64 † Corresponding author © 2013 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved. USING JIGSAW TECHNIQUE AS AN EFFECTIVE WAY OF PROMOTING CO-OPERATIVE LEARNING AMONG PRIMARY SIX PUPILS IN FIJAI Francis Hull Adams 1 1 Holy Child College of Education, Takoradi Ghana ABSTRACT The focus of the study was to improve upon cooperative learning with the use of Jigsaw technique in Basic six of Holy Child Practice Primary School. Action research design was used in addition to a Case study design to conduct the study. The research instruments were observation and questionnaire. The researcher employed the Jigsaw technique as the intervention. The sample size used was 40, made up of 30 pupils and 10 teachers from the same institution. Responses gathered from both the observation and the administration of the instruments indicate that some of the causes of pupils poor performance in school were poor teaching methods during lessons and the inability of teachers to vary teaching techniques. It was observed during the research period that pupils had problems in actively participating in lessons. More so pupils did not know how to learn in groups. It also came to light that lack of understanding of collaborative and cooperative learning was the pupils’ deficiency. The study therefore empowered both teachers and pupils to resort to the use of collaborative learning due to its immense benefits. Keywords: Co-operative learning, Jigsaw, Collaborative learning. Received: 28 June 2013/ Revised: 31 July 2013/ Accepted: 3 August 2013/ Published: 6 August 2013 1. INTRODUCTION Cooperative learning, which is the primary focus of this study, is a specific kind of collaborative learning. In cooperative learning, students work together in small groups on a structured activity. They are individually accountable for their work and the work of the group as a whole is also assessed. Cooperative groups work face-to-face and learn to work as a team. Cooperative learning is defined as students working together to attain group goals that cannot be obtained by working alone or competitively (Johnson et al., 1986). It is a process which requires knowledge to be discovered by students and transformed into concept to which the students can relate. Cooperative learning is a methodology that employs a variety of learning activities to improve students ’ understanding of a subject by using a structured approach, which involves a series of steps, requiring students to create, analyze and apply concepts (Kagan, 1990). Cooperative learning utilizes ideas of Vygotsky, Piaget and International Journal of Education and Practice 2013 Vol. 1, No. 6, pp. 64-74 ISSN(e): 2310-3868 ISSN(p): 2311-6897 DOI: 10.18488/journal.61/2013.1.6/61.6.64.74 © 2013 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved.