Collaborative Learning: A Research Proposal for Sixth Standard

This research proposal investigates the effectiveness of collaborative learning in enhancing narrative writing skills among sixth-grade students. The study addresses challenges like decoding issues, poor comprehension, and reading speed, proposing interviews with 35 students for data collection. The proposal outlines the research method, significance, and questions, focusing on collaborative learning's impact on social skills, peer learning, trust-building, engagement, and confidence. The literature review explores various collaborative learning formats and their significance, while the methodology section details the participants, data collection procedures, research timeline, budget, ethical considerations, and limitations. The conceptual framework illustrates the benefits of collaborative learning, providing a comprehensive overview of the research's objectives and approach.

Running head: RESEARCH PROPOSAL ON COLLABORATIVE LEARNING
Research proposal on collaborative learning
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction....................................................................................................................3
Statement of the Problem.............................................................................................................3
Background and justification.......................................................................................................4
Research Method.........................................................................................................................5
Significance of the research.........................................................................................................5
Research Questions......................................................................................................................5
Purpose of the study.....................................................................................................................5
Conceptual Framework................................................................................................................6
Chapter Summary........................................................................................................................6
Chapter 2: Literature Review...........................................................................................................6
Introduction..................................................................................................................................7
Different collaborative learning formats.....................................................................................7
Significance of collaborative learning.........................................................................................8
Discussion of conceptual framework...........................................................................................8
Chapter Summary........................................................................................................................9
Chapter 3: Methodology..................................................................................................................9
Introduction..................................................................................................................................9
Aim of the Study..........................................................................................................................9

2RESEARCH PROPOSAL ON COLLABORATIVE LEARNING
Participants................................................................................................................................10
Data collection procedures........................................................................................................10
Research Timeline.....................................................................................................................11
Research Budget........................................................................................................................12
Ethical considerations................................................................................................................12
Research Limitations.................................................................................................................13
Chapter Summary......................................................................................................................13
References......................................................................................................................................15
Appendices....................................................................................................................................18
.......................................................................................................................................................18

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Chapter 1: Introduction
Statement of the Problem
There is the existence of problem relating to collaborative learning among the students of
sixth standard for enhancing their narrative writing. There exists certain challenges regarding the
problem that include issues with de-coding, poor comprehension, as well as speed.
In respect of the concerns relating to the issues with de-coding, it can be stated that
decoding occurs when children are having the ability for putting sounds to letters and written
language. It is common in respect of sixth standard students to struggle when they are meeting
the terms that are considered being new or unfamiliar.
In respect of poor comprehension, it can be stated that when a sixth standard student does
the encountering of the vocabulary they are not having any knowledge about or are not
recognizing because of inaccuate decoding, they are expected to skip forward. The more blanks
there is within a text line, the more challenging will it be to make meaning and the more
cognitively challenging as well as frustrating the task regarding reading will become (Salend,
2015). This is the reason why weak comprehension will be taking place when a sixth standard
student will be struggling with decoding, is having a limited vocabulary or making an attempt for
reading a text that is at too high of a level (O’Donnell, 2013).
In respect of the concern relating to speed, it can be stated that the more sixth standard
students are reading, the more they are encountering terms that a considered being unfamiliar. As
sixth standard students do the expansion of their vocabulary, they do the recognition of more
words by sight and there occurs the speeding up of reading (Spector, 2014). However, when
speed is considered being an issue, there might be occurring an underlying concern, like slow

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processing. Reading is regarded to be a task that is cognitively demanding and holds exhaustive
information within the mind while continuing to do the processing of text that can exhaust
children with slow processing (Taras, 2013).
Background and justification
Collaborative learning is widely explained as ‘a scenario where two or more individuals
will be learning or attempting towards learning something collectively’, and to be more specific
as combined solving of problems. There occurs an ambiguity regarding the meaning of
collaborative learning that stems from various sources (Janssen, 2013). Primarily, the scale of
such communications might be ranging from two individuals to thousands, having varied
theoretical tools required for evaluating the communications occuring at various stages.
Moreover, the question of what is constituting the aspect of learning is a source of uncertainty
(Mastropieri, 2017). Researchers do the using of ‘learning’ for referring to various different
kinds of activities.
There is the existence of the problem relating to the effectiveness of collaborative
learning within the sixth standard students for enhancing their narrative learning (Tran, 2014).
Collaborative learning will be allowing students towards providing explanations relating to their
understanding that can assist students in elaborating as well as recognizing their knowledge
(Moore, 2014).
Collaborative learning is considered to be important in respect of the sixth standard
students regarding the development of their skills, building of trust, learning from peers,
engaging in learning, as well as for gaining confidence (Muijs, 2017).

