Abstract
Background: Economics is a discipline that ought to explain the world and its complexities, a social science that studies human behaviour and decision-making. Both learners and aspiring pre-service teachers (PST) who want to teach economics education view economics as complex. Pre-service teachers lack the necessary mathematical skills and feel intimidated by the quantitative nature of economics. As a result, they struggle to understand and apply economic concepts and to teach effectively. Hence, there is a need to learn new actionable approaches and strategies in teaching and learning in the economics classroom.Aim: The study aims to explore the use of Jigsaw puzzle games as a curriculum strategy (CS) to augment PSTs’ understanding of teaching calculations in the economics classroom.Setting: The study looks at economics calculations through the lens of architecture theory. the study takes place on campus in the economics lecturer room where pre-service teachers attend economics classes.Methods: The study explored the discussions including the observations of six PSTs using a qualitative approach. Critical discourse analysis was used to analyse data.Results: Findings revealed that participants found the Jigsaw extremely insightful and interesting. They were further amazed by its ability to ignite critical and deep thinking to arrive at the right solution.Conclusion: The study concludes that introducing Jigsaw as a CS for PSTs can significantly improve their ability to teach calculations and concepts in economics effectively and actively.Contribution: The study has implications on how PSTs can engage in gamification while learning and demystifying the power of complexity in economic calculations.
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