PEER COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES

Shiuli Arshad
Fall 2013
Action Research Project
Brooklyn College
Childhood Education, Masters of Science
Ed. 7202T Seminar in Applied Theory and Research
Dr. Sharon O’Connor-Petruso

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PEER COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES

Table of Contents

Abstract pg. 3

Introduction pg. 3-4

Statement of the Problem pg. 4
Review of Related Literature pg. 4-14
Statement of the Hypothesis pg. 8

Methodology pg. 9-10

Participant’s pg. 15
Instruments pg.15
Experimental Design pg. 15
Procedure pg. 15-16

Results pg. 17-19

Discussion and Implications pg. 19

References pg. 20

Appendices
Appendix A - Parent Consent Form pg. 24
Appendix B - Head of School Consent Form pg. 25
Appendix C – Surveys pg. 26-30

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PEER COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES

Abstract
This action research examines how student’s comprehension level increases in social studies

through peer collaborative learning. Students participating in group work throughout this study

will have a greater outlook on social studies as well as have a better understanding of the

contents because of their collaboration. The group design consisted of fifteen 4th grade

struggling students in Social Studies. All of whom are from different demographics. The design

includes a pretest and posttest. Students were also given a pre and post survey to determine their

attitudes towards social studies and peer collaboration before the intervention and after the

intervention. The treatment was administered twice a week for 6 weeks where students

collaborated with their peers through conversations, debates and group work. The results showed

an improvement on students reasoning and understanding of social studies content after the

intervention.

Introduction
These days Social Studies subjects are given less importance in schools because other subjects

such as math and science are being given greater preference and are being more emphasized due

to medical and technology advances. Due to the decrease in Social Studies in the classroom

students are less motivated in learning about Social studies and therefore do not comprehend

what is being taught. This research will help these struggling 4th graders by incorporating a

different method of learning, one that is not so often used in the elementary level. These students

are often times just listening or taking notes during Social Studies lessons and may not get the

opportunity to communicate with their peers to share ideas or opinions. By peer collaboration

these students will be able to interact with each other through conversations and debates. By

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PEER COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES

allowing the individuals to openly share their opinions students will be more likely to be

motivated in the lesson and gain a better understanding of it through their peers.

Statement of the Problem

Social Studies have been a topic that students are least likely to discuss with their peers because

the topic may not be interesting enough or that they do not understand the materials. This subject

is usually taught in the traditional way where teachers give the information but students are not

understanding or retaining any information. Students need to be taught in a way that they are

able to relate to the materials they are learning, interact and collaborate not only with the teacher

but their peers in order to gain a better understanding of the content.

Review of Literature
Integrating Peer Collaboration to Improve Social Studies Comprehension

In the article “The What, Why, and How of Cooperative Learning” Manning, M.L and

Lucking, R. discuss the importance behind cooperative learning even before it was a method that

was being implemented in the school systems. They explain that this method is highly effective

and one that will be increasingly used in the 21st century classrooms. Traditionally the method of

learning was students receiving individual academic grades which showed that it created

“competitiveness” and “hostility among learners” in the classrooms. This would be accurate

since it is a learning method students are initially familiar with where the teacher asks a question

and the students answer. The reward which is being approved and praised by the teacher who is

in fact doing most of the talking; a method which we call as teacher centered. Cooperative

learning method however, is increasingly being researched and should be seen more frequently

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PEER COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES

now in the 21st century. “Research has shown that classroom learning improves significantly

when students participate in learning activities with small groups of peers” (Brown, A. &

Palincsar, A. 1989).

Manning and Lucking defines cooperative learning process “as a set of alternatives to

traditional instruction systems, or, more specifically, techniques in which students work in

heterogeneous groups of four to six members and earn recognition, rewards, and sometimes

grades based on the academic performance of their groups”( Manning, M.L and Lucking, R

1991). Although they mention four to six students at a time it feel is not necessary to still use the

cooperative method learning. Students can still collaborate with just two members as long as

they are engaged and are gaining something from one another. Collaborate learning is also

defined a “versatile procedure and can be used for a variety of

purposes. Cooperative learning groups may be used to teach specific content (formal cooperative

learning groups), to ensure active cognitive processing of information during a lecture or

demonstration (informal cooperative learning groups), and to provide long-term support and

assistance for academic progress” (Johnson D.W. & Johnson R.T. 1999).

