The effects of the fan-n-pick cooperative learning strategy on young Saudi students

Abstract

Cooperative learning allows students to share ideas, ask questions and give feedback. The “Fan-N-Pick” strategy is a cooperative learning strategy developed by Spencer Kagan. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of using the Fan-N-Pick cooperative learning strategy with young Saudi girls, aged 6-7, in science class to improve performance and participation. The research was conducted over a period of two weeks in an elementary school in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The participants in this study were 48 female students from two science classes in the first grade. One class was the experimental group, and the other was the control group. The experimental group was taught by using the Fan-N-Pick cooperative learning strategy while the control group was taught by using a traditional, lecture method. The researcher compared the posttest scores and students' participation rates, as measured by observations during four lessons, between the control group and the experimental group. The results of this study showed significant improvement of students’ performance and participation through using the cooperative learning Fan-N-Pick strategy.