Aprendizaje cooperativo y desarrollo del autoconcepto en estudiantes chilenos

abstract this quasi-experimental study aims to (a) determine the effect of cooperative work methodology on the self-concept of adolescent students; (b) determine if such an effect leads to an increase in self-concept and (c) know how both teachers and students who regularly employ the technique, view cooperative work. a quasi-experimental design with a control group and pre-/post measurements was used. the total sample, intentionally selected, was made up of n=181 first year technical- professional secondary education students, whose ages ranged between 14 and 18, all from low socio-economic backgrounds and mainly coming from mapuche ethnic origins, these students being divided into the control and the experimental groups. the criteria for selection in the experimental group, made up of n=90 students, was that all its teachers had participated during the year previous to the study, in a systematic training process in the use of cooperative work methodologies and that these were used as the main strategy of educational organization. the control group, made up of n=91 students, shared similar socio-demographic characteristics with the other group, but differed in the fact that its teachers had not received any training in the use of cooperative work and therefore did not make use of this methodology in their class planning. the tennessee self-concept scale was administered on two occasions, with a gap of ten months between the two. the results show that cooperative work has an effect on the general self-concept and specifically on physical, personal, family and social aspects, rather than the moral-ethical side of the concept. teachers and students indicated that the use of cooperative learning was beneficial to the educational process in general and for the interaction between students. it is concluded that cooperative work allows the learning of social and cognitive skills and promotes a positive self-concept in the students