Glasgow General Education complete discussion and findings section of the dissertation

i. Discussion and Findings 1. Benefits of Collaborative Learning for EAL Students Collaborative learning remains an essential approach in dealing with EAL students as one learns about the pros and cons outlined in mention in the subsequent section. Synthesis of Research Findings Findings demonstrate the beneficial effect of interactive learning in the acquisition and creation of English Second Language (ESL) for students and their development as learners. Collaborative learning, as observed in research by Borup et al., (2020), helps students to enhance their motivation to study and to actively participate in class. Therefore, these two conditions are necessary for the learners to improve their language proficiency and understand academic content. Prioritizing collaborative efforts among peers allows (EAL) students to take ownership of group projects, share ideas, and successfully improve their English proficiency in a supportive environment. Also, just like Ghavifekr (2020) points out, teamwork learning can contribute to enhancing socialization skills for EAL students. Cooperative learning environments are created for intensive cooperation and dialogue with other students. This allows the interaction with peers to take place in real-time and to be more successful. Language studies provide students with the opportunity to develop crucial social skills such as effective communication, teamwork, and relationship building, all of which are necessary for academic and social progress. Collaboration serves as yet another intervention of this method. This EAL plays a central role in developing students’ critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication competencies as revealed by Abramczyk & Jurkowski (2020). EAL students are involved in group work that creates an ideal setting for speaking out, expressing views, and exercising practical and critical thinking skills, as well as embracing teamwork. Furthermore, group work facilitates the speaking of opinions, explaining the positions, expressing the points, and communicating with peers. They are learning and that inspires them to do better at school. It is a way to build their chances of being successful in education and workplaces as well. 2. Improved Language and Cultural Adaptation In a collaborative learning environment, EAL students will have an opportunity to practice and enhance their language skills by engaging in authentic settings. Interaction with other students has proven to be the best way to sharpen language skills and this results in improvement of vocabulary, fluency, and communicative competence (Smets et al, 2022). Furthermore, working together enables classmates to comment on performance and correct the errors made by the EAL students as a result of which they develop the skills to detect and deal with errors precisely. On the other hand, aside from fostering cultural integration and expression, collaborative learning facilitates the exchange and interactions of various literatures and cultures. Collaboration with other learners from diverse backgrounds exposes learners to different ways of thinking, hence an understanding of various customs, values, and norms, thus promoting respect and acceptance (Ouyang & Ye, 2023). Interacting tasks that place the student’s cultural past and realizations in view can, therefore, verify their identity and be part of an equitable classroom. 3. Academic and Socio-Emotional Benefits EAL students’ collaborative efforts enhance their socio-emotional abilities while also improving their learning. EAL students learn more efficiently since they can make connections between abstract concepts and academic content using other teaching methods such as peer clarification, elaboration, and discussion (Kibici, 2022). Through using teams to complete tasks, students rely on active learning processes to develop a better understanding and memory of the material, which then, is reflected positively on their academic performance and their capacity with education. In another scenario, collaborative learning is advantageous to the group as well as other elements including social and emotional development, healthy peer relationships, teamwork, and participation within the group. Borup et al (2020) contend that interactive groups often give students a feeling of more selfconfidence and self-effectiveness as well as improve their engagement during a lesson. In conjunction with other pupils in the EAL program, those students strive to improve their interpersonal abilities, which include social communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution which are vital skills for dealing with their social relations with their peers in the classroom and outside. Additionally, collaborative learning broadens EAL students’ leadership, empathy, and community spirit through lessons that require teamwork and acceptance. The collaborative learning environment empowers the EAL students to occupy leading positions, share tasks, and hold productive dialogues. More importantly, students become more competent and autonomous by fostering their leadership skills (Borup et al, 2020). As well as this, the attachment to other students belonging to different ethnic groups stimulates sympathy and comprehension that make the students perceptive about the views, values, and cultural practices of others. It becomes evident that diversity empowers social responsibility among the EAL students thus contributing towards a better and healthy classroom environment. 