An Analysis Of The Application Of Cooperative Learning In English Reading Classes In Senior High School

Cooperative Learning (CL) is advocated by New Curriculum Reform in China. It is a kind oflearning and teaching method that emerged in the1960s and the1970s in U.S.A. It takes the basic form ofthe group, which is of help for students to improve their learning efficiency and interpersonal skills by theinteraction of various factors in the course of teaching. New Curriculum Standard (2003) in China demandsthat the teachers should offer various activities about CL, and should encourage their students to learn fromeach other and help each other; as a result, the students can involve themselves in the group activities,communicate actively with other members of the group and then enjoy their participation in the grouplearning. Therefore, CL can satisfy this demand of New Curriculum Standard (2003). English readingteaching plays an important role in a senior high school English teaching, and therefore, the Englishteachers pay more attention to how to improve the effectiveness of reading teaching. Most scholars andeducational researchers have proved the advantage of CL applied in English reading classes in their paperswith experimental methods, and most teachers have applied CL into the practical English reading classes insenior high schools, and have obtained some positive effects. However, the situation is far from satisfactionin terms of the application of CL in English reading classes in senior high schools. There is still much spacefor the further study in regard to the application of CL in senior high schools.Based upon the above situation, this research takes some of students and teachers in HenanMengzhou No.1Senior High School as the subjects. The main methods for the research include classobservation, interviews and questionnaires. The aims of this research are to investigate the practicalsituation of the application of CL in English reading classes in senior high schools, to find out the problemsand the causes for the problems. Based closely upon the research objectives, the study proposes threequestions:(1) What is the present situation of the application of Cooperative Learning in English readingclasses in senior high schools?(2) What are the major problems in the application of Cooperative Learningin English reading classes?(3) What are the main causes for the major problems in the application ofCooperative Learning in English reading classes?The investigation finds that teachers and students have obtained some positive effects in the application of CL in English reading classes in senior high schools. The positive effects mainly contain:(1)the class atmosphere of English reading classes becomes active;(2) the students can better understand thetext;(3) the students know each other more, and their friendship is reinforced. The main problems are:(1)the teachers fail to take full advantage of different forms of CL in English reading classes;(2) the teachersfail to join and control CL efficiently;(3) the teachers seldom use CL in the daily English reading classes,but they always use CL in the open English reading classes, and the fact of showing exists;(4) the studentsare grouped inappropriately in the cooperative reading classes, and they fail to have the definite respectivework in the group. The main causes for the problems mainly include:(1) the teachers fail to master theessence of CL;(2) the teachers' time and energy are limited;(3) the teachers are less qualifiedprofessionally;(4) most students' consciousness of cooperation is weak, and moreover, their English is notsatisfactory;(5) the evaluation of CL contrasts with that of traditional teaching, and the class scale is toobig in the practical teaching.This thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter One is introduction which mainly introduces theresearch background, motivation, objectives and the structure of the thesis. Chapter Two is the literaturereview which mainly presents the concept of CL, the elements of CL, the main models and basic theories ofCL, models of reading, teaching of English reading, the relationship between CL and teaching of Englishreading, and the related research situations of CL at home and abroad. Chapter Three mainly introduces theresearch questions, research subjects, research methods and research procedure. Chapter Four is dataanalysis which mainly analyzes the situation of class observation and interviews, and the data of thequestionnaires to offer the foundation for the conclusion of this thesis. Chapter Five is the conclusion whichmainly summarizes the present situation of the application of CL in English reading classes in the seniorhigh school, the main problems in the application of CL in English reading classes in the senior high schooland the main causes for the main problems. And in this chapter some suggestions are offered to bothteachers and students with the hope that they will get the help. In addition, the limitations of this researchand the prospects for the further research are presented as well in this chapter.