The impact of jigsaw cooperative learning on academic motivation, academic hardiness, and self-efficacy of English Foreign Language learners

Abstract

This research study investigates the effects of jigsaw cooperative learning (JCL) on academic motivation (AM), academic hardiness (AH), and self-efficacy (SE) of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. JCL is an educational strategy that emphasizes collaboration, interdependence, and group cooperation. However, limited research has examined the specific impact of JCL on these factors among EFL learners. Thirty-eight learners from each of the two groups—one was the experimental group (EG) and the other was the control group (CG)—were randomly chosen from among the learners who had been chosen in the academic year 2023. Data were collected using three questionnaires on AM, AH, and SE. Before implementing the JCL treatment, both groups completed the questionnaires as a pretest. A post-test was administered after teaching JCL in the EG and using the traditional method in the CG. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including covariance tests, were conducted to analyze the collected data. The outcomes showed that JCL, as a cooperative learning technique, improved students' AM, AH, and SE. A comparison of the pretest and post-test results confirmed the significant and positive influence of JCL on AM, AH, and SE. These results suggest that the application of JCL techniques can facilitate the development of AM, AH, and SE among EFL learners. These findings have implications for EFL instructors and practitioners, as they can utilize JCL strategies to enhance their learners’ AM, AH, and SE in the classroom.