Exploring the Iranian EFL Learners’ Reading Performance: The Effect of Teaching Method

The present study was an attempt to compare the reading achievement of learners who received the jigsaw method of instruction and that of those students who received the traditional teacher-fronted method of teaching. To achieve the purpose of the study, two intact classes were assigned randomly as the control and experimental groups. The experimental group consisted of 40 freshman and sophomore intermediate level male (N=18) and female (N=22) learners and the control group consisted of 38 freshman and sophomore intermediate level male (N=17) and female (N=21) students. The control participants received the traditional teacher-fronted method of teaching while the experimental group participants were exposed to the jigsaw method of teaching. After gathering the required data, the results of independent samples T-test indicated statistically significant differences (P= 0.000) between the experimental and control groups. These positive results attained were attributed to the major specificities of the cooperative teaching such as positive interdependence, group formation, individual accountability, social skills, and structuring and structures. Results are further discussed.