Assessment of effectiveness of practice teaching biology methods in collective learning: The pilot study

Abstract

This study constitutes a pilot investigation conducted in the absence of a control group. Its objective was to evaluate the efficacy of practical learning within a collaborative setting among first-year students specializing in biotechnology. The research session focused on the topic “Methods for the development and production of biological products: The role of biological products in human life.” Sixteen students were divided into four groups of four students each. The lesson was facilitated using the Jigsaw group teaching method, integrating both theoretical and practical components. Pre- and post-class tests were administered to evaluate students' performance, revealing significant improvements after the session.The assessment of students who underwent the post-class test significantly exceeded their performance in the pre-class test. For theoretical questions, this yielded: T=14.478, P<0.001, and for practical questions: T=19.104, P<0.001. Additionally, the study revealed that the implementation of the Jigsaw method leads to a substantial increase in the percentage of students achieving high grades and a significant decrease in the proportion of students receiving low grades. The percentages of students receiving high grades increased by 43.75% (excellent) and 6.25% (good), while the percentage of low grades decreased by 50% (fair) and 12.5% (bad). This study provides empirical evidence supporting the utilization of collaborative, experiential learning approaches in enhancing biology education, particularly in fostering both theoretical understanding *and practical skills among students in the field of biotechnology.