Effect of Jigsaw Instructional Strategy on Primary Schoolers’ Achievement in Basic Science in Imo State

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of the jigsaw instructional strategy on primary school pupils’ achievement in Basic Science in Owerri Education Zone, Imo State. The study adopted a quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test, non-equivalent control group design, alongside a descriptive survey approach. The population comprised 18,025 Primary Four pupils, while the sample consisted of 155 pupils, comprising 76 males and 79 females, drawn from four intact classes. Two schools formed the experimental group, with 90 pupils taught using the jigsaw instructional strategy, while the remaining two schools formed the control group, with 65 pupils taught using the conventional lecture method. Data were collected using the Multiple-Choice Achievement Test on Basic Science (MCATOBS), which was validated by experts and yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.73. The treatment lasted 14 weeks. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while ANCOVA was used to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings showed that pupils taught using the jigsaw instructional strategy achieved significantly higher scores than those taught using the lecture method. Female pupils recorded higher achievement gains than male pupils, although no significant interaction effect of gender and instructional method was found. The study concluded that the jigsaw instructional strategy improved pupils’ achievement in Basic Science more effectively than the conventional lecture method.