Collaborative learning and its impact over students who are from different culture backgrounds learning in primary education
Purpose of the paper:
In existing scenario, intensive advancement in the span of education has changed the patterns of classroom studies also. Nowadays the term ‘knowledge’ has become so globalized as limitation of borders has been mitigated for getting access of education at all the levels. Not only in high level education, but in primary education sector also, the impact of globalization can be seen widely. People are urging to send their children to cross boarder for having primary level education also. However, in this globalized environment, there are several issues related with cross cultural education related environment. In order to address these issues, a number of different and effective measures have started to be used, which are directed to accomplish the purpose of imparting education and conceptual knowledge to students from different cultural background, in the class room (De Vita 2001). In direction to this, this literature review has directed to shed some crucial light over one of the measures, i.e. collaborative learning, which is frequently used within classroom settings. The primary purpose of this literature review is to highlight some crucial theoretical underpinning in relation to the disposition of collaborative teaching and learning style and its effectiveness in imparting learning and primary education to students who are from different culture backgrounds.
Concept of collaborative learning and its Effectiveness for the student from different cultural background
Explaining the concept collaborative learning (Bulut 2010) have explained that in contrast to individual learning, collaborative learning is the collective efforts of the teacher and all the students of the class to attain particular knowledge and understanding regarding a concept. As per the views of the authors, collaborative learning is an important strategy of pedagogy which came into existence in late 1980s. The collaborative learning prompts the school management and teachers to shatter the conventional teacher-centered classroom approach. In line to this, this learning also supports to divide the class within different small groups or functional teams. Within such teams some intensive intention regarding collaboration and co-operation is impart through regular and effective interaction with faculties. The collaborative learning is directed to induce better and effective mutual co-operation among different students of a group. The author has also highlighted that teachers also promote collaborative learning within the classroom as this type of learning also helps in the generation of different team work related qualities such as team spirit, team harmony, cultural compatibility, and mutual co-ordination, within the student. In the context of cross cultural learning, these all the qualities are quite effective for a student, who is quite new in a different cultural environment.
In the context of collaborative learning, Chen, Hsu, Caropreso (2006) have stated that for the collaborative learning is a mode of imparting education in which, group study and collaborative efforts from the side of students are promoted in place of individual studies. The authors have promoted the concept of collaborative learning from the perspective comprehensive learning and understandings of students, collaborative learning style is one of the most suitable learning styles as it allows the sharing and collaboration of a pool of versatile knowledge. In the views of the author, the collaborative learning since from the starting of the education of the student imparts some collaborative skills which also lead to high level and effective team spirit in them. The author has also highlighted that in the context of cross cultural studies; role of collaborative learning is quite higher as it helps in blending of different cultures values and norms within a particular class room blending in the most effective manner. This makes the study easier and more productive for the student. As per the research undertaken by the researcher, a collaborative environment within the primary schools leads to enhance the compatibility of the students with different cultures and learning styles, which can be proved quite effective for the students in his learning and sustainability in globalized environment in existing period of time.
In the support of this point, Wong (2004) has also acknowledged some positive implication of collaborative learning. As per the author, in existing highly globalized environment societal collaboration have been enhanced up to a significant level. Span and comprehensiveness of educational sector have been enhanced up to a significant level. In such environment it has become quite essential for school management and teachers to undertake some effective and comprehensive means of imparting education to students. Owing to this reason, collaborative learning is one of the major instruments available for teachers and school management. In context to this, the author has also indicated towards concept of collective studies. As per this concept, in the case of primary school students, group and celebrative studies is quite helpful and effective measures as it makes the studies less complex and more effective for them. Through this measure of imparting education, a teacher can make studies a group and fun activities, which is quite effective in the case of primary and playgroup students.
Along with this, Schadewitz (2009) has also elaborated that in the case of primary school student, it is their surrounding environment, which plays an important role in cognitive thinking and learning skills. For students who are from different culture backgrounds, sometimes it become quite hard to have a competent and effective environment for studies in which they can be able to enhance their overall compatibility with different cultural backgrounds. The author suggested collaborative learning as the most competent measures for the purpose of developing co-operation and compatibility within students from different backgrounds. In direction to this, collaborative learning allows students to reduce their hesitance and incompatibility with a different culture (Schadewitz 2009).
In such type of learning, the student, who belongs to a different culture, can also express his thoughts and point of views quite effectively within a particular group. From the perspective of development of overall personality of the student, avoidance of hesitancy and openness in thoughts is quite necessary. In this way with the help of the different experiment done within the research work, the researcher has proved that collaborative learning is one of the most crucial and effective measures available for teachers and school management through which they can impart some effective learning related to primary education to a cross cultured students (Schadewitz 2009).
