Jigsaw Approach to Teaching Clinical Examination: An Experience in a Simulation Setting

Abstract

Mastering physical examination is essential in undergraduate medical education, yet bedside teaching is often limited by patient availability and inconsistent exposure. Cooperative learning strategies, such as the Jigsaw Method, are well-studied in classroom contexts, but their use in clinical or simulation settings remains underexplored. Thus, this study evaluated the integration of the Jigsaw approach into simulated clinical examination teaching to enhance student learning. A mixed-methods design was employed. Fifty-four clinical-year medical students participated in Jigsaw-based simulated training from 2022 to 2023. Data were collected through an online questionnaire comprising a 5-point Likert scale on perceptions of learning and open-ended reflections for qualitative analysis. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively, while reflections were subjected to thematic analysis. Most students agreed the session was interesting (88.9%), well-organised (87%), relevant in content and materials (94.4%), and delivered effectively (90.7%). A minority (13%, n = 7) requested more time for hands-on practice, suggesting that station duration constrained skills  acquisition. Qualitative analysis generated two themes: (a) attributes of effective clinical examination teaching; and (b) benefits of effective clinical examination teaching to students. In conclusion, Year 4 Family Medicine students at Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) perceived the Jigsaw approach in a simulation setting as engaging and beneficial for their learning. These findings provide preliminary evidence supporting future longitudinal evaluations and multi-institutional trials to assess the broader impact of this model in clinical education.