Where it is used
Each entry identifies the volume, edition, chapter or appendix in which the work appears.
The evidence behind the series
Follow the research.
Explore every source.
Browse the scientific research and professional literature used across all seven volumes of The Science of Learning for Educators.
7book volumes
8author ranges
1searchable library
Search the collection
Find a paper, author or idea.
Choose an author range, search a title or concept, or narrow the collection by source type. Open any result to see where it appears in the books, read its evidence summary and follow available source links.
1 reference
-
- Vol 3 RE: Chapters 1, 2, 6, 10, 12, 14, App A
- Vol 3 TE: App C
- Vol 4 RE: App C
social interdependence theorycooperative learningpositive interdependenceindividual accountabilitypromotive interactiongroup processingJournal article Evidence summaryAt a glance
Johnson and Johnson present social interdependence theory as an example of sustained interaction among theory, research, and educational practice. Interdependence exists when individuals perceive that their outcomes are linked.
Key ideas
Positive interdependence promotes cooperative action; negative interdependence promotes competition; and no interdependence supports individualistic effort. Across decades of studies, cooperative structures generally outperform competitive and individualistic ones on achievement, reasoning, time on task, relationships, social support, and several psychological outcomes. Benefits do not arise from unstructured group seating. Effective cooperative learning deliberately establishes positive interdependence, individual accountability, promotive interaction, appropriate interpersonal skills, and group processing. These conditions influence how participants interact, and interaction mediates outcomes. The authors trace the theory’s origins, research programme, validation, controversies, and translation into classroom procedures.
Why it matters
Reported aggregate effects span diverse studies, so implementation, task, population, and methodological quality still matter. The “success story” is not that one technique works everywhere, but that a clearly specified theory generated testable propositions, cumulative evidence, refinements, and practical designs that educators can implement and evaluate.
A transparent research trail
More than a bibliography.
What it contributes
Evidence summaries explain the central idea and why the source matters to educators.
How to access it
Entries link to lawful full text where available, or to a publisher, library or purchase page.
Edition abbreviations
- TE
- Teacher Edition
- PE
- Practice Edition
- RE
- Research Edition
Citation checks
References are checked against publisher records, scholarly indexes, DOI or ISBN metadata, repositories and author records where available. An entry marked [Citation not verified] preserves the wording found in the relevant volume without attributing findings to an unconfirmed work.
From sources to a coherent pathway