Authors : Nooreiny Maarof and Tg Nor Rizan Tg Mohamad Maasum
Abstract: Learning English as a Second Language (ESL) is generally a difficult endeavor for many university students who speak a different language as the native language. Limited English Proficiency (LEP) students experience a more difficult task and need a low risk environment to practice English. Cooperative learning an established instructional strategy is increasingly being used in colleges and universities to address learning problems and offers increased opportunities for students’ social development. Research has shown that cooperative learning is able to promote higher achievement, more positive interpersonal relationships and higher self-esteem compared to competitive and individualistic efforts. This study reports the perceptions of a group of first year LEP university students on cooperative learning as a technique in motivating them to learn. A questionnaire was used to collect responses from the students. The results and implications for the study highlight the need for a paradigm shift in pedagogy for course designers and instructors in order to meet students’ language learning needs at the university.
Nooreiny Maarof and Tg Nor Rizan Tg Mohamad Maasum, 2012. University Students’ Perception of Cooperative Learning in ESL Pedagogy. Research Journal of Applied Sciences, 7: 520-525.