SHILLONG, June 25: Brother Solomon Morris, Principal of St. Edmund’s School, has been awarded a PhD by North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) for his research on improving English language skills and learning motivation among middle school students in Shillong.With 45 years of experience in education, Brother Morris focused his study on “Cooperative Learning on Developing English Language Skills and Motivation Towards Learning English of Middle School Students in Shillong.” The research examined how collaborative methods, where students work in small groups, impact language proficiency and classroom engagement.
The study utilised the Social Constructivist Theory of psychologist Lev Vygotsky and the framework developed by education experts David W. Johnson and Roger T Johnson. The findings revealed that students involved in structured cooperative activities showed significant improvements in language skills, motivation, and self-confidence.
Brother Morris stated that the approach provides a practical, scalable model for schools. It encourages teachers to act as facilitators, allowing students to actively construct knowledge through peer interaction.
During his career, Brother Morris has served in various Christian Brothers schools across India. He has led programmes on teacher education, creative teaching, and lesson planning, and has authored several papers on classroom-based learning strategies. He is currently developing modules on Academic Leadership in Schools to further support teacher empowerment and institutional growth.
