© Journal of Education and Sociology, ISSN: 2078-032X, December, 2010 16 STUDENT TEAM ACHIEVEMENT DIVISION (STAD) AS AN ACTIVE LEARNING STRATEGY: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM MATHEMATICS CLASSROOM Muhammad Iqbal Majoka 1 *, Malik Hukam Dad 2 , Tariq Mahmood 3 1 Department of Education, Hazara University, Mansehra 2 Department of Education, NUML, Islamabad 3 Ph. D (HEC) Research Scholar, Division of Education, University of Education, Lahore (PAKISTAN) *Corresponding author: iqbalmajoka@yahoo.com ABSTRACT Student Team Achievement Division (STAD) is a cooperative-learning strategy in which small groups of learners with different levels of ability work together to accomplish a shared learning goal. This study was conducted to have empirical evidence about the effectiveness of STAD in Mathematics classroom at Secondary level. 10 th class students equally divided into two sections on the basis of teacher-made pretest scores were taken as sample of the study. Data analysis revealed that both the experimental (N=28) and the control groups (N=25) were almost equal in mathematical base at the beginning of the experiment. The classroom observation indicated that the students of experimental group were engaged in learning at a higher level as compared to the counterpart students of control group. Furthermore, the experimental group outscored significantly the control group on posttest showing the obvious supremacy of cooperative learning over traditional method of teaching. On retention test, again the experimental group was a little bit superior in achievement but there was no significant difference between the mean scores of the experimental and the control groups. Hence, ultimate result of the study indicated that STAD (Student Team Achievement Division) was more effective instructional paradigm for mathematics as compared to the traditional method of teaching. Due to its provision for higher learning engagement, it proved to be an active learning strategy. Key words: Student Team Achievement Division, Active Learning Strategy, Empirical Evidence. Mathematics Classroom 1. INTRODUCTION Continuum of teaching-learning strategies swings from passive lecturing to active and reflective instructional modes. The teaching-learning methods occupy a crucial position in education process as these pave a way for students being passive or active learners. Active learning is a method of educating students that confirms their active participation in the learning process. According to Hung, Tan, and Koh (2006), active learning is act of learners becoming responsible for their own learning during which they are “actively developing thinking/learning strategies and constantly formulating new ideas and refining them through their conversational exchanges with others” (p. 30). In the process of active learning, learners are engaged in active cognitive processing during learning, such as attending to relevant information, organizing the selected information into a coherent cognitive structure, and integrating the information with existing knowledge (Mayer, 2003). Active learning model is characterized by students’ more involvement in discovery learning or problem solving than listening lectures that permit direct transmission of factual knowledge; students’ involvement in multiple small group activities, higher-order thinking processes and students’ exploration of their own attitudes and values instead of spoon feeding (Bonwell & Eison, 1991; Leu & Price-Rom, 2006: p. 19). Consequently, active learning maximizes students' attention and increases the likelihood that learning is occurring (Stover, Neubert, & Lawlor, 1993). The net consequences of active learning emerge in the form of students’ high level of engagement in learning tasks. Because active learning and engagement in learning are interdependent, Bulger, Mayer, & Almeroth (2006) acknowledged engaged learning as having high levels of active learner participation designed into the plan for learning; and thus learning engagement is also associated with positive academic outcomes, including achievement and persistence in school ( Fredricks, Blumenfeld, and Paris, 2004). Treat et al., (2008) have traced the roots of active learning in work of ancient philosophers. They referred that Confucius (551-479 BC) argued for individualized instruction through discussion; Socrates (470-399 BC) emphasized involving individual learners in a philosophic dialogues; Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746-1827) encouraged firsthand experience in learning environments; and Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) argued for learning via free self-activity that allows for active creativity and social participation. The focus on active learning in contemporary educational scenario is rooted in arguments by John Dewy, Carl Rogers, Jean Piaget and Vygotsky. Dewey (1938) developed a pragmatist philosophy and promoted learning by experimentation and practice – learning by doing. Rogers (1969, p. 162) argued that “much significant learning is acquired by doing” and that “learning is facilitated when the student is a responsible participant.” According to Piaget, contradiction between learner’s knowledge and what he experiences creates disequilibrium and leads her/him to question her/his beliefs as well as to try out new ideas (Palincsar, 2005). Similarly, Vygotsky stated that learning takes place in a social context and that interaction with others (Roblyer, 2004). Besides this, an important concept of Vygotsky about learning in social context is zone of proximal development that advocates for cooperative efforts in the classroom.