The Effect of Two Forms of Cooperative Learning on the Academic Achievement of 10th Graders at the National and Civic Education Course in Comparison with the Conventional Learning Methods

Abstract

The study aimed at investigating the effect of two forms of cooperative learning

and students’ gender on the immediate and delayed achievement of tenth grade

students in National and Civic Education in comparison with the traditional

method of learning. The sample of the study consisted of (514) students among

whom are (265) male students and (249) female students distributed among four

schools, two boys’ schools and two girls’ schools. Students comprising the sample

of the study were distributed among six class sections for male students and six

class sections for female students. One experimental group studied National

and Civic Education using Jigsaw as a cooperative learning form, whereas the

second experimental group studied the same school subject using the normal

cooperative learning form. Meanwhile, the control group studied the same school

subject using the traditional method of learning.

An achievement test consisting of seventy multiple choice items was

constructed. The validity and reliability of this achievement test was validated.

The reliability coefficient of the test reached 90%.

Results of the Two-Way (ANOVA) Analysis of Variance showed that there

were statistically significant differences at the level (a=0.05) in the means of the

immediate and delayed achievement of students comprising the study sample

that are attributed to the method of learning in favour of the first experimental

group who studied the course using the Jigsaw cooperative learning form, then in

favour of the second experimental group who studied the course using the normal

cooperative learning form in comparison with students of the control group

who studied the course using the traditional learning method. The statistically

significant differences were also attributed to students’ gender in favour of the

female students over the male ones. Results of the Analysis of Variance did not

reveal any statistically significant differences between students’ achievement

that can be attributed to the interaction between the learning method and the

student’s gender whether it was immediate or delayed achievement.

The study recommended using the jigsaw cooperative learning form (a=0.05) as

a teaching strategy in the teaching of the various school subjects and conducting

further studies to investigate its effect at both school and university levels.