Enhancing Student Engagement and Outcomes: The Effects of Cooperative Learning in an Ethiopian University’s Classrooms

Based on social interdependence and social constructivism theories, the authors of this study examined the effects of a cooperative learning (CL) pedagogical model on the engagement and outcomes of undergraduate students in an Ethiopian university’s classrooms. We did this by using a quasi-experimental post-test control group design. The study participants included undergraduate students enrolled in the courses “Risk Management and Insurance” (n = 99) and “Foundation Engineering I” (n = 94). The control groups received regular lecture-based teaching, while the experimental group received CL instruction over two weeks in six to eight sessions. The results from the Management sample, which demonstrated that the CL intervention group reported significantly higher learning outcomes and more engagement than the control groups, are sufficient evidence for the study to validate the hypothesis. The effect sizes were moderate and ranged from 0.52 to 0.78 Cohen’s d. In the Engineering course, the results demonstrate the smallest difference between the mean scores reported by the CL group and those of the regular lecture group, with the CL group showing slightly higher student engagement and outcomes across the three categories assessed. The Engineering sample’s results, however, did not show any significant differences between the CL and control groups. This study provides evidence that course reform utilizing a CL pedagogical design could improve student engagement and learning outcomes as compared to the regular lecture-based method. By incorporating CL pedagogies, higher educators and institutions can create more engaging and effective learning environments for students.