Effect of jigsaw model on senior high school students’ conceptual understanding in electricity

Abstract

This research was to examine the effect of the Jigsaw learning model on the conceptual understanding, attitude, and retention of Senior High School students in selected concepts of electricity. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design involving 80 Form Two Visual Arts students from Mawuli School in Ho, Ghana. The participants were divided into an experimental group taught using the Jigsaw model and a control group taught through traditional instruction. Student Achievement test 1 and 2(Pre-test and post-test respectively), and retention tests were administered to measure students’ conceptual understanding and long-term learning, while a Likert-scale questionnaire assessed their attitudes toward learning the concepts using the jigsaw learning model. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed that students who was taught through the Jigsaw learning model demonstrated significantly higher post-test scores (M= 27.08, SD=1.42) with an independent samples t-test revealing statistically significant difference, t (3.91), p=0.001 with alpha level (p<0.05).The results further indicated that the Jigsaw strategy promoted cooperative interaction, motivation, and accountability, leading to deeper cognitive processing and long-term learning. The study confirmed that peer teaching and group interdependence inherent in the Jigsaw model enhance meaningful learning and conceptual understanding in science education. It is recommended that science teachers adopt the Jigsaw learning model to improve students’ understanding and interest in abstract concepts such as electricity. The study contributes to the growing evidence supporting student-centered, cooperative learning strategies as effective tools for improving conceptual understanding, affective outcomes, and sustained retention in integrated science and other science subjects.