Background/purpose: This study aimed to investigate the impact of pedagogical variation on student academic achievement in science among basic school students in Jordan. Specifically, it compared the Traditional Method (TM) and the Homogenous Groups Method (HGM) to address the need for improved teaching strategies that cater to students' learning…

Given the peculiarities of mobile computer-supported collaborative learning (MCSCL) environments, forming suitable groups in such learning environments represents a hard and time-consuming task. This is because many conditions related to mobile learners, devices, and environment should be considered. Unlike the existing solutions, the present…

In the present study, we were interested in the appraisal by teachers who have had experience with an individual form of differentiation of the efficiency of grouping learners into homogenous or heterogeneous groups. In the study, seven aspects were thus considered: (1) the learning performance and motivation of learners, (2) the learners'…

This paper reports the results of an experiment designed to investigate the effectiveness of different collaborative group formations (homogeneous vs. heterogeneous in terms of prior computer knowledge levels) for learning complex tasks in computer programming from the perspective of cognitive load theory. Web-based learning platform was used to…

The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of racial and gender diversity on group process and problem solving in an academic setting. The importance of this dynamic is its value in preparing students for the workplace. The supposition is if a group is homogeneous, commitment and performance is improved. Data for the study…

Several studies on cooperative learning suggest that cooperative learning make students develop more higher level reasoning, more frequent generation of new ideas and solutions, and greater transfer of what is learned within one situation to another. Cooperative learning also promotes academic achievement, increases retention, and vastly improves…

This article addresses six myths often used to oppose ability grouping of gifted students. These concern distinctions between tracking and ability grouping; ability grouping and elitism; discrimination against racial and minority groups; gifted students' supposed lack of special needs; the effectiveness of cooperative learning for all students;…

This article describes cooperative-learning models, discusses adaptation of cooperative learning for gifted students, and outlines an appropriate curriculum for gifted students. The paper concludes that activities that allow gifted students to share knowledge and improve interaction skills are appropriate for heterogeneous groups, whereas…

This article reviews the literature on cooperative learning and ability grouping for gifted students and concludes that grouping, in and of itself, does not affect achievement and that grouping decisions need to be based on educational choices according to students' individual needs. Schools are encouraged to provide both ability grouping and…

This paper addresses the controversy regarding the use of cooperative learning with gifted elementary students, by means of participant observation methodology. The study had three segments: (1) observation of fourth through sixth grade gifted students working in cooperative groups at a pullout site; (2) interviews with students to assess student…

Describes the effort of a middle-school teacher to incorporate heterogeneous grouping into her math class. One day per week, heterogeneously grouped math students worked in teams to solve and present solutions to different kinds of logic problems. Suggests that flexibility and freedom to be creative are the keys for incorporating new ideas into…

A study of 786 fourth-grade students (229 gifted and 557 nongifted) assessed the effects of both heterogeneous and homogeneous grouping in cooperative learning settings on the performance of gifted and nongifted students. Results found that gifted fourth-grade students experienced no adverse effects as a result of interacting with nongifted…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of both ability grouping and cooperative training on microcomputer learning at the upper elementary level using both drill and practice and tutorial software programs. A total of 263 grade 5 and 6 students participated in the study. Half of the group was trained on cooperative interpersonal…

Thirty sixth graders in accelerated mathematics classes were taught in cooperative-learning teams for 12 weeks. Students appeared to benefit academically, personally, and socially from the cooperative-learning strategies used to teach mathematics, cooperative-learning skills, effective communications, internal locus of control, and personal…

This study examined the effects of instructional control and aptitude composition on performance, interaction, and attitudes during a computer-based cooperative science lesson. A sample of 152 fifth and sixth grade students completed the instruction either under the learner control (LC) or the program control (PC) treatment. In the LC treatment,…