ABSTRACT
With the current interest in reforming school mathematics, cooperative group learning seems to be a viable alternative to traditional instructional techniques in achieving the national goals for mathematics education set forth by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) (1989), the National Research Council (1989), and others (e.g., America 2000). The roles of teachers and students in learning mathematics are changing. The emphasis is on students taking a more active role in learning. Teachers are becoming facilitators of learning rather than simply dispensers of knowledge. With these changes, students must learn to function with others in structuring their own knowledge. The idea of working with others in mathematics learning may be new for some students, but this practice is more reflective of the real world workplace than is the traditional isolationist learning approach. Cooperative group learning techniques provide a setting for working with others toward achieving a common goal.