4. Teachers’ Roles in Facilitating Collaborative Learning Competencies Required for Teachers For teachers to facilitate collaborative learning, several educational competencies spanning various domains will be needed. According to Borup et al. (2020), a vital feature of the Academic Communities of Engagement (ACE) framework is the central role of teachers in promoting student engagement, regardless of whether the course is taught online or in a blended form. This framework brings out the need for the teacher to keep the students affected, behavioural, and cognitive active, consequently developing supportive learning environments. To accomplish the task, teachers need to be great at communitybuilding, instructional design, and differentiated instruction to attend to the various needs of students (Smets et al., 2022); Ouyang & Ye, 2023). In addition, Abramczyk and Jurkowski (2020) examined the role of the teacher’s view and concepts of cooperative learning. Given the expanding divide, professional development programs should provide teachers with tools such as methods, example lessons, and resources to help structure student interactions when working in groups. The provision of these technologies can help to establish scaffolding environments for collaborative learning, hence increasing student engagement and learning accomplishments. Role of Teachers in Building an Inclusive Learning Atmosphere Teachers substantiate and stimulate conditions of inclusion and support where students feel accepted and valued for their linguistic and cultural diversity. Smets et al. (2022) argues that, providing differentiated instruction to address students’ varied readiness levels and ways of learning is at the centre of adequate response to student diversity. Collaborative teaching planning and individual learning experience design could help tailor learning experiences to adapt to individual needs, so students feel belong and empowered. Moreover, Fuster (2024) states that, in this case, an educator makes use of students’ linguistic resources for their language learning, and this is through pedagogical translanguaging. Teachers play a core role in developing students’ sense of identity with their language through promoting a conscious word transfer. Teachers can enhance EAL students’ learning experiences and foster their identity development by embracing their languages in classroom practice. 5. Strategies for Professional Development Teachers will be able to consistently establish a collaborative learning environment in the classroom with the help of professional courses designed specifically for them. According to Smets et al. (2022), professional development and coaching should be the techniques by which educators acquire the practical skills required to implement differentiation as an effective teaching technique. According to Janssen and Kirschner (2020), the assessment of students’ various readiness levels and learning styles is taken into consideration as well as appropriate teaching strategies are implemented to accommodate multiple variations. Teachers will receive individual coaching and practical skills training to help them gain the knowledge and confidence needed to effectively implement collaborative learning strategies with their students. In addition, Borup et al (2020) outlined the significant role of teamlearning environments within the school setting as well. These school communities make things possible for teachers to involve themselves in the collaborative inquiry, share their success stories, and discuss inherent weaknesses in their teaching. They become acquainted with the fundamental principles of collaborative learning and apply them throughout group discussions and peerbased approaches. Teachers strengthen their approaches to teaching by repeating through this process. Collaborative learning communities, in the same breath, also create a culture of reform and innovation, where teachers work in teams to address problems and reflect on new approaches to boost EAL students` academic achievement rates. 6. Challenges and Solutions in Implementing Collaborative Learning Common Challenges: Providing team learning for EAL students can bring several noticeable challenges. The problem of linguistic diversity among students is one of the most dramatic, since this diversity may restrict the communication among the group members working together. The lack of vocabulary and knowledge of the native tongue of the EAL students may lead to their strict involvement in a collaborative process which could result in their exclusion from it (Fuster, 2024). Other than that, the student’s culture is also a factor that may contribute to ease or discomfort with group projects. Students belonging to different cultures may have varied norms including communication styles, teamwork, and social interaction. These factors may contribute to different engagement levels when undertaking group work (Borup et al, 2020). However, logistical challenges are also an important hurdle that EAL students need to overcome if they want to succeed. Time regulation in this regard, the short periods allowed for collaborative activities or conflicting timetables, might keep students away from engaging in authentic active collaboration (Kibici, 2022). Furthermore, it may be difficult to facilitate collaborative experiences that will meet the needs of the various EAL students due to the inconsistent availability of computers, educational materials, and classroom spaces, among many other factors. These logistical barriers impair educators’ ability to prioritize and align collaborative efforts appropriately; hence, the quality of classroom instruction can be affected. Therefore, these goals can be achieved if there is clear guidance, thoughtful utilization of available resources, and frameworks that provide easy access for EAL learners to education opportunities. Proposed Solutions: Some approaches can be used to cope with these difficulties. First and foremost, teacher training is crucial because it enriches educators with the skills and knowledge to help EAL students have better collaborative learning experiences (Abramczyk & Jurkowski, 2020). Professional