Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The evolution of healthcare systems has highlighted the need for new educational approaches to develop professional skills. Active learning strategies, such as the flipped classroom (FC) and jigsaw techniques with an emphasis on collaboration play a key role in empowering learners. This study aimed to determine the effects of FC and jigsaw methods on nursing students' learning, retention of course content, and satisfaction. METHODS: A quasi-experimental, posttest design study was conducted on 111 nursing students from January 2023 to November 2024 in the three academic semesters. Three groups-flipped classroom (FC), jigsaw, and Lecture-Based-Teaching (LBT)-were assessed over a period of 10 weeks. The FC and jigsaw groups served as the experimental groups, while the LBT group was used as the control group. A census sampling method was employed for participant selection. The groups were randomly allocated to the three teaching approaches: FC (n = 35), jigsaw (n = 43), and LBT (n = 34). Data were collected via a demographic information form, a multiple-choice question (MCQ), and a student satisfaction questioner. The MCQ test was given to each group separately, right after the four teaching sessions and six weeks after the intervention's end, to assess the learning and retention of course content of the students. Data was analyzed using ANOVA and the Mann‒Whitney tests. RESULT: Compared with the other two methods, the jigsaw method resulted in significantly higher learning scores (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in retention of course content among the three groups (p > 0.05). Most students were satisfied with the FC and jigsaw. CONCLUSION: The jigsaw method, compared to the FC and LBT methods, fostered better learning outcomes, by encouraging student interaction. This method is an effective means to encourage nursing students to assume responsibility for their learning. Therefore, the learner-centered approaches can provide viable and desirable alternatives for LBT, while considering educational needs, conditions, and available resources. So, their use is recommended for nursing educators to enhance student learning. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable.