Abstract Filipino students’ declining science performance necessitates exploring novel instructional methods. This study examines the carousel strategy’s effectiveness as a cooperative learning technique for Grade 8 public school students who struggle with the spiral science curriculum owing to time constraints and poor knowledge recall. This study was conducted in the 2019–2020 academic year and involved 60 Grade 8 students from Opol National Secondary Technical School, selected through convenience sampling. A non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design and focus group discussions were conducted using a mixed-method approach with a quasi-experimental research design. The results indicated significant improvements in the experimental group’s post-test scores (17.37 to 26.30) using the carousel strategy compared with the control group’s lecture method (17.67 to 23.20). Six themes emerged from the thematic analysis: collaboration, confidence building, engagement, enjoyment, and improved learning outcomes. Furthermore, two novel benefits were identified: enhanced knowledge retention and efficient instructional time use. The findings provide significant insights into the effectiveness of the carousel teaching method in science education, showing its potential to improve learning and retention despite classroom time limitations. This study thus contributes meaningfully to advancing pedagogical practices in science education.