Cooperative learning in teacher education: A means to foster learning motivation and academic engagement among EFL pre-service teachers

Research has shown that cooperative learning (CL) strongly promotes student learning at all educational levels. However, little is known about the CL’s influence in teacher education. This study examined the impact of CL on EFL pre-service teachers’ learning motivation and academic engagement using a pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental design. Two classes were randomly selected from regional teacher training centres in Cambodia, one class assigned as the experimental group (N = 35) and the other as the control group (N = 30). For one semester, the experimental group were exposed to CL while the control group were taught through lecture-based learning. Data were collected through adapted scales on learning motivation and academic engagement. The ANCOVA results revealed that CL was more effective for learning motivation and academic engagement, but no significant difference was found on extrinsic learning motivation. In conclusion, CL can foster learning motivation and academic engagement among EFL pre-service teachers.