The role of cooperative learning in promoting social integration: an intervention-study

Abstract

The evaluated promotion of social integration is demanded in practice and science alike. The design of high-quality social contacts in the sense of the intergroup contact theory between students represents a possible approach to improve the social situation at schools. In order to implement precisely these high-quality contacts in the classroom, an integration-promoting variant of cooperative learning (IKL) was developed and evaluated in the present longitudinal intervention-study based on n = 685 primary school pupils (n = 33 classes). Using longitudinal multilevel models, IKL was shown to improve social integration for students on both sociometric and psychometric levels. In addition, the effects of IKL appear to be influenced by individual baseline levels of social integration. A consideration of different facets of social integration and interindividual differences at baseline of the intervention is discussed in light of practical relevance.