A Systematic Review of Research on Cooperative/Collaborative Learning in Science and Engineering Education in the Republic of Korea

Abstract

Constructivist learning theories have emphasized learners' interactions with the environment, which includes their peers. Therefore, student cooperation/collaboration has been considered crucial in science education. However, although there have been many science cooperative/collaborative learning (CCL) studies reported in Korea, there has been a lack of review studies done to delineate trends and elicit implications for future science education research. This study systematically reviewed empirical science and engineering CCL studies reported in Korea. The researchers collected literature via the Korea Citation Index repository and selected 121 papers to be reviewed. The analytical framework was adapted from the cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT). The results of a review by two science education experts showed patterns revealed in each component of CHAT, which led to a discussion aimed at comprehensively understanding Korean science and engineering CCL research. Implications for future research and teaching were elicited.