title: Cooperative learning in 'Special Needs in Dentistry' for undergraduate students using the Jigsaw approach.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The goals of this study were to (i) describe the use of the Jigsaw approach for the resolution of clinical cases by undergraduate students in the subject 'Special Needs in Dentistry' and (ii) assess the impact of its implementation on academic performance and the students' perception.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Jigsaw approach was applied to the fifth-year in the subject 'Special Needs in Dentistry', as part of the Dentistry degree curriculum of the University of Santiago de Compostela, during the academic years 2012/2013 and 2013/2014. A total of 109 dental students were enrolled in the study, and the final marks of the Jigsaw (n = 55) and the non-Jigsaw groups (n = 54) were compared. Students' perceptions on the Jigsaw technique were assessed using a 13-question questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Academic performance based on the final examination mark for the Jigsaw and non-Jigsaw groups was 6.45 ± 1.49 and 6.13 ± 1.50, respectively. There were not students in the Jigsaw group who failed to attend the mandatory examination (0% vs. 12.96% in the non-Jigsaw group, P = 0.006). The questionnaire's internal consistency was 0.90. The mean value for all the questionnaire items was 3.80, with the highest response score of 4.35 for the statement 'I have seen the complexity that the resolution of a clinical case can involve'.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the students' perceptions, the Jigsaw approach could contribute to a better understanding of the complexity of solving clinical cases in the subject 'Special Needs in Dentistry'. However, further investigations should be conducted to analyse the influence of this technique on students' academic performance in the field of clinical dentistry.
authors.affiliation: Oral Sciences Research Group, Special Needs Unit, Department of Stomatology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Suárez-Cunqueiro
authors.affiliation: Oral Sciences Research Group, Special Needs Unit, Department of Stomatology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gándara-Lorenzo
authors.affiliation: Oral Sciences Research Group, Special Needs Unit, Department of Stomatology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mariño-Pérez
authors.affiliation: Oral Sciences Research Group, Special Needs Unit, Department of Stomatology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piñeiro-Abalo
authors.affiliation: Oral Sciences Research Group, Special Needs Unit, Department of Stomatology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pérez-López
authors.affiliation: Oral Sciences Research Group, Special Needs Unit, Department of Stomatology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tomás
mesh_terms: D000073978:Academic Performance; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004497:Education, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013335:Students, Dental / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Aronson's puzzle; Jigsaw approach; Special Needs; clinical reasoning; cooperative learning; dental education