Abstract:
The present dissertation aims at investigating the effects of cooperative learning, used as a teaching technique, on second year LMD students' performance while using English tenses.
To achieve this aim, an experimental design was opted for. A pre-test and post-test were administered to 64 students who were randomly assigned to one Experimental Group and one Control Group. After completing the pre-test, the Experimental Group received instruction according to cooperative learning principles, and the Control Group was taught the same content but following a different method where students had to work individually all the time. After six weeks of instruction, a post-test was given to both groups and the findings were compared and analysed.
The results of the tests showed that the subjects in the Experimental Group performed significantly better than those in the Control Group. They also reveal that cooperative learning is more effective and that it influences positively students' performance in tense use. Thus, the research hypothesis was confirmed.
Based upon the conclusions drawn from the results, some guidelines were proposed, at the end of the dissertation, for grammar teachers to help their students understand better and use correctly the complex temporal system of the English language through cooperation among students. Some pedagogical suggestions for future research were also recommended.
