Exploring the Synergy: An In-depth Review of Social Skills, Academic Achievement, and Peer Relationships within Cooperative Learning Environments

Introduction: Cooperative Learning, in which students work in teams, is a well-liked strategy for promoting healthy interdependence and the development of social skills. Positive interactions, common understanding, and individual agency are the cornerstones of cooperative learning, an approach to education and psychology. Method: A PRISMA-based systematic literature review of academic articles published between 2010 and 2023 from platforms including Google Scholar, ISI, Scopus, Science Direct, PubMed, ResearchGate, and many more investigates the impact of cooperative learning on social skills, academic achievements and peer relationships. The selection of scholarly publications was based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Relevance to the study’s objectives and the availability of a solid theoretical framework were inclusion criteria. Discussion: According to studies, cooperative learning groups are superior to traditional methods for enhancing social skills and acquiring knowledge. Additionally, cooperative learning can facilitate positive interactions between students with disabilities and their typically developing peers. Cooperative learning can also reduce racial disparities, improve peer relations, and increase empathy, which makes it a valuable intervention for reducing prejudice across multiple domains. Cooperative learning and social skill instruction can help children become less selective and more effective learners. Conclusion: Academic success and relationships with peers are profoundly influenced by one’s capacity for socialization, teamwork, and conflict resolution. The holistic well-being of students is promoted in cooperative learning settings because of the favorable effects on their social skills, academic performance, and interactions with their peers.