Student-Student and Student-Teacher Interactions through the Jigsaw II Method in the Teaching of the Economics Subject in Secondary Education

Abstract

Peer interactions and teacher student interactions are essential components of learning upon which cooperative learning (CL) is rooted. Empirical data about this type of interactions are scanty. The aim of this research is to compare students’ opinions about the student-student and student-teacher interactions in a CL method (Jigsaw II/puzzle) and the conventional teacher learning method after learning an economics teaching unit in a secondary education school. The study was carried out in a secondary education level institute in the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands (Spain) during the 20172018 academic year. Twenty-eight students took part in the study. Students were taught a unit through the conventional teacher exposition method and later through a CL technique (Jigsaw II/puzzle). Peer interactions and teacher-student interaction were evaluated through a 5-point Likertscale. Students were evaluated twice, during the conventional instruction and approximately two weeks later after receiving the CL instruction. The total score of interactions among peers was significantly higher with the CL method than the conventional method (conventional method: 19.92 ± 2.26 vs CL method: 21.54 ± 2.75, p