What is a primary benefit of cooperative learning?

Cooperative learning is primarily designed to promote teamwork among students. In a cooperative learning environment, students work together in small groups to complete tasks, solve problems, or learn new concepts. This collaborative approach fosters communication skills, promotes mutual support, shared responsibility for learning, and enhances student engagement. By working with peers, students can learn from one another, which not only reinforces their understanding of the material but also helps build social skills essential for functioning in team-oriented settings later in life.

In contrast to this benefit, focusing solely on individual achievement disregards the collaborative aspect that is central to cooperative learning. Promoting competition among students can actually undermine teamwork and collaboration, leading to a less supportive learning environment. Similarly, increasing teacher authority conflicts with the goals of cooperative learning, which aims to shift some responsibility for learning from the teacher to students, allowing them to take ownership of their learning process.