The Impact of Cooperative Learning Strategies on the Development of Students’ Critical Thinking Skills in History The Case of Secondary and High Schools in the Buea Municipality

The main purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which cooperative learning strategies develop students' critical thinking skills in History in some Secondary and High Schools in Buea Municipality. More specifically, it was aimed at looking for answers to the following three research questions How can Student Team Achievement Division Technique improves students' critical thinking skills in History How can the Jigsaw Technique develops students' critical thinking skills in History How can Group Investigation Technique develop students' critical thinking skills in History The study employed mixed methods in the research design using quantitative and qualitative approaches. Quantitative data were collected through a record sheet group discussions and an unstructured questionnaire constituted the strategy used to collect qualitative data. Questionnaires were completed by ten teachers drawn from the two Secondary and High Schools in Buea Municipality. 150 students also filled the questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data while qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. This finding revealed that Student Team Achievement Division Technique improves students' critical thinking skills in History. The experimental group significantly performed better than the control group. The findings also revealed that the Jigsaw technique eases learning, creates room for better understanding, facilitates the exposure to ideas as they could be acquired from peers, encourages hard work, high team spirit, encourages further research and improves performance. The findings also revealed that the group investigation technique improves students' performance in History. Some barriers to cooperative learning strategies were identified such as the constant evolution of cooperative learning as a threat due to the fact that cooperative learning is constantly changing there is the possibility that teachers may become confused and lack complete understanding of the method. Teachers implementing cooperative learning strategies may face resistance and hostility from students who believe that they are being held back by their slower teammates or by students who are less confident and feel that they are being ignored or demeaned by their team. The teachers proposed some strategies to address the identified barriers. One major recommendation is that as the teachers continue to use this method, they become more experienced and can easily adapt to its changing trend. Philip Indo Acho | Einstein Moses Egebe Anyi | Nsagha Sarah Mboshi | Nana Célestin "The Impact of Cooperative Learning Strategies on the Development of Students' Critical Thinking Skills in History: The Case of Secondary and High Schools in the Buea Municipality" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-7 | Issue-2 , April 2023, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com.com/papers/ijtsrd53982.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com.com/humanities-and-the-arts/history/53982/the-impact-of-cooperative-learning-strategies-on-the-development-of-students'-critical-thinking-skills-in-history-the-case-of-secondary-and-high-schools-in-the-buea-municipality/philip-indo-acho