The Jigsaw Technique in Learning Anatomy: A Qualitative Study of Medical Students’ Perceptions

Abstract

Contemporary medical education is shifting from traditional, teacher-centred anatomy instruction toward interactive, student-centred, and clinically integrated approaches. The Jigsaw Method aligns with this shift by fostering collective competence, which is vital for effective clinical practice. This study aimed to introduce the jigsaw model to medical students and explore its perceived effectiveness in teaching anatomy. A phenomenological qualitative design was employed to explore the experiences of second-year medical students (n = 120) at the Faculty of Health-Care Sciences, Eastern University, Sri Lanka. Open-ended questions were used to elicit students’ reflections on the effectiveness of jigsaw learning. Thematic analysis was conducted using NVivo software (ver.14). Students reported generally favourable perceptions of the jigsaw method. Four major themes emerged: two described the positive impact of the approach—enhanced understanding through peer learning and improved interpersonal and communication skills; the remaining themes addressed challenges in implementation and suggestions for refinement. Participants appreciated the structured collaboration and positive interdependence fostered by the method. Moreover, students viewed the jigsaw technique as well-aligned with student-centred learning principles. The jigsaw method was perceived as an effective cooperative learning strategy that enhanced engagement, promoted active participation, and fostered teamwork in anatomy education. These findings support the integration of structured peer-based approaches into medical curricula to enrich students’ learning experiences.

1. Introduction

Contemporary anatomy teaching in medical education has transformed from traditional teacher-centric pedagogy to more interactive and student-centred approaches [1]. Anatomy is considered a foundational discipline in medical education [2]. Anatomy is instrumental for a new medical entrant to get familiarised with medical terminologies and technical language, which is necessary to advance knowledge in various medical disciplines, including surgery, obstetrics, oncology, and pathology [3].

Conventionally, anatomy was taught and learnt through dissection and lectures, providing students with direct engagement with human specimens. Nevertheless, recent trends in anatomy curricular delivery indicate a paradigm shift from didactic to student-centric pedagogy. Modern anatomy curricula increasingly incorporate active learning approaches, such as cooperative learning, problem-based learning, team-based learning and technology-enhanced learning. Active learning approaches enable students to take ownership of their learning, where students engage in an interactive educational environment as a small group to achieve intended learning objectives. Active learning approaches foster professional skills such as critical thinking, communication, reflection, decision-making and teamwork.

The jigsaw method has immense potential to enhance active learning in medical educational settings [4]. In the jigsaw teaching session, students are initially divided into small groups called ‘home’ groups. Each member of the home group plays a crucial role, like a piece in a jigsaw puzzle, contributing to the completion of the overall picture. An individual member of the home group is assigned a sub-topic to master. Students then reorganise into ‘expert’ groups, where individuals from different home groups with the same subtopic collaborate to enhance their understanding. Subsequently, students return to their original home groups to teach their peers on their designated segment, guaranteeing that all members acquire a comprehensive understanding of the topic through mutual teaching. This pedagogy fosters cooperative and team-based learning, as the input from each student is essential to the group’s overall understanding.

The prevailing literature reports that the jigsaw teaching–learning approach has resulted in positive educational outcomes in anatomy education for medical students [5]. This collaborative learning strategy encourages medical students to actively engage in a session and promotes a sense of responsibility and teamwork [6,7]. In the jigsaw method, medical students are allowed to teach and learn from each other, which improves their knowledge retention and promotes a deeper grasp of anatomical structures and relationships [4]. Moreover, jigsaw pedagogy has been linked with decreased anxiety and heightened motivation in anatomy learning [6,7]. Thus, this study was conducted as a preliminary investigation to assess the effectiveness of jigsaw pedagogy from the perspectives of medical students. Specifically, this study aimed to answer the following research questions:

• What are the perceived benefits of using the jigsaw method for learning anatomy?
• What are the main challenges students face when learning anatomy via the jigsaw method?

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Participant and Setting

This study was conducted at the Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health-Care Sciences, Eastern University, Sri Lanka. Using a complete enumeration approach, two cohorts of first-year medical students, the 12th (n = 73) and 13th (n = 81) batches, were invited to participate during their anatomy coursework. The 12th batch was recruited while studying the cardiovascular system, and the 13th batch was recruited during their gastrointestinal system module.

