Cooperative Learning Guide

Often used as a buzz word in education to describe a wide variety of learning activities, “cooperative learning” is defined as "…a teaching arrangement that refers to small, heterogeneous groups of students working together to achieve a common goal." (Kagan, 1994). These groups are designed for students to work together to learn, discover, and have shared responsibility for the group's learning.

Although these structures are beneficial for any subject area, cooperative learning in math can be a powerful way to provide a variety of learning opportunities for students. There are several different structures that teachers can employ when planning cooperative learning in math.