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Research Method
In this regard, the data collection method to be used will be comprising of interviews of .
students. The sample size of the students will be 35. This section will be including a discussion
about the participants as well as the site that will include the setting, the particpants, the events,
instrument, the type of data that will be collected. The sampling technique that is being used
here is non-probability sampling technique. This is a sampling method in which the gathering of
the samples are done in a method that does not provide every individual within the population
similar opportunities of getting selected.
Significance of the research
The significance of this topic in teaching profession is that it will assist in achieving a
goal for which students are required working in a collaborative way. The sixth standard students
are affected by this research and they will get benefitted from this research when carried out
successfully.
Research Questions
1. What is the effectiveness of collaborative learning among sixth standard students?
2. How will the sixth standard students get affected as well as benefitted from the research?
Purpose of the study
The purpose of this study is to find out the effectiveness regarding collaborative learning
within the sixth standard students for doing the enhancement of their narrative learning. The
central concept of the study is associated with the aspect of collaborative learning. The
participants of this research will be the 35 sixth standard students within a classroom.

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Collaborative
Learning
Developing social skills
Learn from peers
Build trust
Engage in learning
Gain confidence
Conceptual Framework
Figure 1 Conceptual Framework
(Source: Created by author)
Chapter Summary
This chapter delves with the introduction of the topic regarding the effectiveness of
collaborative learning among the sixth standard students for enhancing their narrative learning.
In this regard, the statement of the problem has been discussed. Also, the background as well as
justification, the research method has been discussed. The significance of the research has been
discussed, the research question has been mentioned, the purpose of the study has been explained
as well as the conceptual framework has been illustrated.

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Chapter 2: Literature Review
Introduction
Collaborative learning structures assist in triggerring critical thinking abilities and
similarly, students having strong skills related with critical thinking might be considered being
better collaborators. Collaborative learning is also associated with metacognition that has been
explained most plainly as “thinking about thinking”. Collaborative approaches might be
associated with motivation. Motivation is considered being one of the potential mediating
methods in which cooperative learning does the influencing of achievement (Adamson, 2014).
Peer encouragement might be improving the aspect of task engagement. Collaboration is having
a link with a number of key educational outcomes, which includes critical thinking,
metacognition as well as motivational aspects (Arends, 2014). Reward structures might also get
used by the teachers that are supporting the specific objectives that they are trying to achieve.
Different collaborative learning formats
There exists different ways for structuring the collaborative learning activities. For
instance, ‘reciprocal teaching’ format is considered being an interactive process of teaching
where the teachers as well as students will be collaborating in respect of the joint text
construction (Barkley, 2014). There are also certain particular formats that does the using of
different reward as well as task structures for inducing student collaboration. One of them is
considered being the format of ‘learning together’. In this format, the students are instructed to
assist one another till the overall team did the learning of the material (Bolman, 2017). There is
another format considered as the ‘jigsaw’ format, which does the breaking of the academic
material that should be learned into segments. In the format of ‘student team learning’ students