2.2. Design

This study employed a phenomenological qualitative research design to delve into medical students’ experiences with jigsaw learning. Qualitative data were collected through a printed questionnaire comprising the following four open-ended questions. Students wrote their perspectives directly on the form. No follow-up probes or interviews were conducted as part of the data collection process.

Q1.

What are your overall thoughts on the Jigsaw learning method in Anatomy?

Q2.

Why do you prefer/not prefer the Jigsaw method for learning Anatomy?

Q3.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Jigsaw method compared to conventional lectures?

Q4.

Do you think the duration allotted for jigsaw activities is sufficient or not to facilitate the learning process?

The data were collected through open-ended survey questions, and participants provided qualitative responses that were detailed enough to support meaning-based coding. Therefore, the study employed inductive thematic analysis [8,9] in NVivo (Release 14.23.2, QSR International Pty Ltd., Melbourne, Australia). Initially, one author (P.Y.) independently coded the complete dataset after multiple readings. To ensure inter-coder reliability, a second author (H.M.F.J.N.) reviewed the coded data. Both authors then met to discuss the coding, resolve any discrepancies, and finalise the thematic structure by consensus. Subsequently, a sunburst chart was generated in NVivo to visually represent the distribution of codes within themes. The chart’s inner ring displays the themes, while the outer ring represents the specific codes, with slice size proportional to frequency.

2.3. Description of the Jigsaw Technique

The jigsaw technique uses a structured step-by-step linear process. To implement this technique, the following seven steps were followed:

• Step 1: Pre-Session Planning:

• A detailed session plan, including objectives, case scenarios, relevant resources, and assessment criteria, was developed for both students and instructors.
• The session schedule was integrated into the overall course timetable.
• Students were provided with a list of required resources, such as textbooks, articles, or digital materials, to be brought to the session.

• Step 2: Group Formation:

• The class was divided into small groups of fewer than six students, known as ‘home’ groups.
• Each home group received a student guide outlining the session’s objectives, case scenario, resources, and challenges to solve the given problem, timeline, and assessment methods.
• One student in the home group will be assigned as a moderator of the discussion.

• Step 3: Expert Group Formation:

• Each student within a home group was assigned a specific task or subtopic.
• Students with similar tasks from different home groups formed ‘expert’ groups.

• Step 4: Expert Group Learning:

• Expert groups collaborated to research and understand their assigned tasks.
• The students work on their task in their expert group for a set time.
• After completing their assigned tasks, expert group members returned to their home groups.

• Step 5: Home Group Sharing and Discussion:

• Expert group members shared their knowledge with their home group members.
• Home group members discussed the information, clarified doubts, and worked together to solve the given problem or case scenario.

• Step 6: Sharing the knowledge with the whole batch:

• Each home group shared the knowledge through different modes of presentation.

• Step 7: Assessment:

• A formative assessment was conducted at the end of the session to assess their learning achievement. The formative assessment, consisting of a brief single-best-answer (SBA) quiz, was administered during the intervention. The goal of this assessment was purely diagnostic: to provide immediate feedback to students and identify those requiring further support.

2.4. Ethical Considerations

This study, conducted as part of a flipped classroom pedagogy intervention utilising student-centred approaches, received ethical clearance from the University of Auckland Human Participants Ethics Committee (Reference Number 024079).

All first-year medical students in the selected cohorts were informed of the study’s objectives and assured that participation was strictly voluntary. Consent was indicated by the voluntary, anonymous return of the paper-based questionnaire to a collection box. The questionnaire did not request any personally identifiable information. To mitigate potential response bias, participants were explicitly assured that their responses, whether positive or negative, were anonymous and would have no impact on their course grades or academic standing.

3. Results

A total of 120 participants (12th batch, n = 53; 13th batch, n = 67) provided their qualitative perceptions for the study, representing a response rate of 77.92%. The final sample had a mean age of 23.56 years (±1.32). The 12th batch sample consisted of 20 males and 33 females, while the 13th batch sample comprised 25 males and 42 females.

Qualitative analysis identified four overarching themes: (i) Enhanced Learning Experience; (ii) Student-Centred Approach; (iii) The Jigsaw Challenge; and (iv) Enhancing Jigsaw Implementation. These themes, supported by coded categories and sample quotes, are detailed in

Table 1. Qualitative themes with exemplary codes and quotes.

