Literature Review: Effect of Cooperative Learning on Intrinsic Motivation

The purpose of this literature review is to understand what cooperative learning is, how it affects student intrinsic motivation, identifying some barriers to implementing it, and examine reasons for its failure in some classrooms. This literature review analyzed and critiqued nine empirical studies from around the world and discussed one foundational study, which were all located using Eastern New Mexico University’s Golden Library and professor suggestion. The findings of this literature review show that cooperative learning has a positive impact on student intrinsic motivation, but has problems being appropriately implemented and fails in certain situations. The implications that can be drawn from this author’s research are that cooperative learning is not merely group work, that cooperative learning has a positive impact on student intrinsic motivation, that student age may affect the ability to utilize cooperative learning, that teacher training is desirable in implementing cooperative learning, and that student preparation all have a direct influence on the success or failure of cooperative learning in the classroom.