نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
نویسندگان
1 کارشناسی ارشد فیزیک دانشگاه الزهرا، دبیر فیزیک اموزش و پرورش ، منطقه 14، تهران ، ایران
2 استادیار گروه فبزیک دانشگاه فرهنگیان دانشکده شهید شرافت- مدیر امور کارورزی ومدارس وابسته
چکیده
کلیدواژهها
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسندگان [English]
Objective:
The primary objective of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of real hands-on experimental experiments versus computer-simulated experiments on secondary school students' understanding of fundamental physics concepts. Furthermore, this research sought to investigate the extent to which each of these two instructional approaches influences learners' comprehension of mechanics concepts and contributes to the reduction of prevalent physics misconceptions commonly observed among students at this educational level.
Methods:
The research methodology was quasi-experimental in nature, employing a pretest-posttest control group design with two independent groups. The statistical population of the study consisted of all tenth-grade secondary school students in District 14 of Tehran, Iran. From this population, a sample of 60 students was selected using convenience sampling and was equally divided into two groups of 30 students each. The first group received instruction on the intended physics concepts by conducting real experiments in a traditional laboratory setting, thereby engaging directly with physical apparatus and observable phenomena. The second group learned the same conceptual content using interactive computer-based simulations, which allowed them to manipulate virtual parameters and observe outcomes in a digital environment. The data collection instruments included a standardized test designed to assess comprehension of mechanics concepts, as well as a specialized questionnaire aimed at identifying and measuring the prevalence of common physics misconceptions among learners. The collected data were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods, including techniques suitable for comparing means between the two groups, in order to determine any significant differences in learning outcomes.
Results:
The findings of the study revealed that both instructional methods—real experimental experiments and simulated experiments—led to a statistically significant increase in post-test scores when compared to pre-test scores, indicating that both approaches had a positive and meaningful impact on enhancing students' understanding of mechanics concepts. However, a more detailed comparison between the two groups demonstrated that students who learned through real experimental experiments exhibited superior performance in understanding causal relationships between physical variables and in directly observing real-world physical phenomena. In contrast, the group that used simulated experiments was more successful in reducing persistent misconceptions and helping students form a more precise and accurate mental representation of abstract physical quantities and the mathematical relationships that govern them.
**Conclusion**
Based on the findings obtained from this research, it can be concluded that each of the two instructional methods—real experiments and simulated experiments—offers distinct and complementary educational advantages. Real experiments appear to foster a deeper intuitive grasp of direct cause-and-effect relationships and phenomenological observation. In contrast, simulated experiments prove particularly effective in correcting conceptual errors and clarifying abstract mathematical structures. Consequently, the integrated and balanced application of both approaches may lead to the simultaneous enhancement of deep conceptual understanding and the systematic correction of misconceptions. The design and implementation of a blended instructional model, grounded in the purposeful and context-sensitive utilization of both real and simulated experiments, is therefore proposed as an efficient and practical strategy for improving the quality of physics instruction at the secondary education level.
کلیدواژهها [English]
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