Perceptions towards cooperative learning in students of Primary and Infant Education Teacher Degrees

The European Higher Education Area has brought a significant change in traditional practices of university education, introducing significant changes in teaching methodology. In this way, we have changed from a teaching centred model to a learning centred one. This paper presents research aimed at first year students in Early Childhood Education and Primary Education in the University of Jaen. This paper intends to determine their attitudes and perceptions towards developing cooperative strategies in their learning process. Thus, the study sample was selected through a randomized sampling procedure and it was made up by all students who answered the questionnaire provided after taking the subject (n=416). The results have shown a favorable perception of the students surveyed towards this type of methodology. They assessed positively both the planning posed by the teacher and its impact on their learning process. Additionally, the data provided have revealed that older students and those studying Early Childhood Education are more receptive to this type of methodology. No doubt, this is an innovative experience in the field of Higher Education which has meant significant progress in the teaching of undergraduates.