A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Center for Research on the Education of Disadvantaged Students (CDS)

Project #7125: Cooperative Learning and American Indians

Project Description: Cooperative Learning and American Indians compares the effects of cooperative learning strategies (STAD and Team Assisted Individualization) vs. traditional instructional methods on the learning of students from the Navajo Indian tribe. The project conducted 3 years of work with the Kayenta and Tuba City reservation schools to implement cooperative learning and study the effects of the processes on students. This project has been completed.

Project Director: Slavin, Robert E.

Institution: Johns Hopkins University

List of Selected Publications

Statement of Finding(s): Cooperative learning processes were found to benefit the achievement of Navajo students.

Description of Finding(s): Two general conclusions drawn from the study are that the implementation of cooperative learning in reservation school classrooms was much more difficult than expected, but that successful implementation of the Team Accelerated Instruction mathematics program (a cooperative learning mathematics program), when accomplished, was able to improve achievement for Navajo students. The three-year field study finds that the use of cooperative learning instructional practices significantly improved the performance of third- and fourth-grade Navajo Indian students in learning math concepts, problem solving, and computation. In the implementation of effective programs to improve Indian students' education, the study emphasizes the importance of administrator and teacher orientation, the availability of continuous training and materials, and the development of an internal and external support system for teachers.

Are data from the study available? No

Project Director: Staskey, Paul J.

Institution: Northern Arizona University, Box 5774, Center for Excellence in Education, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

PHONE: (602) 567-7137

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