In the 21st century collaborate learning is what we need in the classrooms. “Research has

shown that students benefit academically and socially from cooperative, small-group learning.

Academic benefits include higher attainments in reading comprehension and mathematics and

enhanced conceptual understanding and achievement in science” (Gilles, R. 2002). This method

increases the individual student’s knowledge and awareness of other students around them. It

creates a setting where students are less worried about competition and more focused on

cooperatively learning from one another. “The Collaborative Learning Skills shows that the

conversation skills which are key to collaborative learning and problem solving, based on our

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PEER COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES

study”. (Soller, A. 1997). This form of teaching allows students a certain kind of freedom to be

able to talk to their group members about the topic and engage in a conversation where they are

applying their existing knowledge as well as retaining information from their peers. The teacher

in this situation will only be the facilitator and guide the students through this process.

Another study suggests that cooperative learning needs positive interdependence.

“Positive interdependence is successfully structured when group members understand

that they are linked together for a common cause. One cannot succeed without the others.

Each student must commit to the success of the other group members as well as his or her

own. This commitment is at the heart of cooperative learning” (Winston Vaughan 2002).

The author argues that without it there is not true cooperative learning.

The use of cooperative learning has expanded over the years. “The popularity of cooperative

learning can be attributed, in large part, to a sizable body of research demonstrating that the

effects of this strategy on students academic achievement and social development often exceed

those of other instructional strategies” (Battistich, V., Solomon, D., & Delucchi, K. L. 1993).

Cooperative learning is also necessary to implement into the classroom in order to

achieve motivation and bring out significant changes in students learning.  In “Cooperative

Learning and Peer Orientation Effects on Motivation and Achievements” ( Hancock 2004)

explains that cooperative learning where students work together to achieve a goal is an effective

instructional method.  In his research he found that “cooperative-learning groups performed

significantly higher than did control groups in 29 classrooms and no differently in 15 classrooms.

Control groups outperformed cooperative-learning classrooms in only 2 classrooms” (Hancock,

2004).  Many of his evidence also “suggests that students who prefer to work collaboratively

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PEER COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES

respond favorably to cooperative-learning environments”(2004).  In another study he found “that

elementary and secondary school students who prefer to work collaboratively perform well in

cooperative-learning settings”(Hancock, 2004). Collaborative learning also helps students

cognitively. “This perspective suggests that elaboration processes, such as the rephrasing of

information, the integration within existing prior knowledge and the enrichment with examples,

were major mediators of learning in cooperative settings” (Souvignier, E., & Kronenberger, J.

(2007).

“An individual’s learning achievement in a team can often be determined by the quality

of his communication in the group discussions”(Jarboe, S. 1996). Many theorists have

developed theories to understand how a child is motivated and maintains motivation during

instruction. Jean Piaget, a psychologist, developed the theory of cognitive development which

states there are four stages of cognitive development that shape the child’s perception of

themselves and the world (Biehler and Snowman, 1997). He believed that each child/student

travel through these stages of development through their processing of their social environment,

interactions with others, and their experiences. Piaget believed cognitive development can be

translated in the classroom in order to understand the importance of the child-centered approach

with emphasis on more children interaction. . “In periods of successful collaborative activity,

students’ conversational turns build upon each other and the content contributes to the joint

problem solving activity” (Teasley, S. & Roschelle, J. 1993).

How can educators implement cooperative learning in Social Studies today?

“Cooperative learning is a powerful tool for history teachers in today’s classrooms.

Almost every history teacher uses cooperative learning techniques such as 'think-pair-share' or

'word webbing' and various issues of Teaching History showcase examples of cooperative

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PEER COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES

learning tasks” ( Haenen, J, & Tuithof, H 2008). In Social Studies cooperative learning gives

students the opportunity to discuss about a wide range of topics unlike other subjects. They are

able to talk about historical events, people, and current events and so on. By allowing students to

collaborate and use the materials in a way to make it relatable to students lives will help them to

have a better outlook on social studies as well as improve their understanding of the concepts.

