A Study on the Process and Effect of Using Cooperative Learning Approach into Electronics Lecture

A current study invited 30 sophomores at one University of Science and Technology in Tainan City to participate in a three-week project called Student Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD). Before the project, students were divided into six groups which were based on their midterm results. Under the project, the researcher taught at first, then discussed the specified topics in groups, and finished the class with a test. Students who had higher scores or who improved significantly received a prize and also were awarded a group which had better achievement during this period. The results of this study included, (1) a significant difference among pre-test, post-test and after-post-test scores; (2) each group had its own characteristic of group dynamic and performance, which provided important references in the accumulation of the researcher's teaching experience. This current study's results support the effect of cooperative learning approach and show that the instruments, grouping techniques, and the use of quiz games can apply to other courses in the future. This study also suggests that teachers should provide students, who participate in STAD, more help for learning resources and group dynamic.