Examining the Role of Cooperative Learning in the Development of Social Skills and Academic Achievement
Keywords:
Cooperative learning, Social skills, Academic achievement, Education, Social interactionAbstract
This study aims to explain the role of cooperative learning in enhancing students’ social skills and improving academic achievement through a qualitative review of existing research evidence. This study adopted a qualitative review design using qualitative content analysis. Data were collected through a systematic review of scientific literature related to cooperative learning, social skills, and academic achievement. After searching major international and national databases, 15 eligible articles were purposefully selected and analyzed until theoretical saturation was reached. Data coding and analysis were conducted using NVivo 14 software through open, axial, and selective coding procedures. The results indicated that cooperative learning significantly enhances social skills such as interpersonal interaction, effective communication, responsibility, empathy, and emotional regulation, while simultaneously improving academic achievement by strengthening intrinsic motivation, academic self-efficacy, critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and metacognitive strategies. Teacher role, classroom climate, and school culture emerged as major facilitating and constraining factors. Cooperative learning represents a transformative educational approach that simultaneously influences social, emotional, and cognitive domains, leading to sustainable improvement in educational quality and students’ holistic development.
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