Community College Psychology Students’ Cooperative Learning Experiences----A Qualitative Analysis By Year In College

Abstract

The goal of the study was to assess the effects of year in college on students’ perceptions of the cooperative learning process. Ninety-six college students completed 5 open-ended questions that asked students about their preferences for cooperative learning activities. Forty-nine first-year students and 47 second-year students participated in the study. A qualitative research design was used. Qualitative analyses compared---by year in college---the 5 open-ended questions. The principal investigator qualitatively analyzed the data for themes and subthemes, high frequency responses, and percentage of response. Some tentative qualitative findings were that first- and second-year students preferred the same types of group work and both groups had overlapping ideas on ways to make group work more enjoyable. Keywords: cooperative learning, college, year in college