Children share each other’s ideas and similar experience with their peers and further learn how to adjust to the society by learning social knowledge together. So forth, positive and successful experiences from the relationship with peer render them...
Children share each other’s ideas and similar experience with their peers and further learn how to adjust to the society by learning social knowledge together. So forth, positive and successful experiences from the relationship with peer render them have an emotional stability and help them have a desirable relationship and cultivate a proper concept of one-self. As stated, a positive and well-rounded interaction helps a child to get accustomed to one’s school life, give a good relationship and furthermore has a great importance in terms of letting them learn how to interact with peer for the first time. In addition, the importance of it also has an influence on school field, leading to alleviating one’s maladjustment and to stopping leaving someone out in the cold, as argued in prior studies.
Therefore, for students in a transition period who need to have a positive and well-rounded interaction in order to adjust well in school and to cultivate one’s character, the first social interaction is of great importance. Also, it is necessary for them to develop the quality of the interaction. A suitable learning for having a positive peer relation is a cooperative learning. Not in an individual learning but in a group project do they learn how to work together in order to solve problem. As well, it is a great substitute for a teaching-learning method for achieving a communal problem on the basis of an individual’s responsibility.
The purpose of the study is to learn how an art class where LT cooperative learning model is applied influences on sixth graders’ peer relationship. I looked into the meaning and the quality of peer relationship on the basis of its theoretical background, and then inspected the emotional traits and the significance of the relation for high grades at elementary school. Besides, after learning about art teaching held in class at elementary school, I speculated into LT model, a general model form among various models for cooperative learning mentioned above. In accordance with the theoretical background, I chose chapters and learning materials, designed LT (Learning Together) cooperative learning model applied art class at elementary school, and developed a teaching guide and learning for each time. As for the evaluation method, I utilized Measurement for the quality of peer relationship, which was developed by Jin-Kyung Kim (2002) and conducted a prior and post survey. Moreover, I used the textbooks and teacher’s guidelines written according to a 2009-revised art education curriculum, to set a measure for evaluating students’ activity.
The study subjects are the sixth graders from two classes at “D” elementary school located in Chang-Won Shi, and in order to verify the homogeneity of two classes, I conducted a survey on the quality of peer relations to the experimental and the control group. Then I also conducted an assessment test in order to figure out the students’level of understanding with regards to cooperative learning in art class and formation of a poster. Two groups that its homogeneity is verified were composed of the experimental group of 26 students and the control of 26, 51 students in total. And the class was done for six times (40 minutes for each time) for a month of April in 2016. Both groups had a class where the topic was to make a poster informing of the nation. For the experimental group, the class had LT (Learning Together) cooperative learning model was applied to, and for the control group the traditional group learning was held. The prior and post peer relationship quality test conducted before the study was analyzed by SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) Ver. 21.0 statistical package program and statistically analyzed. And for the activity results, the activity evaluation method was used to conduct the quality assessment. Then I compared and analyzed how the LT cooperative learning model influenced on the experimental in comparison with how the traditional learning to the control.
The findings are like the following.
Firstly, the experimental group which has LT cooperative applied learning showed its equal development in all the six positive subordinate qualities (intimacy, empathy, emotional and social support, resolution for problems, popularity, contentment in peer relationship) compared to the control groups’.
Secondly, a statistically significant result was shown in LT cooperative applied teaching-learning program in five negative subordinate categories (conflict and disagreement, one-sided leading, declining, isolation, ignoring, dissatisfaction in peer relationship).
Thirdly, the assessment on activity results was analyzed using a activity evaluation method, group activity journal and group activity assessment sheet, then I conducted a quality evaluation on it. I could find that the students from the experimental group showed more increased interest in art, more active and responsible attitude in communication than the ones from the control group did, proving its positive influence on a better peer relationship.
This study has a great significance in sense that an art program which LT cooperative learning model was applied to encourages more active interaction among group members, leading to a better quality in sixth graders’ peer relationship with an educational effect. I hope that further studies are done on various teaching-learning programs suitable for various art classes and a better and effective art teaching is held in the field for students’ well-rounded development.