A Jigsaw and Educational Game: Fun Learning Tools to Enhance Reading Skills

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate the use of a jigsaw and educational game to maximize the reading skills of sophomores. The researchers investigated 20 students to find out the combined influence of a jigsaw and educational game to enhance reading skills. The researcher distributed questionnaires and analyzed the data by combining qualitative and quantitative research methods. Using qualitative methods, the researcher investigated the students’ attitudes towards reading three subjects by observing, taking notes and interviewing the students. For the quantitative data, the researcher investigated the students’ ability in reading by distributing a test instrument to obtain the students’ scores before and after they were exposed to the jigsaw and educational game in the Reading 3 class. The tests were taken from part of the TOEFL reading tests, chosen since the sophomores obtain TOEFL materials for their class. The combination of a jigsaw and educational game proved effective and fun as shown by the positive test results of the students: around 80% of the sophomores understood the reading texts better after implementation. The results therefore showed that if the researcher applied the strategy of combining the jigsaw and educational game, the students had fun learning activities and their understanding improved.  Keywords: jigsaw, educational games, sophomores