplementCooperativelearningandtotheseetheeect
onotaskbehaviourofstudentsintheviewtoimprovetheacademicperformanceofstudents.
Material and Method:Onegrouppertestpost-testdesignwasadoptedtoimplementCooperativelearning
on40BaccalaureateNursingstudents.Thesamplewereselectedbypurposivesamplingtechnique.Checklist
was used to assess the o task behaviour and academic performance test were conducted to measure
academic performance.
Results: Daywiseacademicperformancewasassessedanditwasfoundthatthereisreductioninotask
behaviourofstudentsfromdayonetodayseven.Cooperativelearninghaspositiveeectongoodacademic
performanceevidentbyWilcoxonSignranktest.
Keywords: O task behaviour, Cooperative learning, Academic performance
Corresponding Author:
Sheetal Barde
Assistant.Professor,
PlotNo23,srNo88,GujratColony,
Kothrud,Pune-411038
Email: shitalbarde@scon.edu.in
Introduction
Disruptiveo-taskbehaviourcaninterferewiththe
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,
includingo-taskbehaviour,talkingwithoutpermission,
moving without permission, aggression, daydreaming,
inattentiveness,andplayingwithsomethingorsomeone
are all common concerns of educator today1. Rathvon
(1990) denes o-task behaviour as students doing
anything not appropriate to the task at hand. O task
behaviour interfere with academic growth as it creates
distractionintheclassandaectstheconcentration.2
Cooperativelearningmeansmethodwhichlearners
workinasmallgroupmembersorteamswhichcontain
3 to 6 students with heterogeneous capacities work
together until attain goal that both whole group get it.
Groupworkishighlyappreciatedbystudentsasameans
oflearningandpreparingforfuturework
Cooperativelearninginuniversities is based onthe
theoriesofcognitive development, behaviourallearning
and social interdependence. Cooperative learning has
been linked to a range of positive social, eective 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.
Cooperativelearninghasbeenlinkedtoarangeofpositive
social, eective and psychological outcomes, including
social support, the quality of students’ relationships,
attitudetolearning,learningskillsandself-esteem.3
Cooperative learning has changed classrooms
frombeing“teacher-centred,”wherethefocusisonthe
DOI Number: 10.5958/0976-5506.2019.01991.0
Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, August 2019, Vol.10, No. 8 813
teacherimpartingknowledgetothestudents,to“student
centred,”wherethestudentsareexpectedtotakeamore
vigorous part in their own learning.4
Teachershaveseenanincreaseinthelackofsocial
skillsbeingtaughttostudentswhichhasampliedthe
students’lackofcontrol intheirbehaviourandrespect
forothers.Often,studentsfeellittlerespectfromteachers
anddonothavetheskillsthemselvestorespectothersor
to control their behaviour. One of the greatest challenges
of the teacher is to maintain order in the classroom to
assiststudentssotheycanachieveacademicobjective.5
Purpose of the study: Theo-taskbehaviourtypically
begins with one person who does not want to focus on
hisworkandhisbehaviourbecomesdistractive,which
disrupts and gathers wind with some of the other students
in my class.
Asateacherinthecollege,Ihaveobservedalarge
amount of disruptions in my class whenever I discuss or
askquestionsinclass,agreatmajorityhavetodowith
studentsspeakingoutofturn,havingsideconversations.
Only few students used to participate in discussion.
Thosewhoarenotparticipatingtheykeepbusyintheir
own conversations and when asked for response they
usuallyhavenothing tosayorparticipatesupercially.
This results in bad performance at the time of assessment.
Asateacher I wasthinkingto 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
factorsinmymindIsetthefollowingobjectivesformy
action research.
Objectives
1.Toimplementthecooperativelearningtechnique
2.Toassesstheeectofcooperativelearningono
taskbehaviourofstudents
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
CollegeofNursing,SenapatiBapatRoad,Pune,India.
Target population: Target Population for the present
researchisBScNursing2ndyearofSymbiosisCollege
ofNursingwhohavejoinedintheyear2015-16.
Tool: A Checklist was developed to observe o task
behaviour and Academic test in the form of Multiple
choicequestionswerepreparedinordertoassesstheo
taskbehaviourandacademiclearningofthestudents
Procedure for Data Collection: Prior information
was given to the Head of Department of research at
SymbiosiscollegeofNursing
Pretestin theform ofAcademictest 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
taskwasexplainedtothestudentseverytimewhenthe
class has been conducted. The cooperative learning was
implementedfrom2Augto8Aug2016.Thetimingof
the class was same for all same days. I tried to maintain
the environment as smooth and conducive as possible to
conduct.Cooperativelearning.Acomfortableclassroom
was selected and the participants were made comfortable
andrelaxed.Timetakenforonesessionwas1hour.
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
toexplain her aboutthe details,objectives, purpose of the
researchbeforetheimplementationofCooperativelearning.
ThePosttestintheformofacademictestwastakenon8th
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:Theeectofcooperativelearningonotask
behaviour of students
Theotaskbehaviourwasmarkedinthechecklist
aseitheryes(ifpresent)orNo(ifnotpresent).
Day wise the score that is number of Yes (= 1) is
decreasing. So graph show decreasing pattern of o
taskbehaviouralltogetherfor8groups.Thisisagood
change in academic performance after implementing
cooperative learning
Section 3: Changes in academic performance after
implementing cooperative learning: Thereissucient
evidence to reject the null hypothesis (p < 0.05). The
populationmedianisstatisticallydierentfrom0.Here
estimated median is 1. So using this, I can conclude
that there is positive eect 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-squaretestforassociation
betweenthequestionsresponseofpre-testandpost-test.
Allthep-valuesarelessthan0.05,Henceshowsthereis
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
learningtoreducetheotaskbehaviour and its eect
onacademicperformanceofstudents.Specically,we
examinedwhetherthispedagogyofgroupworkisreally
eectiveinreducingtheotaskbehaviourornot.Our
ndingsindicatedthatcooperativelearningishavinga
positiveeectinreducingtheotaskbehaviouramong
students as students are utilising same destructive
energyintotheconstructivegroupworkoflearningand
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.
Conict of Interest:Nil
Source of Funding:Nil
Ethical Clearance: Taken from SCON Research
AdvisoryCommittee
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