JIGSAW VE ÖĞRENCİ TAKIMLARI BAŞARI BÖLÜMLERİ YÖNTEMLERİNİN ÖĞRETMEN ADAYLARININ EPİSTEMOLOJİK İNANÇLARINA VE AKADEMİK BAŞARILARINA ETKİSİ

THE IMPACT OF JIGSAW AND STAD ON PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ EPISTEMOLOGICAL BELIEFS AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

Özet

İşbirlikli öğrenme öğrenciyi merkeze alarak bilişsel ve sosyal becerilerini geliştirmeyi hedefleyen yöntemler arasında yer almaktadır. İşbirlikli öğretim yöntemlerinden jigsaw ve öğrenci takımları başarı bölümleri (ÖTBB), işbirlikli yapılardan en iyi bilinenleri, en çok araştırmaya konu olanları ve öğretimde en çok kullanılanlarıdır. Epistemoloji ise bilginin kaynağını, doğasını ve sınırlarını inceler. Bu çalışmanın amacı, sosyal bilgiler öğretmen adaylarının işbirlikli öğrenme yöntemlerinden jigsaw ve ÖTBB'nin epistemolojik inançlara ve akademik başarıya etkisiyle ilgili görüşlerinin belirlenmesidir. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu Artvin Çoruh Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Sosyal Bilgiler Eğitimi Anabilim Dalı, ikinci sınıfta öğretim ilke ve yöntemleri dersini alan 10 öğrenci oluşturmaktadır. Katılımcılarla yarı yapılandırılmış soruların sorulduğu görüşmeler yapılmıştır. Görüşme formlarının araştırmacı tarafından incelenmesinin ardından her bir katılımcıyla bireysel olarak görüşülmüş ve araştırmacı tarafından katılımcılara konuyla ilgili görüşlerini, düşüncelerini ve deneyimlerini rahatça açıklayabilecekleri açık uçlu sorular sorulmuştur. Veriler tematik kodlama ile ayrıştırılıp tablolaştırılarak değerlendirilmiştir. Jigsaw grubundaki katılımcıların yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme sorularına verdikleri yanıtlar bu grubun epistemolojik inançlarının ÖTBB grubundaki katılımcılara göre daha sofistike olduğunu gösterirken ÖTBB grubundaki katılımcıların yanıtları da işbirlikli çalışmalar boyunca başarıya jigsaw grubundaki katılımcılara göre daha çok güdülendiklerini göstermektedir. Araştırmanın nitel bulguları ayrıca her iki yöntemin uygulanış biçimi ve genel olarak işbirlikli yöntemlerin özellikleri hakkında öğrencilerin verdiği dönütleri ve gelecekteki uygulamalara yönelik önerileri içermektedir

Abstract

Cooperative learning is one of the student centered methods and it aims improving student’s cognitive and social skills. Among a variety of cooperative learning methods, jigsaw and student teams achievemen devisions (STAD) are the most known, most widely used, mostly mentioned in researches, and mostly researched ones. Epistemology, on the other hand, examines the resource, nature, and borders of knowledge. The aim of this study is to determine social studies preservice teachers’ opinions regarding the effects of jigsaw and STAD on their epistemological beliefs and academic achievement. The study group of the research was consisted of 10 students who attended ArtvinÇoruh University College of Education Department of Social Science Education. Qualitative data was collected with semi structured interview forms and analyzed with thematic coding and was tabulated. Participants’ answers to semi structured interview questions and later on to open ended questions indicate that pre-service teachers in jigsaw group have more sophisticated epistemological beliefs than the ones in STAD group. On the other hand, STAD group seemed more motivated to success than jigsaw group. Qualitative findings of the research also include the opinions of pre-service teachers about the implementation of both methods, features of cooperative methods in general; and recommendations for future applications Teacher centered, traditional methods that were criticized for not to care problem solving and critical thinking skills enough are giving place to different thinking techniques and participation centered methods. Cooperative learning is one of these student centered methods which aim to improve social skills. Research shows that cooperative learning improves problem solving, decision making, critical thinking and creative thinking strategies which are skill types also. Studies examine cooperative learning state its contributions to attitudes towards courses, motivation towards learning, retention of knowledge, psychological and social development, increase of self reliance, improving communication, increase of individual accountability, and decrease of anxiety Jigsaw and student teams achievement divisions (STAD) are two of most known, most widely used, and most researched of cooperative methods. In the results of the researches regarding jigsaw it was found that this method increases student' self reliance and communication skills and affects student' attitude and motivation towards course positively. Researches regarding STAD also show that this method affects students' self reliance, communication skills, and motivation towards learning and attitude towards courses positively. It is an expected situation for cooperative learning that affects many cognitive psychological factors in learning process, being effective also on individual's epistemology. Epistemology is the study of what would be accepted as knowledge, where knowledge is and how it is increased. Teachers' personal epistemology is beliefs about gaining knowledge that provide teaching in class and learning. Epistemological beliefs of teachers affect teaching strategies they use and their openness about students' different views and opinions. Thus, the aim of this study is to specify social studies pre-service teachers’ opinions regarding the effects of jigsaw and STAD on their epistemological beliefs and academic achievement. Methodology To collect the qualitative data of the research, five from each group, a total of ten participants that volunteer and active in their studies were chosen from jigsaw and STAD groups which are constructed for implementation. Semi-structured interview questions were asked to the participants. To provide content and face validity three faculty member's opinions were taken who are experts in the area. Considering expert opinions, corrections were made on interview questions and a pilot study was conducted with five students. Students' answers in pilot study were given back to the students as coded form for member checking. In the light of expert views and member checking interview form was finalized. After semi-structured questions answered by the participants, the researcher interviewed with each participant individually and asked open ended questions that they could answer and declare their views, opinions, and experiences comfortably. The answers that given to open ended questions were printed by the researcher and were transcribed verbatim with the answers of the first interview questions. Findings Participants' answers to interview questions show that some of them made group studies in their learning life but none of them participated in cooperative studies. The question about their attitude towards knowledge is answered as knowledge is not absolute or certain; could be change dependently on time, person or context; or contrarily, it is universal; could be accepted as right or wrong; certain and endless. Besides, according to the participants knowledge is varied and complex; or contrarily has a simple structure. In terms of speed of learning they expressed their opinions as knowledge could be learned in time or learning and forgetting occur fast. In the matter of effects of authority on gaining knowledge, while some of the participants expressed the importance of authority, some of others stated that a person can learn without needing authority. The opinions, learning depends on ability or contrarily depends on effort, expressed by equal number of participants from both groups. While jigsaw group students attribute the changes in their learning life or achievement level to their individual studies and efforts more in comparison with the STAD group; also they include circle of friends and peer influence factors. Even though there are students who stated the negative effects of teachers' attitudes, lecture styles, presentations and guidance; generally they said teacher or authority has positive effects on their learning. W