History has proven to make a point in the significance of collaboration that has made

significant changes in people’s lives in the way they live their lives. For four hundred years

African Americans were kept as slaves and treated inhumanly. Even after they were

emancipated African Americans were still marginalized and treated with inequality. This went

on for years and time after time many great individuals have risen up and collaborated with

others to fight for their equality. In “Desegregating Downtown Little Rock: The Field Reports of

SNCC's Bill Hansen” we learn of Bill Hansen who is a worker from the Student Nonviolent

Coordinating Committee (SNCC) that comes to Little Rock in Arkansas to make striking

changes where it leaves a lasting impact on the city. In over a month Hansen coordinated sit-in

protests at downtown department-store lunch counters which forced business leaders to accept

that it was time to end segregation in the city. “In concert with others from both outside and

within the state, he worked toward ending the numerous forms of racial discrimination

encountered by African Americans” (Riva, 2012). This man would not have been able to make

much of a difference if he others had not cooperated and collaborated with him to make these

changes.

African American civil rights student protest has been one of the most prevalent event’s

that happened throughout the decades. It is one of the most important things the people still

remember and cherish till this day. Knowing that students, the youths of that generation raised

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PEER COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES

awareness of what was going on around the time inspired generations ahead. When we think of

collaborations we can think of the youths of the civil rights movement that came together and

joined forces to destroy the barriers that were once built to deny African Americans their civil

rights. According to the article “Generations Units and the students Protest Movement in the

United States: An Intra-and Intergenerational Analysis[ CITATION MKe02 \l 1033 ] points out that

“The student protest movement would leave its youthful participants and bystanders

unmarked as they traverse the life cycle. If experiences during the formative years are to

have long-term consequences, the protest era should serve as a textbook example”

(2002).

Why is there current interest in collaborative learning in Social studies?

Educators need to teach Social Studies in the current time with the goal to accomplish

something.  Not only should they be giving student the information but the students should be

leaving the classroom with some kind of knowledge that they were able to relate to.  The

information should be given with a purpose so students can comprehend and know how it might

affect them. In “Teaching Prospective Social Studies Teachers To Use Issue-Based Discussions

in Their Secondary Social Studies Classroom” the author suggests great reasons why teachers

should teach this way, a method which can also be implemented in the elementary level. She

states that “a fundamental belief within the educational field of Social Studies is the educational

of thoughtful and active citizens and that an essential teaching method for accomplishing this

goal is issue-based discussion” (Crowe, 2003). In the elementary level the content are much

simpler than secondary level yet the concept that every student needs to become an active citizen

should be emphasized in schools.  The issue that arises with the teaching and learning of Social

Studies is that “students have been primarily exposed to the recitation form of discussion in

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PEER COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES

schools that required them to recall and review basic knowledge and concepts” (Crowe, 2003).

Through reflective discussions, formulating questions, evaluating questions and opinions

students are able to achieve a higher level or learning.   This is especially successful when

students are working collaboratively with their peers and teachers for affective learning.

Researchers have done many experiments on collaborative learning and found that there

are many approaches to this method and can be strategized to use in a variety of subjects.

Question is key to engaging students into discussions as well learning in a collaborate group.

that for them what worked was questioning the texts whether they were using and English book

or doing history. The teacher provided the class with thoughtful question which “encourages

students to use basic elements of narration such as setting, characterization, point of view, plot,

theme, and language as analytic tools” (Oitzinger, J.H., & Kallgren, D.C. 2004). All of these

strategies can be implemented during Social Studies while students work in groups.

Another study explains that cooperative learning is not all about the teachers. The author

“argues that a teacher facing an off-task group should ask brief questions or make a few

comments and then walk away, so that students have the opportunity to discuss the task

on their own. Questions engage an audience more that statements do and are less

intrusive than commands, which involve demands on audience members to engage in

specific actions” (Chiu, 2004).

This reinforces what group work should represent when students are working together. The

teacher facilitates while the students engage in discussions that will enhance their understanding

of the content through their peers. This is especially important to start in the early years of

education with students in elementary so they can build on it as they get older. “Students

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PEER COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES

working in the cooperative structure appeared to gain the most from using a strategy called

‘discuss’ what I do not understand”, further evidence that they were able to analyze their

thinking process, could seek and give help and profit from peer feedback and suggestions”

(Vermette, P. Harper, L. & Dimillol, S. 2004).

