Consideration of R. E. Slavin’s Cooperative Learning Theory

Focusing on its Development  into the Comprehensive School Reform Program “Success for All”

Abstract

 　This paper examines U. S. educational psychologist R. E. Slavin’s cooperative learning theory.  First, the examination of his positioning in the history of cooperative learning in the U. S. has clarified his problem consciousness against D. W. Johnson’s cooperative learning theory. Johnson’s theory requires high-level expertise of teachers, so some educational psychologists including Slavin have developed a lot of methods that enable any teachers to pratice cooperative learning lesson.  Especially, Slavin aimed to realize a fundamental reform of lesson with cooperative learning.

 　Next, it has been examined what Slavin’s cooperative learning theory is and how it has been developed.  Slavin created two comprehensive methods (“Team-Assisted Individualization” and “Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition”) that are content-bound and curriculum-specific.  Then he faced a problem that practicing them requires cooperation among teachers, and gradually moved emphasis from development of methods to creation of models that reform schools comprehensively based on cooperative learning.  His last product, “Success for All,” contains some critical elements: dual class-organization across grade levels, tutoring, family support team (“Solutions Network”), etc.  From the above, it is clarified that Slavin has regarded cooperative learning as an idea going through whole school and developed his research, not as a mere method.  However, it is also indicated that his theory has gradually weakened the viewpoint that children encourage and help each other in groups and this can be exploited effectively.