Abstract:

The paper is devoted to the issue of developing students' critical thinking through cooperative teaching methods in teaching programmes at Prešov University in Prešov. Relying on the German authors C. Hoffmann (2009, 2010), K. Konrad, S. Traub (2012) the term of cooperative learning was understood as structured work in pairs or groups with elements of positive addiction, individual responsibility associated with the process of social learning and reflection. The main goal of the paper is to present the fundamentals of the selected cooperative methods (Think-Pair-Share, Pair-Check, Placemat-activity, Duet and others), evaluate their benefits and reserves through swot analysis. Another goal of the paper is to practically illustrate the way in which it is possible to develop students' cognitive and social personality area, including critical thinking through cooperative teaching methods. The author presents examples from his teaching in the subjects general didactics and history of pedagogy at Prešov University in Prešov.

Keywords:

Critical thinking, cooperative learning, cooperative teaching, cooperative methods.