Developing an Assessment Scale for the Characteristics of Cooperative Learning in Language Teaching / Razvoj skale za procjenu obilježja suradničkoga učenja u nastavi jezika

Abstract

This paper describes the development and metric traits of a new research instrument used to examine teachers' assessments of the characteristics of cooperative learning in language teaching in junior grades of primary school (class teaching). We integrated findings obtained through a social-psychological approach on cooperative learning and socio-constructivist outlooks on contemporary teaching and learning into the structure of the Questionnaire – Teacher’s Assessment Scale (Q-TAS). In addition, the starting point for the scale’s development was the analysis and appraisal of existing instruments based on self-reports or reports of the respondents on the implementation of cooperative learning, particularities of language teaching and class teaching, as well as theoretical analysis of the construct of cooperative learning. The survey included 240 teachers of the fourth grade of primary school who implement cooperative learning in Serbian language classes from 14 districts of Serbia. In line with the theoretical structure of cooperative learning's characteristics, we designed four subscales: Structuring a cooperative task, Forming cooperative groups, Principles of cooperative learning, and Roles and activities of teachers and pupils. The scale’s reliability as a whole, as well as the reliability of its constituent subscales was examined by measuring internal consistency, whereas the structural validity of the subscales was examined by means of exploratory factor analysis. In general, given the findings on the reliability and validity of the subscales, we can conclude that the Questionnaire - Teacher’s Assessment Scale has satisfactory metric traits, i.e. it is a reliable and valid instrument for examining the characteristics of cooperative learning in current language teaching. Finally, we offer critical assessment and recommendations for further improvement of the developed instruments.  

Key words: cooperative learning; assessment scale; language teaching; teachers; class teaching.

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U ovom radu opisuje se razvoj i metrijske značajke novoga istraživačkog instrumenta za ispitivanje procjena nastavnika o svojstvima suradničkoga učenja u nastavi jezika u razrednoj nastavi. Prilikom konstruiranja Upitnika s skalom procjene za nastavnike (USPN) integrirana su saznanja o sociopsihološkom pristupu suradničkom učenju i sociokonstruktivističkim shvaćanjima suvremene nastave i učenja. Uz navedeno, polazište za razvoj skale procjene je analiza i kritika postojećih instrumenata na temelju samoizveštaja ili izvještaja ispitanika o primjeni suradničkoga učenja, specifičnosti nastave jezika i razredne nastave, kao i teorijska analiza konstrukta suradničkoga učenja. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 240 nastavnika četvrtih razreda osnovnih škola koji primjenjuju suradničko učenje u nastavi srpskoga jezika iz 14 okruga u Republici Srbiji. U skladu s teoretskom strukturom karakteristika suradničkoga učenja stvorene su četiri podskale: strukturiranje suradničkoga zadatka, formiranje suradničkih skupina, načela suradničkoga učenja te uloga i aktivnosti nastavnika i učenika. Pouzdanost skale u cjelini i komponenata podskala ispitana je mjerenjem unutrašnje konzistencije, dok je konstrukcijska valjanost podskala ispitana eksploratornom faktorskom analizom. Općenito govoreći, uzimajući u obzir nalaze o pouzdanosti i valjanosti podskala, može se zaključiti da Upitnik sa skalom procjene za nastavnike ima zadovoljavajuće metričke karakteristike, odnosno da je pouzdan i valjan instrument za ispitivanje obilježja suradničkoga učenja u trenutačnoj nastavi jezika. Na kraju, daju se kritička procjena i preporuke za daljnje poboljšanje razvijenoga instrumenta.

Ključne riječi: suradničko učenje; nastava jezika; nastavnici; razredna nastava; skala procjene.