The Effect of Jigsaw Teaching Method on Perception of Educational Environment Among Nursing and Emergency Medicine Students: An Interventional Study

Abstract

Background: Jigsaw learning is a student-centered educational method, and one of its approaches emphasizes students' activeness in the class. Since the teaching and learning of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) require the active participation of students, the present study was carried out with the aim of comparing teaching with two methods: Jigsaw and traditional, on the learning and perception of the educational environment of nursing and emergency medical students in the CPR course. Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effects of the jigsaw and traditional teaching methods on learning outcomes and perceptions of the learning environment among nursing and emergency medicine students during the CPR course at Zahedan University of Medical Sciences in 2024. Methods: An interventional study with pre- and post-test assessments was conducted at Zahedan University of Medical Sciences in 2024. One hundred students (50 nursing, 50 emergency medicine) were randomly assigned to either the jigsaw (intervention) or traditional (control) group. Both groups received identical CPR content over a two-day workshop. The jigsaw group engaged in collaborative peer teaching, while the traditional group received lecture-based instruction. Data were collected using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) Questionnaire to assess the perception of the educational environment. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS-24 software, employing chi-square test, Independent t-tests, and paired t-tests, with a significance level of P < 0.05. Results: The mean age in the intervention group (jigsaw teaching method) was 20.56 ± 0.50 years, and in the control group (traditional teaching method) was 20.68 ± 0.55 years. There was no statistically significant difference in terms of gender (P = 0.54). The jigsaw group’s mean DREEM score increased significantly from 47.12 ± 5.30 to 158.40 ± 10.80 (P < 0.001), reflecting a shift from a weak to a strong educational climate, with significant gains in all subscales (e.g., perception of learning: 11.60 ± 2.15 to 38.50 ± 3.10, P < 0.001). The traditional group showed no significant change (48.60 ± 5.00 to 49.20 ± 4.90, P = 0.68). Post-intervention, the jigsaw group’s DREEM score was significantly higher than the traditional group’s (158.40 ± 10.80 vs. 49.20 ± 4.90, P < 0.001). Conclusions: The jigsaw method significantly enhances the perception of the educational environment of CPR compared to traditional teaching, fostering collaboration and active engagement. This approach is recommended for clinical skills training in medical education to improve student outcomes and the educational climate.