The present research was conducted to compare the effects of two educational methods of JCL and lecture on the level of knowledge, performance, and satisfaction of public health students at Asadabad University of Medical Sciences. The results revealed that the students who had learned the course of educational technology via the JCL method showed greater knowledge, performance, and satisfaction compared to those who had learned this course via the lecture method. Several studies worldwide suggest the utility of the JCL method in enhancing the learning and academic progress of students (12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21). In the present study, the mean score of knowledge of students who had been trained via the JCL method was significantly higher than those of the group receiving the education via the lecture method. Researchers believe that active learning leads to the enhancement of positive emotions and the reduction of negative emotions in learners, ultimately resulting in better learning of scientific content (22). It seems that cooperative learning causes the student’s mastery over the learning content since he/she bears the responsibility of teaching the other group members, and thus would do their best to gain mastery over the content so that he/she would not fail in their educational responsibility. Therefore, students find the opportunity to explain what they have learned to others and help each other in doing their tasks. Moreover, the group members find themselves in conditions where they can offer feedback about the points they have learned and each other’s learning method and present some guidelines for modification and improvement of the learning method. Thus, it can be inferred that education via the JCL method leads to the active participation of students in learning and transfer of concepts, while education through the lecture method relies on the person’s memory for learning, whereby there is a higher probability of forgetting the contents and less chance of recalling the points at the time of the test. In other words, education through the JCL method causes engagement of the learners’ minds and improves their cognitive skills (23). The use of this teaching approach would provide the grounds for increasing the information and learning of students, ultimately causing their academic progress (18).
The results of the present research indicated that the JCL method, in comparison to the lecture method, has had a greater impact on the performance and skills of students, which is in line with the findings of Behrangi et al. (24), Ning et al. (25), and Gömleksi˙ et al (26). According to social learning theory, new behaviors can be acquired through observation and imitation of others. This theory states that learning is a cognitive process, which is shaped in a social context, and can be through direct training or observation, and even in the absence of a direct reward and punishment system (27). The results of a study in Iran showed that according to students, teaching through the JCL method would lead to improvements in communication skills, enhancement of motivation and learning, as well as improvements in analytical skills for academic concepts (28). The JCL method’s structured nature causes students to know what they are expected to do exactly, and anyone is responsible for learning and teaching which part of the course. In addition, the development of positive interactive interdependence causes students to help each other in learning and improve their performance since they can easily ask questions from other students. Furthermore, the sense of personal responsibility in this method results in enhanced social interaction among students and causes them to do their best for learning and transferring academic concepts. The two-sided cooperation and involvement of learners in cooperative learning mostly intend to acquire inner satisfaction, while other incentives are less important (29).
According to the results of the present study, the mean score of satisfaction with the course was significantly higher in the jigsaw group compared to the lecture group. Thus, it can be inferred that engaging the student in learning has led to their enhanced interest, motivation, and satisfaction. Moreover, the use of communication skills, leadership and group guidance, teamwork, and a sense of empowerment and dynamics can lead to greater satisfaction of learners with the reception of training through the JCL method. Meanwhile, it seems that the lack of interpersonal interactions and the time-consuming nature of assignments as well as the lack of receiving suitable feedback in the lecture method have caused learners to acquire lower scores in the satisfaction section. Researchers believe that the use of active educational methods such as planned lectures and JCL leads to the development of interest in students about the educational content (30). The results of Tran et al. study on mathematics students at the University of Vietnam indicated that the learners had a more positive attitude and greater interest in the JCL method compared to the lecture (31). A study performed on nursing students revealed that the JCL method has a greater impact on sparking interest and motivation for learning in students compared to the lecture method. This has caused the development of positive feelings about learning the academic content, has improved the self-confidence of learners, and has enhanced their satisfaction (11). In the cooperative learning method, the group members are interlinked with each other similar to a chain, and experience strong coherence and continuity. Further, the presence of a specialist group, in addition to the main group of the person, causes mastery and cooperation among students who have the responsibility of learning a section. These factors lead to enhanced social support among students since students can count on the assistance and cooperation of other students, in case they have a problem with learning. This ultimately can result in enhanced satisfaction of learners with the quality of the course.
Some studies have noted a significant relationship between academic satisfaction and academic progress. The study by Jafari et al. indicated that the learners’ tendency to learn was greater through cooperative groups compared to lectures, and the use of suitable educational techniques had a positive effect on sparking motivation in learners and the academic progress of students (32). Thus, satisfaction with education can be considered as an index of learning quality among students and their academic progress (33). Unlike the results of this study and many others mentioned earlier, a study in Iran on the satisfaction of nursing students with the JCL method revealed a nonsignificant difference between jigsaw and lecture groups (28). Although its exact cause is unknown to us, it seems that many factors including the educational content, quality of educational space and equipment, the utilized questionnaire, and the receiving group can be among the factors that may have influenced the research results.
This study dealt with comparing the effects of education via JCL and lecture methods on the knowledge, performance, and satisfaction of a group of students in the public health field in the educational technology course. Thus, the results may not be generalizable to students of other fields and courses. Another limitation was the lack of familiarity of some students with the JCL method, causing them to feel confused during the early sessions. To resolve this limitation, before initiating the education, briefing sessions should be organized and the necessary information should be given to students.