Themes	Sub-Themes	Sample Codes	Sample Quotes
Enhanced Learning Experience	Cognitive Development	Memorization	“…we discuss the lessons with each other, it’s more memorable…”
		Understanding	“…could understand the full concept in different mind maps since we were in groups…”
		Fact finding	“…refer many books and find the most correct facts…”
	Knowledge Acquisition	Gain knowledge	“It’s a help to gain knowledge of what we haven’t touched on in lecture”
		Wide knowledge	“It helps to develop wide knowledge in a particular subject”
	Soft Skill Development	Increasing communication	“We learn Tamil words from Tamil friends while we did these things”
		Teaching others	“By teaching others our knowledge also increases”
		Social Skills	“Improves our soft skills, mind relaxing and group discussion”
	Productive Learning	More reading	“We referred many books”
		Learn with joy	“Funny and enjoyable learning”
		Learn with relax	“It is used for studying in a relaxing”
		Pre-class learning	“Prepared early… and discussed during lecture time”
		Clinical Relevance	“We got big picture about vasculature of abdomen and related clinical correlation”
Student-Centred Approach	Active Learning	Not boring	“Never felt sleepy and all were very active”
		Collect more information	“I searched a lot and learnt a lot”
		Discussion	“The discussions helped me to clear the concepts. It is very helpful to get more knowledge than a normal one”
	Team-Based Learning	Learn as a Team	“Discussion between the fellow members helps to learn more”
		Learn from others	“We got many ideas from every group member”
		Interdependence	“Some content was incorrect and affected the other members…It depends on the group members who collected the information and explained…”
	Self-Directed Learning	Self-Directed Learning	“It makes us to do more self-study”
	Engagement	Engagement	“More effective method, all of our concentrations on every part was higher”
The Jigsaw Challenge	-	Teacher-centred pedagogy	“Formal lectures used to be more effective with me because hardly any areas missing and a lead towards more knowledge was given”
		Insufficient time	“Time for preparation wasn’t enough, we weren’t able to cover some aspects of that learning objectives”
		Time consuming	“This method is taking too much of time to find the answer”
		Information gap	“Some members can explain well while others can’t. It depends on the group members collected the information and explaining”
		Lack of group participation	“Within the expert group some students didn’t involve in the discussion”
Enhancing Jigsaw Implementation	-	Future Use	“Continue this learning methods for suitable headings”
		Lacks in implementation	“We don’t know the limitation I saw other reports; they also wrote a lot which are unnecessary”
		Activity Diversity	“Please take lower limb lectures also, please do more tutorials, ask questions individually and please ask viva questions”
		Student Grouping	“Please divide the group by yourself (by teacher/not by automation)”

.

3.1. Theme 1: Enhanced Learning Experience

As illustrated in the sunburst chart (Figure 1), the predominant theme emerging from the coding process was ‘enhanced learning experience,’ identified in 21 codes and 144 references. This theme underscores the positive impact of the Jigsaw approach on students’ learning, encompassing four key sub-themes: cognitive development, knowledge acquisition, soft skill development, and productive learning.

Cognitive development encompasses the growth of mental processes such as fact-finding, memorisation and understanding. Participants reported that they could “refer many books and find the most correct facts”. They also noted, “learning facts were more memorable by discussing with others”. Various learning activities within the jigsaw method can enhance memorisation. As participants stated, “drawing diagrams helped me remember information” and “easy to memorise through drawing and illustrating contents”. Most of the participants perceived that the jigsaw learning technique was “helpful to understand easily” the anatomy concept. However, some participants noted that the jigsaw technique allowed them to delve more deeply into their assigned expert group topic. This was expressed as “understand properly only one or two topics”. This was further described as “I could only understand my topic clearly, but not any other topics”.

Knowledge acquisition denotes the process of gaining, assimilating, and integrating new information. The study participants highlighted that the jigsaw method “helped to develop wide knowledge in a particular subject; it facilitates our learning”. They specifically noted that the jigsaw approach is well-suited for knowledge gaining in learning anatomy, stating, “we got a big picture about vasculature of abdomen and related clinical correlation” and “it lets us get to know about our relevant division to the best extent”.

