FTCE Professional Education Practice Exam

What strategy involves students working together in small groups to assist each other?

1. Cooperative learning

2. Collaborative learning

3. Individual learning

4. Peer tutoring

The correct answer is: Cooperative learning

The strategy involving students working together in small groups to assist each other is known as cooperative learning. This approach emphasizes student collaboration where individuals within a group take on specific roles and responsibilities to accomplish a common goal. Cooperative learning environments foster social interaction, enhance communication skills, and promote a sense of belonging among students. The structure of cooperative learning allows students to support and rely on each other’s strengths, leading to collective understanding and mastery of content. In contrast, while collaborative learning also involves students working together, it typically focuses more on the process of working together to construct knowledge, sometimes leading to group ownership of the learning process rather than the specific roles found in cooperative learning. Individual learning refers to students working independently, and peer tutoring involves one student teaching another, which may not necessarily involve group dynamics.