The effect of Jigsaw technique about the chemical nomenclature of general chemistry course to the academic achievements of students

The aim of this research is to determine the effect of Jigsaw technique which is a cooperative learning method to the academic achievements on the ?Chemical Nomenclature? subject of students who educate General Chemistry Course, to determine the variety in academic achievement and also the student opinions aimed at learning process.Research is carried out in 2008-2009 Education Year with the students of 2 branches who are educating General Chemistry Course in Science and Mathematic Education Department in Buca Education Faculty, Dokuz Eylül University. The research is executed over experiment group that consists of 30 students and control group that consists of 36 students by using experimental pattern with pre-test and post-test control group.During experimental processes that is planned as 2 weeks (8 lesson hours); Jigsaw technique which is a cooperative learning is used and activities aimed at ?Chemical Nomenclature? subject is applied to experiment group; traditional teaching techniques (lecture, question and answer, discussion) is applied to control group. Pre-Knowledge Test is applied to the students who are in experiment and control group in order to determine the learning deficiencies about the subjects that form basis to Chemical Nomenclature. In order to remove deficiencies which are determined according to the results of Pre-Knowledge Test, two hours preparation lesson is applied both two groups. At the result of experimental processes, semi-structured interviews are carried out with 9 each student who are chosen from both groups in order to get their opinions directed to learning process.As a consequence of research, it is founded that students who cooperative learning method Jigsaw technique and traditional teaching technique are applied show positive differences between academic achievements towards experiment group; academic achievements of male and female students who are situated in experiment and control group does not show a meaningful difference according to gender.Besides, as a consequence of semi-structured interviews which are performed with students; experiment group students pointed out that ?They don?t want to dwell on Chemical Nomenclature so much due to it is not a subject of ÖSS?; ?having different Chemical Nomenclature rules for ion and compound types complicates the learning?; ?using Jigsaw technique during the learning process of this subject increases the achievement?; ?with traditional teaching technique they don?t think that they can be as successful as this much? and ?Jigsaw technique effects the attitude aimed at scientific research in a positive direction?. Similar to experiment group students, control group students also pointed out that ?They don?t want to dwell on Chemical Nomenclature so much due to it is not a subject of ÖSS?; and ?having different Chemical Nomenclature rules for each of ion and compound types complicates the learning?. Besides, control group students opined that ?they cannot follow up the lesson in a permanent attention with traditional teaching technique? and ?they are more successful when they attended actively to the learning process?.