Mentored Flip-Jigsaw method: enhancing sectional anatomy education

Student-centered teaching strategies are increasingly used in health sciences education to promote critical thinking and deeper learning. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of combining the flipped Jigsaw method with structured mentorship, compared to the flipped Jigsaw method alone, in improving educational outcomes for radiologic technology students learning sectional anatomy. A quasi-experimental, two-phase study was conducted with 42 radiologic technology students across two academic periods. In the first phase, students were taught using the flipped Jigsaw method. In the second phase, the same instructional approach was enhanced with peer mentorship from senior students. The outcomes assessed included metacognition, learner satisfaction, interaction, learning performance, mental effort, and educational efficiency. Standardized questionnaires and anatomy tests were used for data collection. Statistical analyses included repeated measures ANOVA, with significance set at p < 0.05. Students in the mentorship-enhanced group showed significantly higher scores in several metacognitive domains, particularly conditional knowledge (p = 0.015). Learner satisfaction improved across six of seven measured dimensions, including motivation (p = 0.006) and content (p = 0.029). Interaction skills increased significantly in all eight assessed areas, such as participation (p = 0.007) and communication (p < 0.001). Although learning scores increased, the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.107). However, mental effort was significantly lower (p = 0.008), and educational efficiency was significantly higher (p = 0.005) in the mentorship group. Integrating structured mentorship into the flipped Jigsaw model significantly enhanced student outcomes in metacognition, satisfaction, and academic interaction while reducing mental effort and improving educational efficiency. This combined approach may offer a more effective instructional model for complex content such as sectional anatomy. Future research should explore its application in broader academic settings and assess long-term learning retention.