Integrating cooperative learning in the teaching of art and design in Botswana senior secondary schools

Abstract

As the world at large has risen to the shift from passive learning to active learning, the government of Botswana took it upon itself to adapt to this change. For years, education system in the country has been governed by metropolitan education system (especially British). Reforms in education have influenced change in many schools curricular locally and internationally, including teaching methodology. The government of Botswana then revised their policy in education in 1997 and adapted constructivist approaches where the role of the teacher changes to facilitator and guide. This policy is coupled with localised syllabi across board which pay attention to student- centred teaching and authentic learning. However implementation of this new policy has never materialised in schools thus impacted negatively on learning- teaching process. This study is intentioned to investigate how the student-centred and constructivist approaches, especially cooperative learning could improve learning teaching of Art and Design in Botswana senior secondary schools. The intention was to investigate the effectiveness of students’ learning when they work as a social team under the influence of cooperative learning. The focus was on students’ interactions and interdependence on members of a heterogeneous team. This study was conducted in one government school where participatory action research was used. The researcher co-taught the class with the teacher participant for seven weeks. Focus group interview of nine students and individual interviews of the members of the focus group were conducted at the end of the seven weeks period. The findings of the study show that students learn better when they have good relationships as group mates. This situation shows that from an early stage in education students should be made to realise that they belong together and can learn as a social group. Moreover, the study has revealed that affectionate and communication skills are very crucial to improvement of learning. It also uncovered that teachers come closer to students where participation of all is prevalent. In the process students are free to ask questions and go beyond what they could learn as individuals. However there was a challenge when some students dominate discussions while others took backseats. Teachers take regular visits to groups in effort to monitor such situations. The study concludes by arguing that teachers need to give students responsibility of their own learning. Teachers and school administrators should implement policies for better learning-teaching in Art and Design. Copyright