Adult East Asian Students’ Perceptions of Cooperative Learning Activities Employed in Adult ESOL Community College Classrooms
Date
2012-10-05
Authors
Collins, Edith F.
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Abstract
This study examined the perceptions, expectations, and preferences held by adult East Asian ESOL students regarding the use of classroom cooperative learning activities (CLAs) in community college classrooms. The findings of this study indicate that adult East Asian learners have preferences regarding the types of communicative and group activities that occur in their classrooms. Student perceptions on the effectiveness of CLAs in learning English were mixed between affirmative, ambivalent and negative, and affected their participation responses during these activities. Participant preferences were found to be both individually and contextually based and suggest that the interactions which occurred were influenced by the students’ cultural perspectives on acceptable social interaction.
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Keywords
Cooperative learning, Adult education, Asian students, Culture