Enhancing Understanding of Challenging Chemistry and Physics Concepts in Secondary Schools of Kayonza District through Computer Simulation-Based Learning
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58197/prbl/THRF5883Keywords:
Simulation-based learning, Chemistry, Physics, Positive impression, Challenging topics, Conceptual understandingAbstract
The study addressed misconceptions in physics and chemistry among 142
chemistry students, 134 physics students, and 12 teachers." Researchers used a
mixed research design, including interviews, questionnaires, and achievement
tests, to collect data. Before the intervention, focus group interviews with
teachers identified challenging topics, and students took pre-tests to assess their
prior understanding. Quantitative data from questionnaires were analyzed
descriptively, and achievement test data were analyzed using Multivariate
Analysis of Variance. Qualitative data from interviews and open-ended
questionnaires were interpreted and analyzed descriptively. The results indicated
that simulation-based learning effectively reduced the abstract nature of physics
and chemistry concepts. Significant improvements were observed in both
subjects' mean scores between pre-and post-tests, with post-test results showing
a clear advantage. Gender analysis revealed a significant difference in favor of
male chemistry students, while no significant difference was found in physics.
Qualitative findings showed that teachers positively viewed simulation-based
learning for teaching physics and chemistry. In conclusion, the study recommends
integrating simulation-based learning in secondary school chemistry and physics
teaching to enhance students' conceptual understanding. This research
contributes valuable insights into the effective use of simulations to address
misconceptions and improve learning outcomes in physics and chemistry.
Keywords: Simulation-based learning, Chemistry, Physics, Positive impression,
Challenging topics, Conceptual understanding.
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