Mediators of Effects of Cooperative Learning on Prosocial Behavior in Middle School

Abstract

In this study, we tested the effects of cooperative learning on students' prosocial behavior. Cooperative learning is a small-group instructional technique that establishes positive interdependence among students and, unlike most current school-based programs, does not mandate a formal curriculum. Given the emphasis in cooperative learning on peer reinforcement for positive and helpful behavior during learning activities, we hypothesized that cooperative learning would promote higher levels of prosocial behavior, and that these effects would be mediated by peer relatedness. Using a sample of 1890 students (47.1% female, 75.2% White) from a cluster randomized trial of 15 middle schools, we found that cooperative learning significantly enhanced prosocial behavior across two years. Mediation was only partial, however, suggesting that additional mechanisms were at work, such as changes to social norms or teacher behavior. Given that cooperative learning has been shown to enhance student engagement and academic achievement in prior research, we argue that cooperative learning should be a central component of teacher training and professional development.

Scaling up and scaling out: Consilience and the evolution of more nurturing societies

“… Leslie et al (2016) describe sixteen family interventions that have been shown to prevent most of the common and costly psychological and behavioral problems. In schools, interventions such as PeaceBuilders ( Embry, Flannery, Vazsonyi, Powell, & Atha, 1996 ), the Good Behavior Game ( Embry, 2002 ; Kellam et al, 2011 , Kellam et al, 2012 ), Positive Action ( Flay & Allred, 2003 ), and cooperative learning ( Roseth, Johnson, & Johnson, 2008 ; Van Ryzin & Roseth, 2019 ; Van Ryzin, Roseth, & Biglan, 2020 ) result in reductions in “fast life” strategies and higher student investments in education, work, and positive lifestyles. This is especially true for the children exposed to the highest levels of neighborhood violence and victimization ( Vazsonyi, Belliston, & Flannery, 2004 ).…”

“…As prevention science has accumulated a large array of tested and effective interventions, the field has increasingly turned to the question of how those interventions could be so widely applied that they affect entire populations. Examples of these efforts include (a) the implementation of the PAX Good Behavior Game in more than 40,000 elementary school classrooms worldwide, which grew out of the studies by Sheppard Kellam and colleagues ( Kellam et al, 2012 ), which showed the long term benefit of the Good Behavior Game; (b) the efforts of Wilson, Atkins, and Hayes to disseminate the Ostrom Principles ( Wilson, Ostrom, & Cox, 2013 ) by integrating behavior change techniques from clinical psychology ( Polk & Schoendorff, 2014 ), to help small groups function more effectively ( Atkins, Wilson, & Hayes, 2019 ); (c) the extensive work that is being done to disseminate clinical interventions derived from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ( Hayes et al, 2016 ) that focus on promoting psychological flexibility ( Brown, Glendenning, Hoon, & John, 2016 ; Hayes, 2019 ; Tol et al, 2020 ); and (d) our own efforts to increase the prevalence of nurturing environments by enhancing the developmental contexts of children and youth ( Biglan, 2020a ; Biglan, Van Ryzin, Moore, et al, 2019 ; Biglan, Van Ryzin, & Westling, 2019 ; Van Ryzin et al, 2020 ; Van Ryzin, Roseth, Fosco, Lee, & Chen, 2016 ).…”

Behavioral Science and the Prevention of Adolescent Substance Abuse

“…These positive relationships can interrupt the process of deviant peer clustering and, in turn, reduce substance use (Van Ryzin & Roseth, 2018a, 2018b, 2019a. Cooperative learning can also significantly reduce bullying, victimization, stress, and emotional problems, and enhance prosocial behavior and social-emotional skills (Van Ryzin & Roseth, 2018c, 2019b). Finally, cooperative learning has demonstrated robust positive effects on academic engagement and achievement (see meta-analyses by Johnson & Johnson, 1989Roseth et al, 2008).…”

The socialization of boys and men in the modern era: An evolutionary mismatch

“…Cooperative learning can generate significant reductions in bullying and victimization, with effect sizes ranging from .37 to .69 (Van Ryzin & Roseth, 2018a), mediated by improvements in peer relations and affective empathy (Van Ryzin & Roseth, in press). Cooperative learning has also been found to reduce alcohol and tobacco use (Van Ryzin & Roseth, 2018b) and to promote prosocial behavior (Van Ryzin & Roseth, 2019). These findings suggest that cooperative learning can promote substantial increases in academic achievement while simultaneously addressing some of the social processes that can promote aggressive and antisocial behavior.…”