The Use of Cooperative Learning for Enhancing the English Speaking Skills of National High School Students in Myanmar
Keywords:
Cooperative learning, English speaking skills, NHS students, Students’ satisfactionAbstract
The objectives of this mixed-methods study are as follows: (1) to compare the English-speaking skills of National High School (NHS) students in Myanmar before and after using cooperative learning; and (2) to explore the satisfaction of students towards the use of CL. The study was conducted in one of the NHS in Myanmar, 30 students were purposefully selected from the entire NHS as research participants. The participants underwent treatment with four different CL methods: Think-Pair-Share, Numbered Heads Together, Three-Step Interview, and Mix-Freeze Pair over a period of one month. The research instruments included lesson plans, an English- speaking test (pretest and posttest), a satisfaction questionnaire, and a focus group discussion. The quantitative data were analyzed using paired sample statistics t-test (p≤.05 level of significance), mean, and standard deviation, while qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis. The results of the English-speaking test showed a mean of 8.60 for the pretest and 12.56 for the posttest, with a mean difference of 3.96 (24.75%), an increase from 53.75% to 78.5% of the total score. The obtained (p) value of 0.001 indicated the effectiveness of CL in enhancing the English-speaking skills of NHS students. Moreover, the results from the students’ satisfaction questionnaire revealed that all the items received the highest or high level of satisfaction. The qualitative data gathered from the focus group discussion indicated that the participants expressed satisfaction with the use of CL, which motivated them to study more and enhance their English-speaking skills. Thus, the findings provide teachers in Myanmar with an alternative technique for teaching English speaking skills.
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