Cooperative Learning (CL) is an instructional method that has received considerable attention in educational research and practice at various grade levels and in various subject areas. The methods and structures of CL can be categorized into five models, namely the Structural Approach, Group Investigation, Student Team Learning, Curriculum Packages and Learning Together. They all follow the principles of positive interdependence, individual accountability, heterogeneous groups and equal opportunities for class participation and success. Cooperative learning is extremely useful for young learners. Incorporating cooperative learning has many advantages. Slavin (1991) conducted a synthesis of research on cooperative learning. He found out that sixty seven studies measured the effect of cooperative learning on student achievement. These studies established that when students work in heterogeneous groups and are rewarded they achieve more than students who are in traditionally taught classes. He also found out that, cooperative learning methods work equally well for all types of students. Research studies also showed that cooperative learning has an effect on variety of thing such as “liking school, development of peer norms in favor of doing well academically, feelings of individual control over the student’s own fate in school, and cooperativeness and altruism”. (Slavin 1991, p: 80).
I would like to share with you my experience in implementing Jigsaw II, a cooperative learning method, in my classroom. I have implemented as a part of my thesis which is entitled The Effect of Jigsaw II on Fourth Graders’ the Reading Achievement and Motivation. I was interested in Jigsaw reading because it is a humanistic approach to teaching languages. The second reason is that I’ve read a lot of literature about its effects on achievement. I thought of implementing and trying it in a country where it is still a novelty. Therefore, rationale for my study is based on several factors. First, CL has only recently been introduced to schools in Lebanon. The results of its use have not been thoroughly investigated yet. It is important to check whether CL methods are feasible and effective in a country where there's a pressure on students to compete against each other from parents and teachers. Second, this study attempts to explicate the connection between CL, specifically Jigsaw II, and EFL learners' motivation and achievement. Finally, this study has pedagogical implications. On the practical side, teachers will benefit from the results of this study and become more informed whether to use this method in their classrooms or not.
Before the beginning of the school year and before classes were scheduled, students were randomly assigned into one of two sections A and B. One of the two sections was randomly chosen to receive cooperative learning. The other received traditional instruction. I taught both classes. The study was designed to last two months. The control group was taught using traditional method. The students read individually inside the classroom or at home. Class discussion followed their reading. Pair work and group work were occasionally used. With the experimental group, I followed the same stages. The difference is that I applied Jigsaw reading instead of individual reading every time I had a reading lesson. In Jigsaw II, the students participate in expert groups and learning teams. In expert groups, students read part of the lesson and become experts in its content. Then, they return to their teams and share their information with their teammates, so that all of them master all the content. Students then do individual quizzes .The group whose members improved the most receives The Super Team Award. To be clearer, the steps involved in Jigsaw II are forming learning and expert teams, developing expertise, sharing expertise with learning teams, assessing individual achievement and finally calculating team improvement and recognizing team accomplishment. My role was a facilitator and a guide. Throughout the study the same subject matter was covered and the two classes used the same book. Both classes had the same homework assignments which were corrected in class the next school day. Academic objectives were the same for both classes and all tests and quizzes were identical for both classes
After two months, i.e. during the first week of December, the two groups did the Motivation to Read Profile(Gambel, Palmer, Codling, Mazzoni.1996) and Gates–McGinitie Reading Test,4Th edition to check whether the treatment, i.e. the use of Jigsaw II method, has an effect on their reading motivation and achievement or not. Descriptive statistic, that is the means and the standard deviations of the experimental and control group were computed. Then a Multivariate Analysis of Variance MANOVA was conducted to compare the results of both groups. The students' responses to the semantic differential scale and the Likert-type questions were tallied and the percentages were computed to indicate the value students place on reading and their self concepts as readers, which are two dimensions of reading motivation. The results showed that jigsaw II had a positive effect on students’ achievement and motivation
The difficulties which I faced in using Jigsaw II as a teaching method are not many. I prefer to call them challenges. The preparation of material, especially the expert sheets and the quizzes took a lot of time. Moreover, children needed time to learn how to control their behavior and some teams needed time to adjust and accept each other.
To ensure success I advise you, English teachers of Makassed, to take these tips into consideration:
1-Before starting to implement jigsaw II, do some team building activities to foster productive team work. Your teams should definitely be heterogeneous, including children from different abilities. When selecting the teams also make sure that there is an equal number of boys and girls if possible, and try to avoid best friends or worst enemies. Don’t change your teams often unless there is something exceptionally urgent
2-Let the teams solve their problems on their own. Don’t interfere unless there is something that can’t be solved unless you interfere. Also don’t answer questions unless no one knows the answer. As it is often said,” Don’t be a sage on the stage. Be a guide on the side.”
3-Always prepare your material beforehand, because it takes much time and effort to prepare them. Your efforts, however, will be rewarded when your students show better results 4- Don’t be late in correcting the individual quizzes, calculating the improvement points and giving awards. Children are waiting for your recognition. Remember, it’s often said,” Rewards make group work work.”
References
Gambell,L.B.,Palmer,B.M..,Codling,.R.M.Mazzoni,S.A.,(1996)Assessing Motivation to Read. The Reading Teacher , 49, 518-533.
Slavin,R.E.,(1991,a) Synthesis of Research on Cooperative Learning Educational Leadership, 71-82
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