Instructional support for reading literacy and social skills through group investigation: A multiple case study in an elementary school

Abstract

Students' diverse learning needs require teachers to provide instructional support that is responsive to individual learner characteristics. Although Group Investigation has been widely recognized as an effective cooperative learning model, little is known about how teachers adapt instructional support for students with different learning needs during its implementation. This study explored how teachers provided instructional support through Group Investigation for elementary school students with contrasting learning needs. A qualitative multiple case study was conducted in a fifth-grade classroom at an elementary school in Palembang, Indonesia. Two purposively selected participants represented contrasting cases: Student A, who experienced reading literacy difficulties, and Student B, who demonstrated challenges in social skills. Data were collected through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis and analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña, including within-case and cross-case analyses. The findings revealed that instructional support was adapted to each student's learning needs while maintaining the same collaborative learning environment. Student A received support emphasizing guided reading, comprehension of written information, and peer-assisted learning, whereas Student B received support focused on communication, participation, and collaborative interaction. Cross-case analysis showed that Group Investigation enabled teachers to provide individualized instructional support without altering the instructional structure. These findings demonstrate that Group Investigation functions not only as a cooperative learning model but also as an adaptive instructional support strategy for addressing diverse learning needs in elementary classrooms.