ABSTRACT
The popularity of small-group instruction has been driven by a number of theories of child development and learning, especially sociocultural theories, which emphasize the importance of students being able to interact with one another while learning. The placement of an individual student into a particular group can have profound effects on the student’s goals, self-efficacy beliefs, attributions, and achievement values. Within-class grouping occurs when teachers divide students into work groups within classrooms. Quite often, teachers arrange groups based on students’ differing achievement in various subject areas, with students of similar levels placed together, a practice known as ability grouping. A large research base supports the effectiveness of cooperative learning approaches for maintaining students’ motivation to learn, as well as their achievement and enjoyment of school. The quality of the interactions among students in the cooperative groups is one of the most important determinants of the learning that will occur from group members.
