Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an artistic gymnastics floor exercise class applying Jigsaw cooperative learning on students and to explore its educational value and meaning.
Methods: This study investigated a case of ...
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an artistic gymnastics floor exercise class applying Jigsaw cooperative learning on students and to explore its educational value and meaning.
Methods: This study investigated a case of artistic gymnastics floor exercise classes conducted by two physical education teachers working at a middle school in region J who implemented Jigsaw cooperative learning. Data were collected from class videos, teaching journals, teacher interviews, students’ activity worksheets, and open-ended questionnaires, and were analyzed using inductive content analysis.
Results: The analysis of the class cases revealed that students’ interest in gymnastics increased, and their negative perceptions were transformed into positive ones as they developed a broader and deeper understanding of gymnastics. In addition, through the interactive process of teaching and learning with peers, students engaged in experiences of monitoring and refining their understanding, which facilitated metacognitive thinking and enhanced their sense of responsibility.
Furthermore, teachers observed that as the lessons progressed, students increasingly led their own learning and collaborated with peers, resulting in improved efficiency and effectiveness of the classes, along with high levels of teacher satisfaction.
Conclusion: Artistic gymnastics classes applying Jigsaw cooperative learning have educational value in promoting changes in students’ perceptions, facilitating metacognitive thinking, and enhancing responsibility. Therefore, this approach demonstrates strong potential as an effective and practical alternative in the context of gymnastics classes, which are often avoided due to concerns such as injury risk, low student interest, limited teacher expertise, and insufficient instructional resources.