Long-term effectiveness of a statewide staff development program on cooperative learning

Abstract

One-hundred-fifty-eight educators who had participated in the first state-wide cooperative learning staff development training program in South Carolina were surveyed three years later to determine the level of their use of cooperative learning and the factors influencing the effectiveness of the training. The training was conducted during the 1990–1991 academic year and the survey was given in the spring of 1993. The factors investigated were the perceived quality of training, personal commitment to using cooperative learning, technical support for using cooperative learning, psychological support for using cooperative beaming, membership in a collegial teaching team focused on using cooperative learning, and demographic characteristics of the trainees. The respondents indicated on Likert type scales their agreement and disagreement to a series of statements. The results indicate that three years following their training (a) age, gender, and ethnic membership were not related to reported level of use of cooperative learning, (b) technical support and positive view of training were only slightly related, and (c) involvement in a colleagial teaching team, personal encouragement and support for using cooperative learning (from colleagues, administrators, and students), and personal commitment to cooperative learning were important influences on the long-term level of use. A regression analysis, however, found that the only statistically significant predictor of degree of long-term implementation was membership in a colleagial teaching team.