Effect of Cooperative Learning on Academic Achievement and Retention of Secondary Grader Mathematics Students

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of cooperative learning on the academic achievement of high and low achievers at secondary level in mathematics in Pakistan. It also focused on the effect of cooperative learning on the retention level of high and low achievers in mathematics at secondary level. The study was experimental in nature and was carried out in district Rawalpindi in 2006. Two sections of 10th class, equally divided on the basis of teacher-made pretest scores were taken as the sample of the study. Each group was further divided into high achievers and low achievers on basis of mean scores of the pretest. A Factorial Design (2 x 2) was used for the treatment of data. Data analysis revealed that both the experimental and the control groups were almost equal in mathematical knowledge at the beginning of the experiment. On retention test no significant difference was found between the high achievers of the experimental and control groups, but it was significant in the low achievers of experimental group and the control group. Hence, cooperative learning appeared to be more favorable for low achievers than high achievers.