Team game tournament is an effective technique of cooperative learning wherein groups are created that function in the class for a period of time. In this technique the groups revise a portion of material before writing a written test. This motivates those students that have the fear of writing the test and to learn and reinforce what has been already learnt. This method is one of the learning strategies designed by Robert Slavin for the purpose of review and mastery in the learning. This method was basically to increase student's skills, increase interaction and self-esteem between students. In this technique the students study in the class. The material is supplied and are taught in groups or individually through different activities. The students after receiving the material review it and then bring 2-6 points from their study into their assigned groups. Since the tournament is based on a material there is a specific answer.
Characteristics
Students are working in hetrogeneous groups.
Playing the games makes the students to move into homogeneous and higher level groups.
Understanding other's skills.
Method
The students compete in the tournament after a designated time to study by forming groups of 3-4 students where the stronger students compete with the weaker students and winner of the respective teams is moved to a high level team while the students who don't score well are moved to an easier level. This ensures that students of the same ability are competing with each other."
Purpose
TGT enhances student cooperation and friendly competition which allows different students with different capabilities to work together and acquire mastery in the topics assigned to them. The students have the independence to have interactions with different students. The benefit of this activity is that it holds the students responsible for the material they have to prepare.
Advantages
The involvement of students in higher learning.
The students get excited about learning.
Knowledge is obtained from the student rather than solely from the teacher.
Fosters positive attitude in the students, such as cooperation, tolerance.
Trains students to express or convey ideas.
Disadvantages
It is time consuming for new teachers.
Requires adequate facilities and infrastructure.
Can create confusion in the classroom.
Does not translate to college environment where study is individualistic
It allows more voice to the dominant personality than individualistic study
It leaves out the slower student
It lowers the self esteem of the lower student by constantly being dominated
It creates a classroom of behavior problems
It allows noise in the classroom making it difficult for concentration
It creates a negative environment for the achiever that may have a lowered grade because of the lack of group work
Our world already functions in groups such as the police force, the unions, etc without teaching collective study
TGT is an effective tool to teach mathematics as it motivates and helps students acquire skills and mastery with the help of their peer and through healthy competition.