ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the importance of examining teachers' beliefs about learning as a starting point in adopting pedagogy such as cooperative learning. Developing a clear understanding of the theoretical perspectives that underpin the pedagogy is also important, together with the key elements that ensure that the approach is genuinely cooperative. The motivational perspective focuses on the importance of motivation in learning. Cognitive perspectives hold that interactions among pupils will support learning as they support the mental processing of information or concepts. The chapter also discusses the key elements that are essential to ensure genuine cooperative learning, and how to put these into practice. Cooperative learning has evolved from several theoretical perspectives. R. Slavin cites four major ones: motivational; cognitive developmental; cognitive elaboration; and perhaps the most developed theory, social cohesion, or social interdependence. The chapter explains the impact of cooperative learning on inclusion to promote democratic classrooms.
