Effect of cooperative learning on practical performance among technical college students learning domestic electrical installation: A mixed-method study

A search for an alternative instructional method to enhance students’ practical performance in domestic electrical installation informed this sequential explanatory mixed method study which investigated the effect of cooperative learning on practical performance in electrical installation among technical college students in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The study participants comprised 55 students of electrical installation and maintenance works trade in technical colleges in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. During the first phase of the study, a validated Domestic Installation Performance Test, pilot tested for reliability, was used for data collection at the pretest and posttest stages. After the pretest, a total of 22 students in the experimental group were exposed to instruction through cooperative learning while 33 students in the control group were exposed to instruction through the conventional teaching method. The second phase of the study used open ended questions to explore the experiences of 13 students from the cooperative learning group. Descriptive and inferential statistics were for analysisng quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative data. Cooperative learning enhanced students’ practical performance than the conventional teaching method. This was explained by knowledge sharing, teamwork and interdependence among others. Cooperative learning was effective in enhancing practical performance in domestic electrical installation among student.