The Effects of Cooperative Learning in Synchronous Online and Classroom Environments on Thirteen-Year-old Students’ Understanding of Dissolution at the Submicroscopic Level

This study examined the impact of cooperative learning on 13-year-old students’ understanding of the dissolution process at the submicroscopic level in synchronous online versus classroom settings. A quasi-experimental design was conducted with 318 students from seven primary schools in Serbia, with classes randomly assigned to online (Group A) or classroom (Group B) conditions. Within each class, small heterogeneous groups of three or four members were formed based on students’ previous chemistry grades. Pre- and post-tests were administered, and results analyzed using ANCOVA. Findings showed that online groups achieved significantly higher post-test scores than classroom groups, even after controlling for pre-test differences. Notably, three-membered online groups demonstrated improvement, while four-membered online groups, despite lower initial scores, exhibited the greatest overall progress. These results indicate that synchronous online environments can effectively support cooperative learning in chemistry and may offer advantages over traditional face-to-face settings.