The Jigsaw Strategy in Differentiated Teaching: A Case Study

In today’s schools, the diverse interests, needs, and learning styles of students make it essential to adjust the pace, level and type of teaching. Therefore, teachers need to use techniques that promote the differentiation of teaching content, learning outcomes and assessment, in order to enhance the active engagement of all students and ensure effective learning outcomes. In particular, the Jigsaw strategy, within the framework of cooperative group teaching, encourages all members of each group to collaborate in order to achieve a common goal. This strategy promotes active listening, participation in group activities, interaction and the sharing of knowledge and information among classmates. This study reflects the views of 54 primary school teachers from the 11th Primary Education Department of Eastern Thessaloniki in Greece, who participated in a three-hour experiential seminar workshop on differentiated teaching using the Jigsaw strategy. The teachers applied this strategy in the context of the history lesson. After processing various historical sources with the use of laptops, they were asked to utilize the material in order to better understand historical concepts and events and subsequently answer a set of related questions. Following the experiential workshop, the 54 teachers completed a structured ad hoc questionnaire, developed after a review of the relevant literature, in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the Jigsaw strategy. According to the teachers’ responses to the twelve questionnaire items, the Jigsaw technique can motivate students, support their interests and learning preferences, foster critical and creative thinking skills, and provide meaningful opportunities for both independent and collaborative work.