The Effectiveness of the Jigsaw Instruction Method for Teaching Quadrilaterals in Middle School

Abstract

In the study presented in this paper, we compared academic success outcomes in a 7th grade mathematics class for students learning the concept of quadrilaterals by traditional methods and the Jigsaw technique of cooperative learning. A secondary goal of the research was to assess the students’ opinions about their experiences learning with the Jigsaw technique. This study was conducted over a seven-week period in a middle school, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The quantitative portion is conducted by a post-test control group random experimental method. In the qualitative part, we completed a content analysis. The sample of the study includes 50 students; 25 in the control group and 25 in the experimental group. Jigsaw was used for the experimental group and traditional teaching methods were used for the control group to teach quadrilaterals. The results show that the difference between the success of the experimental and control group in the mathematics achievement tests is significantly in favour of the experimental group. Students’ positive and negative opinions on the technique were also revealed.

Keywords

• Cooperative learning,jigsaw,middle school,geometry,quadrilaterals

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