ABSTRACT
Schools are being encouraged to adopt pedagogical practices that promote students-centered learning, and foremost among many of these practices is cooperative group learning or peer-mediated learning. Interest in cooperative group learning has arisen because a large volume of research shows that it has been used successfully to promote learning achievements across a range of curricula such as enhanced understanding in science, mathematics, and technology (Lou, Abrami, & d’Apollonia, 2001; Webb & Farivar, 1999), better conceptual development and concept mapping in physics (Howe, Tolmie, Greer, & MacKenzie, 1995), enhanced computational problem solving in chemistry (Bilgin & Geban, 2006), improved literacy and reading outcomes (Slavin, 1996), and better reasoning and problem-solving skills (Gillies & Khan, 2008), to name just a few.
