چکیده:
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of learning together model of
cooperative learning on Iranian EFL learners’ and high and low achievers’ critical
thinking ability. To this end, a total of 52 students out of a population of 60 English
language learners from Simin Language School in Karaj were selected, through a
Preliminary English Test (PET), and randomly assigned into two groups of
experimental and control. Prior to the treatment, a critical thinking questionnaire as a
pretest was administered to the students of both groups. Then a 10- session treatment
was conducted to the participants in the experimental group according to the dynamics
of the learning together model of cooperative learning. Finally, a posttest of critical
thinking questionnaire was provided to both groups. An independent samples t-test
was run to compare the mean scores of both groups along with a two-way ANCOVA
to investigate the effect of achievement level of the participants on the posttest of
critical thinking. The obtained results revealed that the null hypotheses were all
rejected, concluding that the learning together model of cooperative learning had a
significant effect on the improvement of critical thinking skills of Iranian EFL
learners. More significantly, there was a significant difference between the high and
low achievers in the groups in terms of their critical thinking mean scores, meaning
that in both the experimental and control group, the high proficiency achievers
enjoyed higher critical thinking ability.
خلاصه ماشینی:
In addition, the benefits of cooperative learning including higher academic achievement (Tsay & Brady, 2010), problem solving skills (Olivares, 2003), and critical thinking ability (Gokhale, 1995) have been proved in academic fields.
3. 2 Instrumentation In order to investigate the effect of Learning Together Model of cooperative learning on Iranian intermediate EFL learners’ critical thinking ability, several instruments were used including: (a) a Preliminary English Test (PET) , (b) a Questionnaire employed as a pre-test and post-test instrument namely Critical Thinking questionnaire developed by Honey (2004), (c) and instructional materials used during treatment and the course book of Interchange III, Third Edition by Richards, Hall, and Proctor (2005).
As for inferential statistics, an "independent samples t-test" and a Two- way ANCOVA were run on the mean scores of the two groups on the pretest and posttest to determine whether the LTM of cooperative learning had any effect on the critical thinking ability of Iranian intermediate EFL students.
4. 3 The Results of the Paired Samples T-Test and Two-way ANCOVA The first research question of the study examined if there is any statistically significant difference between the effects of learning together model of cooperative learning compared to the non-cooperative learning method on the critical thinking ability of Iranian EFL learners at intermediate level.
The second research question of the study investigated if there is any statistically significant difference between the effects of learning together model of cooperative learning and non-cooperative learning method on the high and low achievers in the experimental group and their counterparts in the control group in terms of their critical thinking ability.