Cooperative Learning: An Intervention to Improving Reading Comprehension of Grade 5 and 6 Pupils of Tuburan Elementary School for SY 2016-2017

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Reading comprehension is very important to a pupil's ability to successfully engage in the reading text. And, it is the teacher's responsibility to ensure that the pupils must be effectively taught in different reading strategies to ensure correct understanding. Teachers are entitled to make an intervention. In this study, varied reading activities were given with help from their group or peer believed to encourage and develop reading comprehension.

METHODS

This research used the descriptive method. A Phil-IRI pretest was conducted to the grades V and VI during the first quarter of the school year. The result will be the basis of their development. A 60-day reading session was administered to them. The pupils who perform poorly in reading were paired or grouped to the pupils who performed well in reading. During the sessions, they can ask, correct and help their peers. They were assessed afterwards. The post-test was given to them using the same Phil-IRI passage of the pretest. Scores are being taken and the number of correct responses was compared using t-Test: Paired Two Sample for Means to find out if the difference is significant or not.

RESULTS

Based on the results, cooperative learning significantly increased the reading level of the pupils. Since the P value -5.405 is smaller than the alpha level (α = 0.05), the null hypothesis is rejected. This means that there is a significant difference between the mean scores of the pretest and the mean scores of the post-test. Cooperative learning makes pupils improve their relationship among their peers, learn and improve their academic performance level.

DISCUSSIONS

The results of the study reveal that cooperative learning has increased students' English reading skills when they are paired or grouped by their peers. Using cooperative learning as a method of teaching turned out to be a valuable tool to help students learn comprehension strategies while encouraging positive interactions among peers. The implementation of cooperative learning methods could improve the students' reading comprehension. Therefore, this study could be conducted with other groups. But this study needs more teachers' assistance since, at their young age, not all pupils are capable of understanding and interpreting certain contexts and ideas. As well as, there are certain pupils who really need special attention and remediation since their capacity for learning is not the same as normal children.