Background:
Contemporary teaching presents a multifaceted challenge, requiring significant personal commitment and ongoing professional growth. The educator-student relationship is key to a reciprocal and impactful learning process. Modern educators must continuously adapt to the evolving needs of the students, which often entails integrating new technologies and adopting dynamic, interactive teaching techniques. One such pedagogical approach is the Jigsaw Model (JM), which invigorates and enhances teaching practices. The aim of this report is to advocate for the implementation of the JM in various educational settings. The JM is introduced, with a focus on its practical application as a novel approach to fostering mathematical understanding and developing key competencies for 9th-grade students in a secondary educational setting (The School of Mathematics, Burgas).

Presenting the jigsaw method:
The JM was developed by the social psychologist E. Aronson in the second half of the 20th century aiming to promote cooperation and reduce competition among students. In the 21st century the JM is still a sustainable learning strategy stimulating active participation in the classroom. JM involves dividing students into small groups, called the Jigsaw groups (JG), where each member is assigned a unique piece of information to study. After becoming experts on this specific topic, they teach it to peers from the original JG, fostering both individual accountability and group interdependence. Metaphorically, each student becomes a "piece" of the puzzle, and together in the JG, the whole picture of the studied area is completed.
Originally designed to foster positive interdependence and empathy, the JM has since evolved into a cooperative learning strategy across various educational contexts, from primary school to academic institutions. JM is employed in teaching a wide range of subjects, including social and medical sciences, public health, naval sciences, and more.

Applying the jigsaw method in teaching mathematics:
The protocol of the applied JM in teaching Mathematics follows ten steps and three phases (JG members break out in specific topics; sharing with the JG peers; discussion with assessment). The JM application was aligned with the 9th-grade curriculum in mathematics (Regulation No.5 of 2015). The JM was applied to 25 students in a math-intensive class, dividing them into 5 JGs (period: 12.06 – 28 of June 2023). Each of the JG members received one of the five topics for annual revision: Classical probability; Functions; Systems of equations- first and second degree; Similar triangles & metric dependencies; Rational inequalities. Students prepared independently, further studied the specific topic in the so called "expert groups" and then turn back to the original JG to present their key math topics. The discussion was supervised and assessed by the teacher. This JG approach increased students’ engagement and communication skills, confirming the hypothesis that the JM enhances enthusiastic learning and knowledge retention. Both, students and the teacher enjoyed which was an additional positive health impact.

Conclusions:
Empowering educators with interactive techniques, such as the JM, fosters stronger connections with students. Furthermore, the exchange of creative pedagogical experiences promotes a sense of community among educators across all levels, providing mutual support and reinforcing collaborative professional development.

Keywords: Jigsaw Model, education, pedagogical models, Bulgaria, innovation, mathematics.