COLLABORATIVE LEARNING: A KEY TO ENHANCE STUDENTS’ SOCIAL INTERACTION SKILLS

Abstract

In 21st century education, students are required to be active learners in the learning process from various aspects. Therefore, besides planning for students’ academic achievement, there is a need for development of their desired skills such as communication and interaction with the society. In this regard, collaborative learning plays an important role in developing students’ social interaction skills. This research aims to identify students’ perception towards implementing collaborative learning in classrooms. Moreover, this research determines students’ understanding, knowledge, and attitude towards collaborative learning in order to identify the relationship between collaborative learning and some demographic factors, such as gender and family background. In addition, this study also examines the relationship between collaborative learning and students’ interaction skills. The survey questionnaire was randomly distributed to a total of 100 secondary school students in Klang, Malaysia. Results show that students prefer to work in groups rather than individually. Therefore, collaborative learning shows a significant effect on students’ social interaction skills. Students believe that collaborative learning encourages everyone to work best with others and enhances socialization among members.