In addition to the advantages of the usage of collaborative learning, the literature review is also directed to investigate some critical challenges implied in using strategy of pedagogy within a classroom setting in the most effective manner. The first and foremost challenge associated with this measure is effectively explained by (Akella 2012). In the views of the author, collaborative learning emphasizes upon effective communication and co-operation within a group. In the case of students, who have come from different cultures and backgrounds, language differences is the most frequently confronted issue. In the context of primary school education this problem becomes quite prominent as the understanding of non-native or a common language remains quite low for students at this level. Owing to this linguistic barrier, the desired level of communication within the group is not quite possible, which restricts the span of the application of the collaborative learning within a common classroom setting.
Explaining the problem further Higgins (2008) has stated that cross cultural environment within classroom is quite hard to be handled for the teacher as the chance of conflicts enhances within the case of cross cultural participants. Maintaining collaboration within primary school students, who are quite not enough grown up for understanding and responding against cross cultural differences, is not an easy but an essential task. In the views of the author, the span of thinking and point of views of student at this level is quite limited. Owing to this reason, students take their time to be settled down according to changed condition. During this phase, the collaborative learning sometimes leads the morale and inner motivation of the student down towards studies. In addition to this, Egege and Kutieleh (2004) have also stated that different conflicts and communication problems can also be served as some other negative consequences of collaborative learning for a foreign student. The author proposes that in such conditions, the school management and teacher needs to pay some individual attention over every student at primary level. In this way, the author as specified the negative role of collaborative learning in the teaching cross cultured students in primary standard.
In order to explain the motivation behind the adoption of collaborative learning within a classroom setting Zhu, Valcke and Schellens (2010) has indicated towards constructive approach of learning. As per the researchers, in order to reinforce the building of intensive knowledge and understanding about the subject, it is quite crucial to establish learning process as a constructive activity. The approach states that instead of adopting traditional learning style in which, the only focus is given on the accumulation of knowledge, student should try to construct is own knowledge base through an internal representation of knowledge, and a rational interpretation of experience. The sharing of personal skills and experience not only makes the study practical but it also helps the student in refining his own interpersonal skills. The authors have also stated further that a collaborative learning environment is quite essential for promoting such kind of sharing of thoughts and experiences.
Economides (2008) has also put some significant amount of attention over measures for reducing cultural differences within the students. As per the author, collaborative learning is the most suitable method in well diversified and globalized educational scenario. In the views of the author, collaborative learning put emphasis over achievement of a common goal through collaborative efforts from the side of student, which can be proved quite effective in mitigating cross cultural issues in education. In the views of the author, traditional collaborative learning can also be proved failed in conditions of cultural diversification due to differences in language, working styles, and social norms considered by different students. In such conditions, the author has elaborated the usage of culture aware computer-supported collaborative learning system in the existing classroom setting at primary level. As the form of verbal mode of teaching is not successful in culturally diversified classroom setting because of language differentiation, different other mode of interactions such as usage of different media like text, audio, and visual aids, signs and symbols (e.g. facial expressions), photos, and video can also be taken into account. These all the methods are quite useful in delivering high level of collaborative learning within classroom effectively.
In this way, on the basis of overall review of different literatures, it can be considered that there are a number of different advantages of adopting collaborative learning style within classroom settings for teaching cross cultural students. Although, there are a number of different issues in this measures of study, yet still span and intensity of collaborative learning style is quite elaborated.
Implication of the research work:
The research work provides some crucial information regarding the usage of innovative tool and technique, i.e. collaborative learning strategies for imparting effective and efficient education and knowledge to students, who have come from different culture. This research work has also elaborated some of the crucial benefits of collaborative learning styles in classroom settings. This information can be served as an intensive motivation for the schools that are still undertaking conventional teacher centric classroom settings for teaching students. In line to this, different benefits of this innovative measure over traditional patterns of classroom prompt teachers as well as school management to undertake decisions to upgrade their existing teaching patterns.
Suggestion for future research work
Although the literature review method used within the research work, has been proved quite effective in availing some important and effective information regarding viability and effectiveness of collaborative learning and teaching style, yet the results of the research process can be made more effective by using some practical and quantitative data. In concern to this, the usage of primary methods of data collection such as survey through questionnaire, and interview method is being suggested to the researcher for undertaking a similar type of research work in future.
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