The Effect of Cooperative Learning and Traditional Teaching on the Development of Basic Mathematical Skills in Pre-School Children

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to discern the effects of cooperative learning and tradional teaching on the development of basic mathematical skills of pre-school children. A pre-test/post-test research design with a control group was used in the research. While cooperative learning methods were implemented in the experimental group, traditional teaching methods were used in the control groups. The experimental group was taught by the researcher; the control groups were taught by various pre-school teachers. The data were collected through Mathematical Achievement Observation Forms. The Arithmetic mean, Standard Deviation, Kruskal Wallis Variance Analysis, t-test and Scheeffé Test were used to analyze the data. The research indicated that cooperative learning is more effective than traditional teaching on the development of basic mathematical skills in pre-school children.