THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STUDENT TEAM LEARNING OUTCOMES AND ACHIEVEMENT, CAUSAL ATTRIBUTIONS, AND AFFECT

This field investigation examined the relationship between prior achievement (high vs. average vs. low), individual outcome (success vs. failure), team outcome (success vs. failure) and students' achievement and academic perceptions. One hundred and ninety students in 7 elementary school classes learned mathematics for 5 weeks with the Teams-Games-Tournaments cooperative learning strategy. Team outcome was significantly related to achievement and academic perceptions and was independent of prior achievement and individual outcome. Members of successful teams attributed their team's performance more to ability and luck than did members of unsuccessful teams, believed themselves to be more successful, more deserving of reward, and happier about their team outcome. Alternatives such as criterion-referenced team goals and between-team cooperation are recommended.