During Social Studies teachers need to also be aware of student background and make the

materials relatable to them. “Life experiences of urban students rarely match the lives of persons

presented within history textbooks. Rarely is revisionist history—defined in this study as the

voices or experiences of marginalized groups—included in the narratives of history textbooks,

except perhaps as sidebars” (Robinson, C. 2007). Hardly students read a material and feel they

understand it because they are not able to comprehend how it can relate to them or if it will be

useful to them.

Another way teachers can promote group processing is by evaluating students’ individual

and group performance, and providing them with feedback. Students should receive individual

evaluations in private, along with suggestions for improving their individual performance. The

team should receive a group evaluation in public, along with suggestions for improving group

performance. The purpose of providing a group evaluation is to inspire the students to openly

discuss their effectiveness while they are learning and determine how to improve their

performance. This introspective discussion may also be provoked by allowing the students to

collaboratively view and make comments on their student and group models (. Bull, S. & Broady,

E. 1997).

Opposing Sides of Cooperative Learning

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PEER COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES

Although cooperative learning is a great method that is being noticed and used more

often many do have opposing views about it. These days all teachers and educators might agree

that cooperative learning is the best method to teach a student. Aside from the fact that many

teachers believe that group learning takes more time out of each lesson some believe students

learn better individually while others agree with collaborative learning. In the article

“Overcoming Collaborative Inhibition through Error Correction: A Classroom” research in

classrooms showed difference in collaborative learning based on a mix of evidence when

compared with individual learning. Laboratory research showed that working in groups or dyads

usually perform worse than individuals working alone. These finding was called collaborative

inhibition effect.

We often hear the words “two heads are better than one”. It is always better to have two

people doing the work then just one person. Gadgil and Nokes-Malach explain that the notion of

collaborative learning is widespread in the workforce and school setting. In school

collaboration is often used as an instructional technique to promote student performance and

learning. “Instructors believe that encouraging students to learn in groups will lead to better

retention understanding of materials and improve student motivation” (Gadgil and Nokes-

Malach, 2012). This makes sense since students are more likely to be motivated when they are

working with their peers. They are more likely to ask their peers if they do not understand

something then they are to ask a teacher. As they collaborate in their work they are teaching

each other as well as learning and understanding the materials.

However, research also shows that there may be a negative side to collaboration in the

classroom which explains the cognitive factors that underline collaborate inhibition. According

to the authors research based on a group collaboration, the individual collaborators contribution

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can be disrupted or interfere with another collaborators by reducing their retrieval process, which

in the end causes harm in the performance of the group. Research shows another explanation of

collaborative inhibition called “production blocking which is when a group member’s verbal

contribution or ‘production’ momentarily delays or ‘blocks’ another group member from talking

because it is impractical and socially impolite for multiple people to talk simultaneously”

(Gadgil and Nokes-Malach, 2012).

A mixed result in studies also show that students working in groups are at a more

efficiency advantage compared to students working individually because collaborative learning

requires less time and fewer instructional resources. The studies also showed those working in

groups outperform those working individually. In other cases some groups found that they

perform the same as the individuals or sometimes worse. In the collaborative inhibition is

observed when comparing the performance of collaborators with the performance of a nominal

group. So for example, in a “word recall task in which participants study a list of 10 words

(items a-j) and are asked to recall it later, either individually or collaboratively in dyads. If a

collaborating dyad recalls seven items. (a,b,c,d,e,f, and g) and the two individuals independently

recall the following: individual 1 recalls five items (a,b,e,g and h) and individual 2 recalls five

items (c,d,e,f, and i) the total number of unique items recalled by the two individuals, that is, by

nominal dyad is nine (a,b,c,d, e, f, g, h, and i). This shows that the collaborating group performed

better than the average individual (7 vs. 9) but worse than the nominal group, pooled

performance was (7 vs. 9) (Gadgil, Nokes-Malach 2012). In this example this shows that

individuals do not perform their best when they are working collaboratively. So the authors

suggest that when instruction is taking place although it may seem that the group is performing

better than the average individual, individual performance and learning may suffer because of the

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group work (2012). However, research shows that there are greater use of collaborative teaching

method in the classroom especially during Social Studies that can positively effects students’

progress. Researchers “point out that future research on effects and processes of cooperative

learning in younger students should be expanded” Zakaria, E., & Iksan, Z. (2006).

