Effect of Cooperative Learning on Drug Addiction Potential among Female Students

Youngsters' addiction potential has made adolescence a highly sensitive and critical period of life. Educational interventions can affect addiction prevention and cooperative learning is one of the active education methods. The present study aimed to determine the effect of cooperative learning on drug addiction potential among female students. This randomized controlled clinical trial was performed on 66 female students in 2018. The intervention group attended four cooperative educational sessions on addiction, physical, psychological, social and economic consequences and complications of drug abuse, and effective communication skills. On the other hand, the participants in the control group received education in the form of lectures. The addiction potential questionnaire was filled by all subjects before and one month after the intervention. Data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 16) using an independent t-test, paired t-test, and Wilcoxon test. According to the results, the two groups were homogenous in terms of all demographic variables. As evidenced by the results of the independent t-test, the mean score of addiction potential was significantly lower in the intervention group (10.3±12.4), compared to the control group (2.7±8.8) (P<0.001). Our findings can help instructors select and implement the most efficient techniques of cooperative learning in order to prevent addiction among adolescents.