The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of underprepared students regarding the effectiveness of two teaching strategies: cooperative learning and mastery learning, and the strategy the students perceive to be more beneficial than the other. Specific questions that guided the study are: How do underprepared students perceive the quality of learning or learning benefits of cooperative and mastery learning strategies? How do underprepared students feel about their experiences with each strategy? Which strategy do the students find more beneficial? The site for the inquiry was an institution of higher learning in Louisiana. Purposive sampling was used to select participants. Instruments for data collection are: open-ended semi-structured interviews, observations, and field notes. Data were analyzed using triangulation. The exploratory study focused on identifying important statements the 16 participants made for each strategy based on their experiences. The negative and positive statements for the strategies were compared to determine the strategy students found more beneficial. Results showed that participants expressed both positive and negative views about cooperative learning. With regard to mastery learning, they had positive perceptions with little or no reservations. It was concluded that the students used in this study preferred mastery learning to cooperative learning. It is believed that the study will help instructors and educators in general gain a deeper understanding of how students want to be taught and what they consider to be an effective instructional strategy. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]