Statement of the Hypothesis

th
Integrating peer collaboration during Social Studies lesson of 15 students in the 4 grade

classroom for six weeks, two times a week, will motivate and improve student comprehension in

Social Studies.

Methodology

Participants: Students were chosen from a 4th grade classroom from P.S 151 Public School. They

were not randomly chosen but were a mixed of boys and girls. Ps.151 The Mary D. Carter

School is an elementary school with 533 students from pre-kindergarten through grade 5 The

school population comprises 13% Black, 52% Hispanic, 14% White, 19 % Asian and 2% other

students. The student body includes 18% English language learners and 15 % special education n

students. Boys account for54% of the students enrolled and girls account for 46%. The average

attendance rate for the school year 2011 2012 was 93.0%.

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Instruments
1. Surveys- Pre and post survey given to determine student’s attitudes and feelings towards

Social Studies and collaborating with their peers.

2. Tests- A pre and posttest was given to students to evaluate their comprehension before

the intervention and after the intervention period.

Experimental Design

This action research project is a hypothetical, pre-experimental and one-group pretest-posttest

design. The pretest instrument serves as (O). The single group is exposed to the treatment which

is the (X) and then given a post test (O) pretests and posttests are the same. This supports the

Symbolic Design OXO. This single treatment group (X) consists of 15 students from the 4th

grade regular class none of whom have been randomly selected.

Threat to Internal Validity

History is a valid threat internal because I am not in control of unexpected events that can

possibly occur during the intervention. Threats such as fire drills, bad weather, students being

absent, a fight in school, student getting sick, emotional distress etc. can all influence the

variable.

Maturation can be a valid internal threat to my research. Since my study will be done in six

weeks which is a short a short period of time there may be some minor threats here because some

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PEER COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES

students may not be engaged and can lose interest quickly which can affect how and what they

learned while other students may be more engaged working in a cooperative groups.

Mortality was a valid threat to my research. If a student in my research study were to be pulled

out of the school or if they were absent for the duration of the intervention then that could have

impacted the outcome of the research and the results I accumulate.

Threats to External Validity

Multiple treatments were not a threat to my research. During the duration of my research I used

the same treatment for all the participants. All the students were given two treatments; a pretest

and a post test. The pretest was before the intervention took place and then they took a posttest

after the intervention to test their knowledge.

The experimental effect can be a threat because if the research has any personal bias then it will

affect how the results turn up. The researcher needs to be aware of any bias when doing the

treatments.

The hawthorn effect can create a possible threat because some students may try to what they

think is the “teacher correct answer” if they see the researcher observing them.

Procedure

My research was conducted for six weeks and I visited the fourth grade class twice a

week for Social Studies lessons. This was a small group of fifteen students. I had first given them

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PEER COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES

a short survey to understand their feelings and attitudes towards social studies and group work. I

also gave them a pretest to determine what they know about Civil Rights Movement.

After I understood how students felt about these topics I began to work with them by

placing students into groups. During the six weeks I rotated students so they were able to work

in different groups so they could get an idea what it was like to work with different people.

During the two days I saw the students we worked in groups where I gave students

historical articles, and topics for them to read and discuss. During this time I encouraged

students to ask a lot of questions not just to me but to their peers that they were working with. I

wanted them to listen to their peers opinions and answers and be able to come up with answers.

Whether they were debating or arguing over and answer it was encouraged in the session. The

materials I provided to them were on students during the Civil Rights Movement and the

contribution they made to what we know now as our Civil Rights. I wanted my students to know

that even know these were students from a long time ago they can still relate to them now.

After the intervention I gave students a posttest to again determine what they learned and

if they understood the content of what they were taught. Students were also given a post survey

to see if their attitudes and feelings changed towards social studies and group work.

Results

Measuring Success, Methods and Findings

The data here measures the correlation between the pre and post survey question. This indicates

that there is a positive correlation of 0.4 which is a weak relationship between the student’s pre

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survey question in “liking Social Studies” and their post survey question of “doing well in Social

Studies”.

