Abstract:

A person only becomes a person in the presence of other people. It is therefore very important to teach young people how to communicate with those people; in other words, we must teach them social skills. People living in marginalized communities have social skills that suit their social environment, but these are often insufficient for interacting with the majority population and for smooth integration into social life. It is therefore necessary for schools to ensure their adequate development. For these reasons, this paper addresses the issue of the social and personal development of Roma pupils from socially disadvantaged backgrounds through cooperative teaching. It follows on from our previous paper, in which we presented the objectives of our research project and the results of the initial measurements. This study represents the final phase of our research, which evaluates and interprets the results of the initial and final measurements. In our research, we used a quasi-experiment with a parallel group technique. The sample consisted of two experimental and two control groups of younger school-age pupils in the 3rd and 4th grades of primary school in eastern Slovakia. The short-term experimental intervention was carried out from the beginning of November 2024 to the end of April 2025. For the purposes of experimental verification, teachers were given methodological guidance on how to teach using cooperative methods (Think-pair-share, Placemat-activity, Pair-check, and others). The results of the experimental intervention demonstrated a causal relationship between the use of cooperative methods and the intensity of social skills development in Roma pupils from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. These findings confirm the importance and necessity of using cooperative methods that support the development of student cooperation, division of labor, teach students to solve problems and settle disputes, evaluate and appreciate each other, help each other, and so on. Cooperative teaching has an irreplaceable place and justification in improving the quality of the teaching process in the context of inclusive education.

Keywords:

Inclusive education, cooperative teaching, social skills, pupils from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.