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are working in small, mixed-ability groups for assisting in preaparing each other in respect of
quizzes (Chen, 2013). Regarding the ‘team assisted individualization’ format, each student
advances at their own pace, but can get assitance from the teammates.
Significance of collaborative learning
Collaborative learning is considered being an approach that does the encouragement of
students in creating groups as well as working collectively in solving a given problem. There are
different advantages that learners get when working in a group setting. These are the developing
of skills, learning from peers, building trust, engaging in learning as well as gaining confidence
(Clark, 2016).
Discussion of conceptual framework
In respect of developing social skills, it can be stated that collaborative learning assists in
making students having different backgrounds, race, or up bringing, towards working together.
They come together in a setting that might not be possible without collaborative learning. In
respect of solving the problem regarding a given project, children are required communicating
(Cooper, 2014). They are having the ability to do the hearing of varied opinions as well as learn
more regarding various cultural aspects. The methodology of collaborative learning is considered
being appropriate in respect of children having difficulties within a social setting (Donker, 2014).
In respect of learning from peers, it can be stated that in general, individuals are having various
abilities, passions as well as knowledge (Watson, 2014). Within a small collaborative group,
when there occurs the raising of a question, different students might be having different answers
and children will be able to do the learning of new things from each other, but will be
understanding different perceptions as well (DuFour, 2016). In respect of building trust, it can be
stated that, for achieving a goal, students are required working collectively. They can function

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collectively without trusting one another, but in respect of an efficient collaboration as well as
for reaching a common objective, they require learning the aspect of trusting one another (Ellis,
2014). In respect of engaging in learning, it can be stated that, within a small group setting, each
student is having the scope towards expressing his or her ideas. Having the capability of doing
so, as well as being heard can provide the feeling of significance as well as worth. The learning
experience gets more enjoyable, and students are interested in learning more (Fischer, 2013). In
respect of gaining confidence, it can be stated that, since students are working as a team, they are
receiving more assitance, and as a result achieve confidence. Collaborative learning can support
students who are shy in expressing themselves more (Fuchs, 2015).
Chapter Summary
This chapter is delving with the literature review regarding the effectiveness of
collaborative learning among the sixth standard students for enhancing their narrative learning.
In this regard, a discussion regarding the conceptual framework within the study has been done.
The various formats relating to collaborative learning has been discussed as well as the
significance related with collaborative learning has also been discussed.
Chapter 3: Methodology
Introduction
Aim of the Study
The aim of the study is to explain the effectiveness of collaborative learning within the
sixth standard students for enhancing their narrative learning. Collaboration is having a
signficant impact on the learning abilities of a student, especially in respect of low-achieving
students.

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Participants
The partcipants regarding the research study are the sixth standard students of a school.
The students are all within the age group between 10 to 12 years, and are of both sexes . The type
of sampling technique that will be used for the study is non-probability sampling technique. This
is a sampling method in which the gathering of the samples occurs in a method that does not
provide every individual within the population same kind of opportunities for getting selected.
Data collection procedures
The data collection procedure for this study will be interviews. The setting for the data
collection procedure will be the school premise where the inteview process will occur. The
particpants will be the 35 students who have been selected for the interview process. The
participants will be answering to certain questions in the form of interview. The qualitative
research instrument that will be used in this study is considered being ‘interviews’. The other
qualitative research instruments are considered as ‘focus groups’, ‘observation’ as well as ‘other
data-gathering methods’. A brief discussion regarding ‘interview’ as a qualitative research
instruments is being provided.
The interview is without any doubt the most common data source regarding qualitative
studies. The person-to-person structure is considered being most common, but at times the
conducting of group interviews as well as focus group also take place. Interviews are ranging
from the highly planned style, where determination of questions are done prior to the interview,
regarding the open-ended, conversational structure. Within qualitative research, there occurs the
primary use of a highly structured format for gathering of the socio-demographic data.

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The types of data that needs to be collected are in the form of interviews. To do the
assessment of the student’s viewpoint regarding their ability towards collaboration, the students
will be provided with a questionnaire that needs to be completed. The questionnaire will be
including questions such as the following,
Interview Questionnaire for the Students
1. What do you think is a fair score in respect of your contribution?
2. What was the thing that you did best during collaboration?
3. What was the thing that you did least well during collaboration?
4. What was the hardest part in respect of collaborating?
5. What was the most significant thing that has been learned by you?
Research Timeline
Activity Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6
Topic Selection
Background Review
Data Collection
(Questionnaire &
Secondary Data)
Data Review
Data Analysis
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