DATA ANALYSIS & CORRELATION

Figure A
Students X Pre Y Post
Survey Survey
1 3 4
Preference vs. Views on Performancen in Social Studies
4.5
2 2 3
Y Axis I like Social Studies 4
3 2 3 3.5
3
3 3 4 2.5 Y-Post
4 2 2 2 Linear (Y-Post)
1.5
5 2 3 1
6 1 2 0.5
0
7 4 3 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5
8 2 3
9 2 4
10 3 3 Positive correlation scatter plot line of best fit rxy 0.4
11 1 1
12 3 2
13 4 3
15 2 3

The bar graph shows both the pre and post survey results of students. Many students believed

they do well in social studies before the intervention. However, that is not the case since they

did not do so well on their pretest. After the intervention their post survey results showed a

higher percentage of students like Social Studies. Many of those students that had said they do

well in Social studies actually stated they liked social studies less.

Likart Scale: [Link] Disagree 2. Disagree 3. Agree 4. Strongly Agree

Students X Pre Y Post

Pre & post Survey
Social Studies

18
4
3.5
3
2.5
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PEER COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES

Survey Survey
1 3 4
2 2 3
3 2 3
3 3 4
4 2 2
5 2 3
6 1 2
7 4 3
8 2 3
9 2 4
10 3 3
11 1 1
12 3 2
13 4 3
15 2 3

Discussion/ Implication

Learning effective collaboration skills is essential to successfully learning course material with

peers. These skills are often not essential; however they can be learned through practice and

support during structured group learning activities. The cooperative/ collaborative method is a

recommendation for helping students acquire effective collaborative learning skills. The method

describes the characteristics shown by effective learning teams, participation, social grounding,

performance analysis and group processing, application of collaborative learning conversation

skills, and promotes interaction. However, working in collaborate groups can create some

difficulties if the teacher doesn’t strategies. One needs to understand the students and create a

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plan to motivate the students to work collaboratively

Reference

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Teasley, S. & Roschelle, J. (1993). Constructing a joint problem space. In S. Lajoie & S. Derry (Eds.),

Computers as cognitive tools (pp. 229-257). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum

Vaughn, W. (2002). Effects of cooperative learning on achievement and attitude among

students of color. The Journal of Educational Research, 95 (6), 359-364

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Vermetter, P., Harper, L, & DiMillo, S (2004). Cooperative & Collaborative Learning With 4-8
year Olds: How Does Research Support Teachers’ Practice? Journal of Instructional
Psychology, 31(2) 130-134.

Zakaria, E., & Iksan, Z. (2006). Promoting cooperative learning in science and
mathematics education: A Malaysian perspective. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics,
Science, & Technology Education, 3(1).

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PEER COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES

APPENDIX A:

Parent Consent Form

Dear Parent/ Guardian,

I am a graduate level student pursuing my master’s degree in Childhood Education (1-6) at

Brooklyn College and I am currently working on an action research project. I am requesting your
permission for your child in his/her class to participate in the project over the next 6 weeks. The
focus of my action research project will be examining the effects of cooperative learning group
learning in Social Studies to improve student comprehension. During the course of six weeks, I
will be asking your child to participate in questionnaires, surveys, interviews, and Social Studies
tests.

Please sign the consent below for your child to or not to participate in the project in their
classroom. Please return the completed form to the student’s teacher. Please note that your
child’s identity and school will remain confidential. Thank you in advance for your cooperation
and participation in the project.

Sincerely,
Shiuli Arshad

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am granting for my child to participate in the action research study. I am aware that my child’s
identity will remain confidential.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am not allowing my child to participate in the action research study. I am aware that my child’s
identity will remain confidential.

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PEER COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES

-----------------------------------------------
Date

APPENDIX B:

School Consent Form

Dear School Administrator:

I am a graduate level student at Brooklyn College, pursuing a master’s degree in Childhood

Education (grade 1-6). I am currently working on an action research project focusing on the
effects of effects of cooperative learning group learning in Social Studies to improve student
comprehension . I am requesting your permission to conduct my study in a 4rd grade classroom at
your school over 6-8 weeks.

During the course of the 6-8 weeks, I will be asking the class to participate in questionnaires,
demographic surveys, interviews, and math exams.
Please note that all names will remain confidential and all data collected will be used solely for
the purpose of this study. Thank you for your cooperation and participation.

