The present study investigates the effects of cooperative learning on learning strategies of 72 second-year Vietnamese higher education students toward the Research Methods in Education course over a nine-week course. These students were divided into two matched groups of 36 to be taught by the same lecturer. In the control group, cooperative learning was used, while in the experimental group, lecture-based teaching was employed. Results showed that students who were instructed using lecture-based teaching had lower scores on the post-tests of resource management and cognitive - metacognitive strategies than did the students who were instructed using cooperative learning. Implications for educators and further research are suggested for a less competitive and more effective learning outcome.