A comparative study of the Jigsaw and Chalk-and-Talk Methods on grade 12 learners’ achievements in reaction rates in South Africa

Abstract

The study compared the Jigsaw Method and the Chalk-and-Talk methods of learners’ achievements in grade 12 reaction rates. A quasi-experimental design was used, with two classes of 44 learners, one class of 21 as the experimental group and another with 23 as the control group. Data were collected using Achievements Test for pre-test and post-tests and analysed using percentages, Means, Standard Deviations, t-tests and Analysis of Covariance. The post-test results from EG using Jigsaw Method and the control group using the Chalk-and-Talk show significant differences. Analysis of Covariance shows significant effects between experimental and control groups post-test using pre-test covariate. The experimental group outperformed the control group, and the former had no significant differences in gender achievements, suggesting Jigsaw Method favours both genders. The experimental group learners had minimal misconceptions compared to the control group. Thus, the Jigsaw Method enabled experimental group learners to overcome difficulties and misconceptions. Keywords: : Cooperative learning, conceptual understanding, learners’ achievements