Die rol van koöperatiewe leer vir die bevordering van sosiale vaardighede in die grondslagfase

Abstract

This study was undertaken in an attempt to enhance the social skills of Foundation Phase, learners through the implementation of a cooperative teaching - and learning programme. The aims of the research were: to determine whether the Foundation Phase learners possess the necessary social skills; and the development and implementation of a cooperative teaching and learning programme to enhance the social skills of Foundation Phase learners. By means of a literature study the nature and importance of cooperative learning for social development was highlighted. Important social skills that Foundation Phase learners need to possess were also elucidated. An empirical study was conducted over a period of twelve weeks with 32 Foundation Phase learners, their parents and teacher. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were employed. For this study a single-group pre-test-post-test design was utilized. After completion of a pre-test by means of a questionnaire by the learners, their parents and teacher in order to determine the development of the social skills of the Foundation Phase learners, a cooperative teaching - and learning intervention programme that focused on the enhancement of the social skills was implemented by the researcher for a period of twelve weeks. After completion of the intervention programme a post-test was conducted with the same questionnaire that was utilised for the pre-test in order to determine whether the intervention programme improved the social skills or not. Supportive to the data obtained from the questionnaire a semi-structured interview was conducted with the teacher and focus group interviews were conducted with the learners to determine their perceptions regarding the improvement of the social skills by means of the co-operative teaching - and learning programme. Observation of how the learners handled the social skills during the implementation of the cooperative teaching - and learning programme, was undertaken by the researcher. The results proved that there is room for improving the social skills of the Foundation Phase learners and that cooperative learning possesses the latent potential to improve these skills. The study is concluded with recommendations for teachers on how to structure a learning environment to improve the social skills of Foundation Phase learners.