| dc.description.abstract | Cooperative learning is often confused with the learning community advocated by Japanese scholar Manabu Sato. In order to distinguish between the two, this research compared learning community with cooperative learning in theoretical basis, the role of teachers, student relationships, and its content and purposes of learning. The analysis adapts reviewing the literature profoundly, including of the literature related to cooperative learning and the publications of Manabu Sato, especially the primary Japanese sources. The research found that learning community and cooperative learning are fundamentally different in terms of its theoretical basis, the role of the teachers, student relationships, and its content and purposes of learning. The critical difference between the two is “homogeneity” and “heterogeneity”. Cooperative learning treats students as homogeneous beings, while learning community attaches the importance to student heterogeneity. By discovering the difference between the learning community and cooperative learning, this research further identifies three core spirits of the learning community: “learning is the reconstruction of interpersonal relationships”, “learning is practiced through listening-based dialogues”, “the value of others to the learning subjects should not be neglected”. The findings may serve as a reflection on the educational reform and practice in Taiwan, and provide some suggestions on the development of future research in learning community. | en_US |