Theory And Practice On Cooperative Learning And Teaching Pattern In Middle School Biology

Cooperative learning is based on heterogeneous grouping and takes use of the positive factors to improve learning systematically. With the development of the science and technology, the social division, the individual ability to solve problem is increasingly limited. The world today is a cooperative one; the world is in need of those who are aware of cooperation and are able to be cooperative. So does in the field of biology. Nowadays in the field of biology teaching in our country, however, there really exits many defaults such as teacher-centered methodology, paying too much attention to knowledge rather than ability and overvalue competitive learning etc. We must employ cooperative teaching pattern in order to nurture qualified cooperative biologists. This pattern can motivate the students' interests; greatly improve the development of the individual cognition and the awareness of being cooperative.The theoretical basis of cooperative learning is Social Interdependence Theory by Johnson Brothers, as well as Constructivism Theory, Contact Theory, Choice Theory, Cognitive Development Theory, Elaboration Theory and Behavioral Learning Theory etc. Five main factors are necessary to conduct cooperative learning, they are: positive interdependence, face-to-face promoting interactions, interpersonal social ability, awareness of personal duty and ability to reflection. In cooperative learning, groups should be divided according to quality, with about 4 members in each group. Group members play different parts as necessary and make changes regularly. Groups should remain stable in certain period of time. To conduct Cooperative Teaching Pattern in biology, teaching should be in accordance with the following principals: Students-centered Principal, Division and Cooperation Principal, Inquiry Principal, Gradually-developing Principal, Procession Principal and Opening Principal etc. The teaching steps includes subject assigning, groupdiscussion, learning again, exchanging again, teacher evaluation and group reflection etc.In this dissertation I list three case studies, all of which are records of my own teaching experiments, including cooperation among both students and teachers.I conducted cooperative teaching pattern in Grade One of junior high school in the 2002 semester. At the end of that semester I gave the students two tests and a questionnaire. I analyzed the statistics of these first-hand materials. The results show that cooperative learning is suitable for biology teaching at middle schools. It helps stimulate students' interests in biology. It not only widens students' knowledge but also helps develop their basic skills, especially of those backward students. In addition, although it is somewhat not in appropriation with some theoretical contents, this pattern is suitable to most of the contents of middle school biology. Teachers should combine cooperative teaching pattern with other patterns in order to get the best consequences.