Comparative effect of using cooperative and competitive learning on the academic achievement of introvert and extrovert EFL learners

Abstract

The present study endeavors to examine the effect of using two learning techniques, cooperative and competitive, on the academic achievement of two personality traits, introvert and extrovert EFL learners. Thus, 20 EFL students studying first year Licence from French Language Major at Yahia Fares University in Medea were selected to participate in this quasi experimental research based on their B2 level in Headway Placement Test. After that, they were required to fill the MBTI questionnaire to divide them into extroverts and introverts, subsequently, there were four subgroups. (05) Introverts and (05) Extroverts experienced CL treatment where cooperation between learners has been implied; and (05) Introverts and (05) Extroverts went through the competitive learning treatment where competition between learners has been emphasized. Each group was exposed to the treatment of six sessions. The treatment included the lessons that the participants seemed not grasping very well in the pretest. A two-way ANOVA was conducted to analyze the data in the posttest for the four subgroups. The results displayed is that while extroverts seemed to perform well in the CL treatment, introverts were less interested in this type of instruction, and vice versa, introverts happened to outperform extroverts in the competitive situation.