Soft skill development is the process of improving non-technical skills essential for effective interpersonal interactions, solving problems, and working effectively. The study participants stated that the jigsaw pedagogy “improves our soft skills, mind relaxing and group discussion”. Collaborative group work within the jigsaw-learning framework enhanced medical students’ communication and language fluency. This was evidenced by statements like, “we learn Tamil words from Tamil friends while we did these things”, and jigsaw learning has improved “our friendship with friends who are from different areas and who are using different languages”

Productive learning is a process in which learners actively engage with the learning material, leading to meaningful and educational outcomes. After experiencing the jigsaw pedagogy, participants identified the following key characteristics of productive learning:

• Interesting to learn: “It was very interesting to find things ourselves”.
• Joyful learning: “We enjoyed ourselves with our friends and learned very happily”.
• Learning with relaxation: “It is used for study in a relaxing way”.
• Self-assessment through multiple-choice questions (MCQs): “MCQs were useful to evaluate the learnt things”
• Increased reading: “We referred to many books”
• Enhanced engagement: “Everyone was active; no one slept in the session”.
• Relevance to clinical practice: “Formal lectures are boring, and we don’t tend to relate them to clinical practice. However, this method allowed us to explore clinical applications”
• Importance of pre-class preparation: “It would be more effective if we could prepare early by getting the topics and discussing them during lecture time”.
• Improved presentation skills: “This method forces me to do it, brings the best out of me, and turns out to be that my presentation is quite good comparatively”.
• Satisfaction with the learning approach: “Better if we continue more in this way to anatomy sessions rather than usual lectures”.
• Efficient time management: “It helps to learn in a short time and little time can be used for much work”.
• Effective learning: “It was useful than formal lectures”.

3.2. Theme 2: Student-Centred Approach

Student-centred approach is the second major theme, emphasising the Jigsaw approach’s focus on empowering students to take ownership of their learning. This theme is further divided into four sub-themes: (i) Self-directed learning, (ii) Active learning, (iii) Team-based learning, and (iv) Engagement.

Self-directed learning included predominantly a process of self-instruction and learners’ autonomy in their learning process [10]. In this study, medical students stated that the jigsaw method “makes us do more self-study”. They highlighted their self-directed learning process in the jigsaw learning as “interesting to learn because we search and study for the assignment”.

Active learning is an approach that encourages students to think critically about their ideas [11]. Medical students described their jigsaw-based learning experiences as “efficient as we have ever seen, could be fully active, and could understand the full concepts in different mind maps since we were in groups, expecting more like this”. They praised the following two active learning strategies within the jigsaw pedagogy: (i) small group discussions (“The discussions help to clear the concepts. It is very helpful to get more knowledge”) and literature search (“Pushing students to do some research on resources”).

Team-based learning is an active learning and small-group instructional strategy that enables students to collaborate with peers to achieve common goals [12]. Medical students perceived an increase in productivity through this team-based approach, as evidenced by the following statements:

• “more successful because we can work group-wise and can find many information”
• “we can work as a group, and it is nicer than working alone”
• “it helps to improve team spirit and can go deep into the subject”
• “12 members worked on one heading. In this way, we worked out better”
• “chance to interact with friends, when a friend explains, it was easy-to-understand”

However, few students perceived challenges in team-based learning within the jigsaw approach, citing poor explanations or teaching habits among group members and a lack of trust in the validity of shared information. These notions were supported by the following statements:

• “Being in the expert group gives a lot of advantages, but learning the other topics from others is a bit hard because some people are not good at teaching”.
• “This learning process depends on the person who describes these topics. If he/she can’t explain these things properly, members can’t understand”.
• “Some members can explain well while others can’t”.
• “If one member makes a mistake, it will affect others in the group too”.

Engagement explains to what extent students are actively involved in the learning activities [13]. Medical students indicated that the “jigsaw session was attentive” and “all (students) were involved in this (learning) process”. Moreover, they stated being “able to concentrate more in the jigsaw pedagogy”.

3.3. Theme 3: The Jigsaw Challenge

This theme delves into the practical difficulties and limitations inherent in implementing jigsaw teaching, including issues related to learning preferences, group dynamics, and time constraints.

