Public School Students’ Tensions and Transformations after Experiencing Collaborative Learning in EEC

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate public school students’ tensions and transformations after experiencing collaborative learning in Experimental English Classes. As students are exposed to traditional grammar-translation method at public schools, the prevalence of collaborative learning in EEC creates a number of tensions in public school, in EEC and certain transformations in EEC. Therefore, the aim of the study is to find out the students' tensions and transformations at the intersection of these two contexts. The study was carried out in four public schools in Yerevan and in Experimental English Classes by the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the American University of Armenia. The qualitative data was collected through 13 observations and 13 semi-structured interviews with public school and EEC teachers and 15 EEC students. Whereas the quantitative data was collected through questionnaire surveys administered to 48 EEC students. The quantitative data was analyzed by SPSS software package while the qualitative data was analyzed through the identification of themes and categories. The findings of the study revealed that because of the change of the way of learning, public school students go through certain tensions both in public schools and in EEC. Also, during the transitional process from one culture to another, students undergo a number of positive transformations in EEC after experiencing collaborative learning and undergo certain changes in individual qualities as becoming active, self-confident, sociable and friendly, cooperative, open-minded, motivated and autonomous. The findings also report that students’ overall attitude towards collaborative learning is positive and they welcome and enjoy learning collaboratively.