The Effects of Jigsaw Puzzle and Literature Circle Techniques on Argumentative Writing of Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners
Subject Areas : Journal of Language, Culture, and Translation
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Keywords: collaborative learning, Argumentative Writing, Jigsaw Puzzle, Literature Circle,
Abstract :
The main objective of the current study was to check two collaborative techniques, i.e., Jigsaw Puzzle and Literature Circle, to see their impact on argumentative writing improvement among Iranian EFL language learners. To this end, a quantitative design and a pretest-treatment-posttest method were used. The sample of this study was sixty Iranian learners who were assigned randomly to two homogeneous experimental groups, group A: Jigsaw Puzzle, and group B: Literature Circle; each one consisted of 30 participants, based on their performance on the OQPT. They sat for an argumentative writing pretest, then the treatments were implemented for every group, and finally, they sat for an argumentative writing posttest. The results implied that implementing the Literature Circle technique leads to a statistically significant improvement in argumentative writing by Iranian EFL learners. Moreover, the findings revealed that using the Jigsaw Puzzle technique results in a statistically significant improvement in argumentative writing essay performance by Iranian EFL learners. Furthermore, the comparison of the effects of the treatments of the study showed that the Literature Circle group outperformed the Jigsaw Puzzle group. The study provides implications for EFL teachers, learners, and curriculum developers.
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