Several medical students expressed a preference for passive learning through teacher-centred pedagogy. As one student noted, “I like how Madam (Teacher) gives the points directly to our heads during lectures. I think formal lectures are more effective for me”. Another student stated that jigsaw pedagogy is “not organised and summarised as formal lectures, not as effective as the explanation given by lecturers”. Moreover, medical students accustomed to teacher-centred pedagogy demonstrated a lack of enthusiasm for independent learning and relied on handouts provided by the instructor. This was supported by the following statements:

• “If the lecture handouts were provided finally, it would be useful for our exams. Because it was difficult to understand the examiners’ point of view”
• “It would be more useful if you could give the lecture notes after finishing the jigsaw sessions. Otherwise, we don’t know what the margin or border is and what is more important”
• “If you continue the teaching method, please give us the presentation slides’ notes”

Medical students perceived jigsaw pedagogy as having a narrow focus. As one student stated, “students may focus only on their particular topics, so other topics will not touch”. Students also assumed that a narrow focus could lead to information gaps in their learning. This notion was stated as “while sharing knowledge among students, some content can be missed. It has not happened in formal lectures”. Furthermore, medical students were confused by multiple perspectives on a topic, as one student stated, “there are different things in several books that are recommended as references”.

Medical students perceived the following challenges related to group dynamics in the jigsaw method learning:

• Lack of group participation: “Not everyone contributes equally, and I was mostly thorough in my topic. I couldn’t gain a lot of information on other topics”, and “Within the expert group, some students weren’t involved in the discussion”
• Lack of communication: “There is no communication and explanations among expert group members”.
• Lack of explanation: There is “little explanation about all the contents of the CBL collected by students”.

Regarding the jigsaw implementation challenges associated with time constraints, most participants stated, “time was not enough to cover the whole part of the lessons” and “if there were some more time, this may be more effective”. However, a few students perceived that the jigsaw method has taken “too much time” to “collect details and discuss and teach to other members of the home group”. They stated that Jigsaw pedagogy “costs more time than studying from a formal lecture”.

3.4. Theme 4: Enhancing Jigsaw Implementation

This theme highlights the need for further development and refinement of the Jigsaw cooperative learning strategy. Key areas for improvement include future use, student grouping, and activity diversity.

‘Future use’ describes student recommendations for enhancing jigsaw pedagogy in the future. Medical students provided their consent to engage in jigsaw pedagogy as “continue this learning method for suitable headings”. Specifically, they mentioned that the jigsaw method “can be implemented for minor subtopics”. A few students recommended to “do once (jigsaw session) for two weeks”, and some of them said, “better if it (jigsaw session) can be held once a week”. Moreover, they suggested to “conduct a short lecture as a summary” after jigsaw sessions “to understand the topics clearly”.

Students proposed two strategies for assigning students to Jigsaw learning groups: (i) random assignment (“Automatically discussion groups should be formed”), and (ii) teacher-assigned groups […(we) “group formation by you” (teacher)].

Students suggested incorporating a wider range of teaching strategies, such as multiple-choice questions (“do more MCQs”), tutorials (“do more tutorials”), individual questioning (“ask questions individually”), and sharing group work through “presenting self-explanatory posters”.

4. Discussion

This study investigated medical students’ perceptions of the jigsaw pedagogy for learning anatomy. Our findings indicate that students generally viewed the jigsaw method positively, reporting enhanced cognitive development and knowledge acquisition, both crucial for academic success. This aligns with previous research, such as Moin et al. [4], which also demonstrated a positive impact of the jigsaw model on the academic performance of second-year medical students. Furthermore, our study suggests that the jigsaw method promotes a deeper understanding of concepts and encourages students to explore subjects in-depth through creative peer explanation and elaboration. A meta-analysis by another group similarly reported positive changes in knowledge, skills, and attitude development among army medical students who utilized the jigsaw method [14].

The present study also highlights that the jigsaw cooperative model positively influences the learning experience through active participation and by fostering the development of soft skills essential for future careers. This observation is consistent with a jigsaw intervention in physiology learning among first-year medical students, which found that jigsaw learning promoted peer interaction and effective, engaging learning [15]. Given the critical importance of anatomical knowledge and its application in clinical medicine, adapting methodologies to achieve proper vertical integration between human anatomy and its clinical application is essential [16]. Our medical students emphasised that the jigsaw technique promotes self-directed and active learning, thereby facilitating their acquisition of knowledge and understanding of its clinical relevance. This aligns with the principles of self-directed learning, which encompasses lifelong learning skills and fosters greater self-control, self-confidence, and self-management [17,18].

