Paradigmatic Approach

A paradigmatic analysis of the cooperative learning discourse, framed through Thomas S. Kuhn’s theory of scientific paradigms (1970), reveals that the discourse exhibits the core characteristics of a distinct paradigm (Arató, 2013, 2014, 2023.

An identifiable community of scholars engages with similar research questions and draws on a shared body of literature (Davidson, 2021).
A common paradigmatic exemplar, the “Expert Jigsaw,” is consistently referenced across the field as a model case, shaping the interpretive horizon of researchers.
The discourse also reflects an internal system of rules and symbolic generalizations, most notably the basic cooperative learning principles, which function as paradigmatic norms guiding both theory and practice (Arató, 2013, 2014, 2023; Kagan, 2021; Kagan & Kagan, 2009; Jacobs, 2022).
The cooperative learning paradigm offers a new lens, what Kuhn (1970) would call a "new pair of glasses", through which old problems can be seen in new ways, revealing fresh puzzles and potential solutions.

This new perspective is the structural approach (Kagan, 1990), which, based on its paradigmatic features, is now often referred to as a post-structuralist approach (Arató, 2013, 2014). Unlike traditional structural approaches that rely on fixed frameworks, this paradigm focuses on transforming the structures that shape the learning process itself, hence the post-structuralist label. It aims to transcend and deconstruct existing structures.

In contrast to avant-garde actionism or radical constructivism, which call for demolition to build ("Destroy so you can build!"), The CL discourse aligns with postmodern strategies of deconstruction. It restructures learning at the level of interpersonal micro-structures (Cohen, 1984). It builds to dismantle, or more precisely, erode, hierarchical, exclusionary, discriminatory, and anti-democratic structures of learning and communication.

In doing so, CL weakens oppressive systems by creating collaborative learning environments that offer genuine opportunities for equal participation and access. It guarantees structural equity. A condition participants increasingly choose for themselves as they move away from inherited "banking education" structures of learning and teaching (Freire, 1970) in their daily practice.

The cooperative paradigm, because it is built on structural principles, can be applied at multiple levels: interpersonal, intergroup, classroom, school, district (Johnson & Johnson, 1994), and even at the level of the entire education system (Arató, 2013, 2014). In other words, we are not dealing merely with a method, but with a new educational paradigm—one that enables the practical implementation of equity-focused structural transformations. These are the very transformations that critical discourse calls for in the fields of intercultural and multicultural education, as well as peace education and peace psychology. You can read more about this here.

By following the paradigm, it becomes possible to identify the key conditions for an optimal online learning environment. You can read more about this here. Soon we shall have this chapter reviewed. Follow the Contemporary Perspective news thread on the NICLEE website.

From a paradigmatic perspective, it is also insightful to understand how the discourse of educational constructivism and cooperative learning developed in dialogue with one another (Arató, 2023b; Davidson, 2021; Slavin et al., 2004). It is precisely in contrast to the constructivist discourse that the added value of the paradigmatic approach to the CL discourse becomes clear. While constructivism explores the environmental and interpersonal nature of knowledge construction and successfully develops practice-oriented models based on this, the discourse of cooperative learning reveals that interpersonal interactions themselves can carry culturally learned, hierarchical, exclusionary, and stereotypical attitudes, behaviors, and dynamics. These are rooted in unequal social status and systems of power relations (Cohen, 1994, Cohen & Lotan, 2014).

Thus, the cooperative paradigm, while integrating the insights revealed by constructivists (Gillies, 2018, 2020), goes further by highlighting the social embeddedness of environments and interactions and by offering practical principles for dismantling the antidemocratic legacy through cooperation. You can read more about this here.

The constructivist approach to developing thinking and learning competencies is also not new (Davidson, 2021; Gillies, 2020, 2023). Within the context of the paradigmatic approach, seven cooperative practical strategies have been identified that clearly emerged in close alignment with the constructivist discourse. You can read more about this here!

Beyond Peacemaking: Cooperative Learning and Peace Education

Rethinking the role of cooperative learning in peace education

In a world increasingly torn by divisions, the need to educate for peace has never been more urgent.

But what happens when a long-standing Peace Education programme is examined through the lens of shifting educational paradigms and evolving discourses? This article takes a deep dive into the widely cited ‘Teaching Students to be Peacemakers’ programme, uncovering how its cooperative learning roots align—or clash—with newer postmodern and critical approaches to peace.

What lies beneath the surface of this trusted discourse, and can it still serve the complex needs of today’s learners and societies?

Can teaching peace keep up with a world in flux?

As Peace Education embraces more nuanced, critical, and culturally aware approaches, traditional programmes like ‘Teaching Students to be Peacemakers’ come under renewed scrutiny.

Through a systematic literature review and a fresh analytical lens, this study explores how cooperative learning can support transformative peacebuilding.

It invites educators, researchers, and policy-makers alike to rethink what it really means to teach peace in the 21st century.

You can read the article here!

Seven Ways of Constructing Knowledge through Cooperative Learning

Arató, F. (2023). Seven Ways of Constructing Knowledge through Cooperative Learning. Autonomy and Responsibility Journal of Educational Sciences, 8(1), 17–38.

This article presents seven ways to construct knowledge through cooperative learning. The first part of the article provides a comprehensive examination of how deeply constructivist and cooperative learning discourses are interconnected and have interfaced with each other over the last five decades.

The article highlights how the two concepts have influenced each other and how their combination can lead to a more effective learning experience. The second part of the article is devoted to explaining the seven ways of constructing knowledge in cooperative learning settings.

Each of the seven ways - interactive, positively interdependent, synergic, synoptic, multicontextual, interferential, and action-based - is discussed in detail, with specific examples provided to illustrate how each approach works in practice.

The overall aim of the article is to assist educators and researchers in understanding the various cooperative learning approaches and their potential benefits in constructing knowledge.

The article emphasizes the importance of adopting simple cooperative approaches for efficient knowledge construction, and the importance of educators and researchers adapting these approaches to meet the needs of their students.

Read the article here!

A Shift to the Future - The Paradigmatic Approach of Cooperative Learning in Online Practice

Arató, F. (2023). A shift to the future: The paradigmatic approach of cooperative learning in online practice. In Gillies, R.M., Millis, B., & Davidson, N. (Eds.). Contemporary Global Perspectives on Cooperative Learning: Applications Across Educational Contexts. (1st ed.). Routledge.

This chapter explores how the paradigmatic approach to cooperative learning can support educators in transitioning to online teaching and learning, or more broadly, in leveraging the opportunities offered by digital environments.

It provides a concise overview of the technical prerequisites necessary for effective online classroom learning.

Additionally, the chapter outlines a framework for reorienting pedagogical processes in digital settings, grounded in the paradigmatic principles of cooperative learning discourse.

By applying the well-established cooperative learning principles, educators can easily recognize how, with minimal effort, the same conditions for interactive peer learning created in face-to-face classrooms can be replicated in virtual environments.

The chapter addresses the significant transformation brought about by AI and large language model (LLM)-based systems, highlighting the emerging culture of artificial intelligence and its implications for education, schooling, and socialization.

You can find the book, and the chapter and the book here!

Paradigmatic Approach