Abstract:
This paper reports on the use of cooperative learning technique –
Jigsaw - that describes the use of small groups to enable learners to
increase their own responsibility in learning and that of their peers.
As a strategy that support Learner Centred Education which was
adopted as a framework for teaching and learning in Namibia in
1990, cooperative learning is very compatible to Communicative
Language Teaching (CLT) which are both highlighted in the new
basic education national curriculum as strategies for teaching
languages in Namibian schools. To develop responsive practices
to the learner-centred approach this study investigates the role of
cooperative learning activities in learning English second language
and the influence it has on teaching and assessing learners. An
expansive route was taken to engage learners in a Jigsaw activity,
in an English Second Language lesson. The findings revealed that
participants of the study perceived cooperative learning instructional
to be generally a positive experiences which provide an effective
method of learning in groups and it enhance learners’ achievement.
Cooperative learning may help learners to acquire and develop
four language skills at the same time and with easy as concepts
are interlinked. Learners in the jigsaw classroom reported stronger
intrinsic motivation, greater interest in the topic, and more cognitive
activation and involvement.