development programs should take teachers through the process of providing strategies to encourage inclusive participation, manage group dynamics, and guide language development during collaborative activities. Moreover, curriculum planning should involve establishing a platform for structured language learning and scaffolding for EAL students to enable their peer learning engagement (Smets et al., 2022). Classroom management skills also play a vital role in establishing a learning environment conducive to collaborative work. Educators should clearly indicate participation expectations, provide precise instructions on how to carry out collaborative tasks, and develop strategies to foster shared involvement and accountability (Ouyang & Ye, 2023). Technology tools and digital platforms for this purpose will achieve a lot, especially when dealing with students in online or blended learning environments (Borup et al, 2020); Su et al., 2022). Similarly, creating a classroom environment catered toward culturally responsive learning is necessary for facilitating equitable participation and engagement during collaborative learning exercises (Fuster, 2024). Teachers must be supportive and embrace students’ linguistic and cultural backgrounds. There should be opportunities for students to express their views and experiences. Additionally, it is critical to promote mutual respect among classmates. Embracing and implementing diversity, particularly cultural diversity, can improve all students’ learning experiences by encouraging solidarity, collaboration, and academic success. 7. Evaluation of Collaborative Learning Strategies Several collaborating learning methodologies have been used to help EAL students; however, each has pros and cons. As Abramczyk and Jurkowski (2020) identified, the cooperative learning model requires structured collaboration among students that helps build social, cognitive, and non-cognitive skills which is suitable for overall learning. However, it is of varying efficacy depending on the group dynamics and how competent facilitators are. Therefore, the cases in which cooperative learning is successful arise from well-designed group tasks, clear roles, and effective monitoring by the teacher to guarantee mutual participation and quality interaction among students, as well as differentiated instructions. Smets et al. (2022) and Ouyang & Ye (2023) classified it as a studentcantered method that accommodates learner diversity by adjusting instruction according to learner preparation, interest, and profile. Although varied instruction offers a unique approach to each student, challenges may arise when implementing diverse instruction, particularly in assessing and incorporating these variations into education. Teachers must have the necessary assessment skills and the flexibility to instruct based on each individual in order to address the different requirements of EAL students within the context of the entire learning environment while being collaborative and supportive. 8. Identification of Research Gaps While numerous works on cooperative learning in the context of EAL have proved fruitful, considerable gaps still need to be filled. To consider a specific case, one could examine the application of collaborative learning techniques but have researched in depth whether those would lead to language ownership or academic success on a long-term basis. Further to this, exploring how language proficiency and cultural background, as well as prior educational experiences, are the aspects that influence the outcome of the collaborative learning experience is also in the field of research. 9. Critical reflection on implications for practice The present research can be directly applied to teaching EAL learners as it provides a collaborative learning approach. Teachers primarily focus on the appropriateness of the different collaborative learning strategies they employ considering the diversity of the students’ needs and the environment they learn in. Also, training courses for professional development take up educating teachers on effective teaching techniques as well as promoting equity and inclusion in the classroom. Even more, a school should allocate resources and structures to have the successful implementation of cooperative learning activities through collaborative planning time, peer observation, and ongoing mentorship. Such an extensive evaluation of various collaborative learning strategies for EAL students should be based on a complex understanding of their strengths and weaknesses and it takes into account some research limitations. By applying critical thinking, teachers can select the most appropriate solutions that are in favour of their students’ bilingualism, academic achievement, and socialemotional development. 10. Conclusion Collaborative learning has become a beneficial method for the educational, linguistic, emotional, and social growth of (EAL) students. Through participation in collaborative tasks, students can relate with other students, boost their language skills, and enrich their academic knowledge. On the other hand, successful implementation of collaborative learning mandates attention to student’s personalized needs, along with competent facilitation by teachers and continued professional development. However, the research has pointed out many advantages of collaborative learning to EAL students apart from the gaps that remain to be addressed, mainly in the long—term effects of the collaborative strategies and the intersectionality of the factors becoming the learning outcome. In the future, educators need to consider utilizing all possible innovative approaches to collaborative learning while critically assessing their effectiveness and adapting methodologies to match the particularities of EAL students in 21stcentury education.

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