The Effect of Collaborative Learning Approach on Students’ Academic Achievement in Turkish Courses in Turkey: A Meta-Analysis Study

Abstract

The educational concept of 21th century, during which great social, economic and technological developments are experienced, confers the responsibilities of determining the most relevant teaching approach and implementing this approach voluminously in the classrooms to the educators for the purpose of planning a qualified teaching process and performing the target acquisitions at the end of this process. It can be said that collaborative learning approach is qualified enough to fulfil this need in terms of its contribution to academic achievement and social skills of individuals. The fact that the studies done in different fields and different sample groups in the literature revealed positive effect of collaborative learning approach on academic achievement has created the need of meta-analysis of these researches. Within this frame, it was aimed to determine the effect of collaborative learning approach on academic achievement of students in Turkish courses in Turkey with this study. Within this scope, the related literature was scanned in order to reach the researches included in the study. As a result of this scanning, totally 32 researches examining the effect of collaborative learning approach on the academic achievement in Turkish courses of students studying in Turkey and providing the criteria determined for the study were included in meta-analysis.  Effect size values and combined effect sizes of each study were calculated by using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) while normal distribution plot of effect sizes was calculated by using MetaWin software in the study carried on. As a consequence of meta-analysis, it was found out that collaborative learning approach has positive effect on academic achievement of the students in Turkish courses in comparison with traditional methods. In the end of the analysis done in terms of random effect models, the average effect value was calculated as 1,034 with 0,110 errors. The lower bound of effect size was determined as 0,818 while the upper bound was 1,251 within 95 % confidence interval. When the findings attained are interpreted according to Cohen, Manion, and Morrison (2011), it can be stated that collaborative learning approach has large effect in terms of enhancing academic achievement in Turkish courses.