Effect of Cooperative learning strategies on students’ achieve ment in biology at secondary level and its role to address gender issues

The study examined the effect of two types of cooperative learning strategies (CLSs) including structured CLS [Students’ Team Achievement Division (STAD)] and informal CLS on the achievement of biology subject among secondary school students with respect to their gender. The researcher adopted the pretest–post-test experimental design to perform two separate experiments. A total of 63 students of class IX participated in the first experiment and, in the second experiment, 62 students were participated. An instrument, Biology Achievement Test, developed by a researcher comprising of 100 items, was used. Its reliability coefficient was calculated by using K20 method and Cronbach reliability formula, in which the values were found to be 0.67 and 0.83, respectively. The results revealed that both the structured and informal types of cooperative learning instructional strategies enhance students’ achievement in biology. The study shows that structured CLS (STAD) as well as informal CLS had no significant effect on students’ achievement in relation to their gender, although in both cases, the female students achieved more than their male counterpart. Thus, an implementation of CLS has a step to realize gender equity in the science classroom.

Keywords: Achievement; cooperative learning; gender stereotype; Students’ team achievement division