Fostering Student Cooperation and Responsibility through Fables-Based Small Group Discussion

Abstract

Abstract Integrating character education into English Language Teaching (ELT) remains an essential objective in secondary education. This study investigated the effect of a Fables-Based Small Group Discussion (SGD) strategy on students' core character values—specifically responsibility and cooperation. Employing a quantitative quasi-experimental design, the study involved tenth-grade students (N=40) divided into an experimental group (n = 20, taught via Fables-Based SGD) and a control group (n = 20, taught via Pair Discussion). Character values were evaluated before and after treatment using a four-point Likert questionnaire (16 items) based on Lickona's character framework. Descriptive statistics showed that the overall character education score of the experimental group rose from a pre-test mean of 52.19 (SD = 4.66, Poor) to a post-test mean of 90.24 (SD = 3.99, Very Good), whereas the control group increased from 52.66 (SD = 3.48, Poor) to 86.88 (SD = 3.22, Very Good). Inferential analysis confirmed that the post-test scores met the assumptions of normality (Shapiro–Wilk p > .05) and homogeneity of variance (Levene's p = .352). An independent samples t-test revealed a statistically significant difference favoring the experimental group (t(38) = 2.931, p = .006). These findings demonstrate that structured SGD utilizing English fables provides a significantly more effective learning context for developing student responsibility and cooperation than conventional pair discussions.