Ann Afr Med. 2026 Apr 9. doi: 10.4103/aam.aam_791_25. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Jigsaw technique, one type of cooperative learning, was proposed by Aronson et al. in the 1970s, wherein students work in small groups with a fixed set of learning objectives to reach a common goal. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness as well as the perception of the jigsaw technique as a teaching-learning method in teaching surgery to Phase II MBBS students.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A quasi-experimental mixed methodology study was conducted on Phase II MBBS students attending surgery. Five contact sessions were held, of 1 h each, on different topics. Assessment was done by a pre- and posttest consisting of prevalidated multiple-choice questions. Feedbacks were taken at the end of the fifth contact session by a prevalidated questionnaire.
RESULTS: All five sessions of the jigsaw technique showed statistically significant improvements in posttest scores (P < 0.001). The responses for “strongly agree” and “agree” were consistently the highest across all 10 feedback items. Students found the jigsaw technique helpful for understanding, retention, summarization, and engagement.
CONCLUSION: The jigsaw technique is effective and helps in understanding, retention, and summarization of topics in surgery. It can be introduced in Phase II as a reinforcement tool in teaching-learning surgery.
PMID:41957540 | DOI:10.4103/aam.aam_791_25
