Acquiring Social Skills Through Cooperative Learning and Teacher-Directed Instruction

Abstract

We compared three procedures for teaching social skills with intermediate-age students with disabilities who also participated in cooperative learning groups. The first group received teacher-directed instruction of three socially validated skills: listening, problem solving, and negotiating. The second group received instruction of the same three skills but using a structured natural approach suggested in the cooperative learning literature (Kagan, 1992). The third group generated, defined, and discussed cooperative group rules, including the three skills taught in the other groups. Students in the teacher-directed instruction group Improved their skill performance during role-play situations on all three skills. Students In the structured natural approach achieved minimal gains during role-play situations. Students In the third group did not Improve their performance during role-play situations on any of the three skills.