Abstract:
English Language speaking practices in Kenyan secondary schools are insufficient to improve students’ progress in speaking skills. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of Cooperative Learning (CL) on secondary school learners’ English-speaking skills in Nandi central sub-county. Objectives of this study were to establish the effect of individual accountability in cooperative learning on learners’ English language speaking skills, to determine the effect of interpersonal and social skills in cooperative learning on learners English language speaking skills, to assess the effect of face to face promotive interaction in cooperative learning on learners’ English language speaking skills and to find out the effect of positive interdependence in cooperative learning on learners’ English language speaking skills. The study adopted a conceptual framework and used the quasi experimental with a non-equivalent control group pre-test post-test design under the mixed methods approach. The sample size was all the form three learners from the two classrooms of the selected schools. The instruments of the study included learners’ questionnaire administered to the experimental group, Learners’ English Speaking Skills Achievement Test which was administered as a pre-test and as a post-test to both the groups and an observation guide used by the researcher to monitor activities of the learners in cooperative groups. These instruments were validated by experts from the faculty of education in the university and a Pilot test was done prior to the study whereby a Cronbach coefficient of 0.7 was computed. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, and presented in tabular form while analysis from the observation guide was used for triangulation. The study revealed that there is a statistically significant effect of individual accountability (t=2.888; df=66), interpersonal and social skills (t=2.953; df=66), face to face promotive interactive (t=4.640; df=66) and positive interdependence (t=4.322; df=66) on learners’ achievement in English language speaking. It was concluded that, individual accountability, interpersonal and social skills, face to face promotive interactive and positive interdependence positively affect learners’ achievement in English language speaking. The findings of this study are beneficial to the learners of English language and their teachers in the teaching and learning of speaking skills. They are also important to teacher educators, curriculum developers and the ministry of Education on decision making. The researcher recommends that teachers of English should consider incooperating Cooperative Learning in their teaching of English language speaking skills. The government, education policy makers and curriculum developers should also ensure the implementation of cooperative Learning in the teaching of English language at the secondary school level.
