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Integrating Children
of Internally Displaced Populations via Cooperative Learning The project discussed in this article utilized CL as part of an effort to improve education for primary school children whose families had been displaced by conflict. At the same time, the project’s goals included greater implementation of student-centred education in hopes of improving education for all the children in the schools involved. The project took place in Indonesia, a developing country with a population of more than 200 million spread over a large number of islands in Southeast Asia. While education in Indonesia has made important strides over the years, access to education and teaching methodology are often cited as areas in need of further improvement. Class sizes of 40-50 are typical, with even larger classes not uncommon. In the late 1990s, violent inter-religious conflict between Christians and Moslems in the Indonesian province of Ambon resulted in people of both religions fleeing to other parts of the country. One place which has become home to thousands of these internally displaced people is the Buton district of Southeast Sulawesi province. The district consists of a small town, Bau-Bau, and smaller villages where the economy is based mainly on agriculture and fishing. Buton was chosen by these internally displaced people because two or three generations earlier, their families had left Buton for Ambon in search of better prospects. Despite the migrants’ ties to Buton, integration was not easy, and tensions arose between the migrants and the local population, due to cultural differences, in addition to the fact that both populations confronted increased poverty as a result of the increased number of inhabitants. One place where these tensions manifested themselves was in the primary schools. For instance, children segregated themselves according to their background, creating a hostile environment for the internally displaced newcomers. In other words, whereas local children made friends with other local children, IDP (internally displaced population) children were usually found with IDP classmates. There was concern that if this and similar situations continued, conflict in Buton would be unavoidable. In response to these conditions, the Ministry of Education of Indonesia and Save the Children UK commenced a project in Buton the goals of which included: ü integration of the internally displaced population into the host societies by reducing discriminatory practices through improved understanding between the displaced and host communities. ü increased quality of teaching for all children. The project worked closely with stakeholders including teachers, parents and other community members, principals, supervisors, education department at all levels (provincial, district and sub-district), the provincial teacher training centre, and most importantly, pupils. The author was a senior project officer. Needs analysis and evaluation were built into all aspects of the project. Data collection methods included focus group discussions and the use of photos taken in schools and other significant sites as a means of generating comments. Among the key quality indicators in the project’s work were that: ü Teachers and pupils respect each other ü Children can ask questions and communicate openly with teachers ü Teachers use a variety of methodologies to teach curriculum ü Teachers use small group activities ü Curriculum is relevant to students’ daily lives ü Children respect each other ü Children play together harmoniously ü Children help each other out of school with lessons ü Children interact without regard to religious or ethnic background ü The school has clean toilets and clean water. The project’s student-centred methodology, of which CL was a vital aspect, was a new learning framework for both teachers and students. Thus, teachers were invited to attend a series of workshops conducted by project staff, followed by workshops for principals and supervisors. Furthermore, regular school visits by project staff were organized to help teachers apply the newly introduced approach, and some teaching materials were provided. CL techniques used in the project included those in which students, in pair or foursomes, take turns to contribute ideas and information, and then report on what they learned from their partners. Additionally, students played cooperative games. In one popular game, students worked in groups to use thin wooden sticks sharpened at one end and sweet potatoes to make a bridge. The task was structured to promote positive interdependence among the group members. Although the project is still ongoing, a great deal of progress has already been made. Most IDP children have managed to make some good friends among the local children. Children of both groups, IDP and local, find their learning experience more enjoyable and useful. Furthermore, many teachers state that they now feel more confident in their teaching and that they find the new approach more motivating for their children. It has also been reported that in some schools, drop-out children have returned to school. In conclusion, while the research on CL suggests that it can contribute to important gains in learning, many other variables are also favourably impacted by the use of CL. These include affective variables such as attitudes towards school, teachers and classmates (Baloche, 1998). For instance, CL has been found to contribute to enhanced relations among ethnic groups in U.S. classrooms (Slavin, 1995). The project described above represents yet another instance in which CL has promoted an enhanced classroom environment, one in which all students feel welcome and in which a student-centred approach enhances learning. References Baloche, L. (1998). The cooperative classroom: Empowering learning. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Slavin, R. E. (1995). Cooperative learning: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
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