Sincerely,

Shiuli Arshad

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PEER COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES

APPENDIX C

Part I Pre-Survey

Student Demographic Survey

Introduction
How do you feel about group work? Do you feel working with your peers help you to understand
Social Studies concept better? Or do you prefer to work individually and feel you learn better
that way? These are some of the questions that will be answered with this instrument.

Directions: Circle and write out each answer on the right hand side.

ANSWERS

1. Name:______________________

2. What is your age?

1) 7-8
2) 9-10
3) 11-12 2._______________

3. What is your gender?

1) Female
2) Male 3._______________

4. What is your primary language?

1) English
2) Arabic
3) Spanish
4) Bengali
5) Other___________________ 4.______________

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PEER COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES

5. Where were you born?

1) USA
2) South/Central America
3) Europe or Canada
4) Asia
5) Africa 5.______________

6. What Ethnic group are you?

1) Asian (Chinese, Japanese Korean, Indian, Bengali, Pakistani, Philippines, Hawaiian

etc.)
2) Caucasian/White
3) Hispanic
4) Black, Afro-American
5) Other______________________ 6._______________

PART II PRE & POST-SURVEY

Self-Attitude Rating Scale
Direction: For each question circle either (1) you strongly disagree (2) you disagree (3) you
agree or (4) you strongly agree and write it out on the right hand side.

ANSWERS

1. I like to work alone. 1.________________

(1) Strongly Disagree

(2) Disagree
(3) Agree
(4) Strongly Agree

2. I feel comfortable working with other students. 2.________________

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PEER COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES

(1) Strongly Disagree

(2) Disagree
(3) Agree
(4) Strongly Agree

3. I like social studies. 3.________________

(1) Strongly Disagree

(2) Disagree
(3) Agree
(4) Strongly Agree

4. I have difficulty understanding concepts from social studies. 4.________________

(1) Strongly Disagree

(2) Disagree
(3) Agree
(4) Strongly Agree

5. I understand more about Social Studies

when I work with my peers. 5.________________

(1) Strongly Disagree

(2) Disagree
(3) Agree
(4) Strongly Agree

6. I have a hard time expressing myself when 6.________________

I am working in a group.

(1) Strongly Disagree

(2) Disagree
(3) Agree
Strongly Agree

7. Social Studies can be a confusing subject. 7.________________

(1) Strongly Disagree

(2) Disagree
(3) Agree
(4) Strongly Agree

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PEER COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES

8. I like to express my opinions when I work in groups. 8.________________

(1) Strongly Disagree

(2) Disagree
(3) Agree
(4) Strongly Agree

9. I do not like the Social Studies textbook we use. 9.________________

(1) Strongly Disagree

(2) Disagree
(3) Agree
(4) Strongly Agree

10. I am interested in learning about Civil Rights. 10._______________

(1) Strongly Disagree

(2) Disagree
(3) Agree
(4) Strongly Agree

11. I do well in Social Studies. 11._______________

(1) Strongly Disagree

(2) Disagree
(3) Agree
(4) Strongly Agree

12. I don’t think learning about

Social Studies is important. 12._______________

(1) Strongly Disagree

(2) Disagree
(3) Agree
(4) Strongly Agree

13. I am afraid to work in groups

because I do not like to speak. 13._______________

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(1) Strongly Disagree

(2) Disagree
(3) Agree
(4) Strongly Agree

14. Learning about Civil Rights will help 14._______________

me to understand American history more.

(1) Strongly Disagree

(2) Disagree
(3) Agree
(4) Strongly Agree

15. I think I can learn a lot from my group members. 15._______________

(1) Strongly Disagree

(2) Disagree
(3) Agree
(4) Strongly Agree

16. The way I am being taught Social Studies is boring. 16._______________

(1) Strongly Disagree

(2) Disagree
(3) Agree
(4) Strongly Agree

17. When working in a group I prefer to be the leader. 17._______________

(1) Strongly Disagree

(2) Disagree
(3) Agree
(4) Strongly Agree

18. I like group work 18._______________

(1) Strongly Disagree
(2) Disagree
(3) Agree
(4) Strongly Agree

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PEER COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL STUDIES COMPREHENSION

31