Additionally, team-based learning, an active learning approach, encourages students to collaborate in small teams to solve problems, discuss concepts, and apply anatomical knowledge in clinical settings [19]. Vasan et al. [20] also underscored the benefits of team-based learning, noting its role in engaging students, facilitating active learning and peer teaching, and ultimately improving student performance and faculty satisfaction.

Despite the many benefits, some students in the current study identified challenges within the jigsaw approach, particularly concerning team-based learning. These challenges arose when group members struggled with effective communication or concept explanation, which could undermine the collaborative learning experience. This often led to frustration, especially if the shared information was perceived as unreliable or incomplete. Trust in the accuracy of shared content is paramount to the effectiveness of the jigsaw method. When students feel that peer-provided information is insufficient or incorrect, their ability to contribute meaningfully can be hindered, negatively impacting their overall learning experience. Karimi and Bagheri [21] also highlighted this issue, suggesting that weaker students in a group can contribute to this sense of disappointment. A systematic review and meta-analysis further indicated that student diversity in ability, self-concept, and gender can influence the effectiveness of jigsaw achievement [22]. To mitigate these challenges, facilitators could provide targeted support and ensure that lower-performing students have mastered the necessary skills to teach their classmates during home group discussions. This is a crucial point for educators to consider during jigsaw training.

The jigsaw group-work model also presents challenges in creating balanced and diverse groups. Ensuring an equitable distribution of knowledge and skills within each group requires careful planning and consideration of students’ individual abilities. Furthermore, the model requires students to take responsibility for their learning, which can be difficult for those accustomed to traditional, teacher-led instruction.

Another significant challenge is the time commitment and need for flexibility. Students must dedicate time to study their subtopics, collaborate with peers, teach others, and reflect on their learning. This can be time-consuming, and students may struggle with managing these responsibilities. Moin et al. [4] also identified similar negative perceptions from students, including the method being time-consuming, inadequate preparation by teammates, lack of attentiveness in some students who focused more on preparing their assigned teaching tasks, and difficulties for slow learners to cope with the technique. Consequently, a few students in our study expressed a preference for traditional teaching methods over this cooperative learning model. The findings suggest that while many students prefer and adhere to the technique, the duration of the jigsaw method was identified as a limiting factor, emphasising the need for proper planning with appropriate topics for effective implementation [23].

Despite these challenges, when implemented effectively, the Jigsaw model can offer a highly engaging and rewarding learning experience, fostering both individual knowledge and collaborative skills. To enhance jigsaw implementation, incorporating dynamic expert groups based on student interests could significantly boost motivation and engagement, as students often take more responsibility for learning when personally invested in a topic. Additionally, integrating case studies into the jigsaw process can further enrich learning activities [24]. This allows students in expert groups to research solutions by applying theoretical knowledge to practical scenarios. Furthermore, encouraging students to utilise diverse methods for sharing knowledge with peers in a friendly, competitive environment could motivate more active participation. By incorporating these strategies, the jigsaw method can become a more dynamic and effective approach to student grouping and activity diversity, ultimately enhancing both the learning experience and student outcomes.

Limitations of the Study

This study has four primary limitations. First, its single-institution design with a specific cohort of first-year medical students may limit generalizability. Second, the reliance on self-reported perceptions, rather than objective performance metrics, introduces potential response bias. Third, the use of two cohorts learning different anatomical modules (cardiovascular and gastrointestinal) introduced potential confounding variables; differences in module complexity, student interest, or perceived anatomical weight were not controlled for and might have influenced perceptions. The fourth limitation of this study is the lack of mixed-methods triangulation. Although a formative assessment (SBA quiz) was administered, the scores were used only for diagnostic feedback and were not formally collected for analysis.

5. Conclusions

This study found that medical students hold positive perceptions of the jigsaw model for learning anatomy. From the students’ perspective, the model enhances the learning experience by fostering cognitive development and soft skills within a student-centred, team-based framework. The primary challenges identified were related to group dynamics and time management. Based on these findings, we recommend that educators implementing the jigsaw method provide students with clear guidelines on teamwork and ensure that task timelines are realistic. Future research should objectively measure the model’s impact on academic performance to validate these positive perceptions.