encouraging students to cooperate

Hi Jafar,

Here are some ideas:

• The teacher can encourage the students to work in groups.
• Some activities such as role plays, discussions en masse, negotiations, cooperative projects and the like can raise the students’ spirits to work in groups.
• The teacher should not compare the students with each other because, in fact, there is a world of difference between two people, even identical twins. If the students are compared and contrasted, they will develop competitive attitudes towards each other.
• Instead of a norm-referenced testing system, the students’ performance should be assessed on the basis of a criterion-referenced system of assessment.
• It is important to reduce the excessive level of stress in the classes. When the students find that they are not under the pressure of stress, they will volunteer to work in groups.
• Jigsaw activities are also quite beneficial. In jigsaw activities, each student plays a particular role in conjunction with the other students’ roles. If one fails to fulfill his role, it will be difficult for others to achieve their objectives. Consequently, it is absolutely essential for all of the students to work in harmony with others.
• The teacher should not be too judgmental and critical. The students who receive strong criticism may prefer to stay inactive in the fear of further criticism from the side of the teacher.