Investigating the Role of Cooperative Learning in Teaching the Speaking Skill Under the Competency-Based Approach

Abstract

The dissertation in hand examines the role of cooperative learning in enhancing students speaking skill within the competency-Based-approach. That is, the foremost target behind conducting this study is to consider the place of cooperative learning in teaching speaking in competency-Based-approach in third year middle school textbook. The present dissertation comprises a theoretical part presented in one chapter, in down divided into three sections. The first section deals with cooperative learning. The second section deals with speaking skill. The third section deals with the competency-based- approach. Thus, the research tools used are a checklist used for the evaluation of textbook “My Book of English” year three in middle school. Being so, quantitative data collection is relied on through the use of a questionnaire handed to 10 out of more than 100 teachers of middle school. The reason behind this questionnaire is to see the teacher’s attitudes toward the cooperative learning in classrooms in teaching speaking. The final results of this study have shown that the focus of third year middle school textbook is on teaching reading and writing rather than speaking skills. Also, teachers have weak understanding of cooperative learning and the application of the competency-bases-approach. Most of tasks are competitive and individual rather than cooperative. Some recommendations were presented for future work.